Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanofabrication and Nanomanufacturing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 26546

Special Issue Editor

Department of Optics and Photonics, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
Interests: plasmonics; metamaterial; metasurface; nanophotonics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Benefiting from the development of nanofabrication technology, the metalens, as a breakthrough of optical design, has demonstrated tremendous capabilities in manipulating light including diffraction-limited focus spot, broadband achromaticism, wide field-of-view, polarization functionalities, etc. The ultrathin and ultralight features as the core advantage of the metalens are the ever-growing requirement of modern applications, such as in the fields of imaging, spectroscopy, color/polarization routing, tunable focusing, augmented/virtual reality, and other unexplored applications. Someday, the metalenses will make it into the industry and toward real applications when it meets commercial manufacturing capability.

The main focus of this Special Issue is to cover the recent advances in newly developed state-of-the-art metalens-related topics, such as metalens for quantum information, polarization-multiplexed metalens, polarization-independent metalens, Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) compatible process for metasurface, low aspect ratio dielectric metasurface, materials for visible metalens, wafer-scale integration, and the characterization of metalens.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Nanomanufacturing.

Prof. Dr. Chih-Ming Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Metalens
  • Metamaterial
  • Metasurface
  • Dielectric metasurface
  • Flat optics
  • Meta-optics
  • CMOS compatible
  • Wafer-scale integration

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3257 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Luminous Intensity Emission from Incoherent LED Light Sources within the Detection Angle of 10° Using Metalenses
by Hanlyun Cho, Heonyeong Jeong, Younghwan Yang, Trevon Badloe and Junsuk Rho
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(1), 153; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12010153 - 01 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2752
Abstract
In this work, we present metalenses (MLs) designed to enhance the luminous intensity of incoherent light-emitting diodes (LEDs) within the detection angles of 0° and 10°. The detection angle of 0° refers to the center of the LED. Because the light emitted from [...] Read more.
In this work, we present metalenses (MLs) designed to enhance the luminous intensity of incoherent light-emitting diodes (LEDs) within the detection angles of 0° and 10°. The detection angle of 0° refers to the center of the LED. Because the light emitted from LEDs is incoherent and expressed as a surface light source, they are numerically described as a set of point sources and calculated using incoherent summation. The titanium dioxide (TiO2) and amorphous silicon (a-Si) nanohole meta-atoms are designed; however, the full 2π phase coverage is not reached. Nevertheless, because the phase modulation at the edge of the ML is important, an ML is successfully designed. The typical phase profile of the ML enhances the luminous intensity at the center, and the phase profile is modified to increase the luminous intensity in the target detection angle region. Far field simulations are conducted to calculate the luminous intensity after 25 m of propagation. We demonstrate an enhancement of the luminous intensity at the center by 8551% and 2115% using TiO2 and a-Si MLs, respectively. Meanwhile, the TiO2 and a-Si MLs with the modified phase profiles enhance the luminous intensity within the detection angle of 10° by 263% and 30%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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13 pages, 5377 KiB  
Article
Polarization-Insensitive Beam Splitter with Variable Split Angles and Ratios Based on Phase Gradient Metasurfaces
by Quan He and Zhe Shen
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(1), 113; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12010113 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2134
Abstract
The beam splitter is a common and critical element in optical systems. Traditional beam splitters composed of prisms or wave plates are difficult to be applied to miniaturized optical systems because they are bulky and heavy. The realization of the nanoscale beam splitter [...] Read more.
The beam splitter is a common and critical element in optical systems. Traditional beam splitters composed of prisms or wave plates are difficult to be applied to miniaturized optical systems because they are bulky and heavy. The realization of the nanoscale beam splitter with a flexible function has attracted much attention from researchers. Here, we proposed a polarization-insensitive beam splitter with a variable split angle and ratio based on the phase gradient metasurface, which is composed of two types of nanorod arrays with opposite phase gradients. Different split angles are achieved by changing the magnitude of the phase gradient based on the principle of Snell’s law of refraction, and different split ratios are achieved by adding a phase buffer with different areas. In the designed four types of beam splitters for different functions, the split angle is variable in the range of 12–29°, and the split ratio is variable in the range of 0.1–1. The beam splitter has a high beam splitting efficiency above 0.3 at the wavelength of 480–600 nm and a weak polarization dependence. The proposed beam splitter has the advantages of a small size and easy integration, and it can be applied to various optical systems such as multiplexers and interferometers for integrated optical circuits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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14 pages, 2417 KiB  
Article
A Bifunctional Silicon Dielectric Metasurface Based on Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum
by Jianan Wang, Weici Liu, Zhongchao Wei, Hongyun Meng, Hongzhan Liu, Jianping Guo, Manxing Yang, Yongkang Song, Liujing Xiang, Zhenming Huang, Haoxian Li and Faqiang Wang
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(9), 2357; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11092357 - 11 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2660
Abstract
Quasi-bound states in the continuum provide an effective and observable way to improve metasurface performance, usually with an ultra-high-quality factor. Dielectric metasurfaces dependent on Mie resonances have the characteristic of significantly low loss, and the polarization can be affected by the parameter tuning [...] Read more.
Quasi-bound states in the continuum provide an effective and observable way to improve metasurface performance, usually with an ultra-high-quality factor. Dielectric metasurfaces dependent on Mie resonances have the characteristic of significantly low loss, and the polarization can be affected by the parameter tuning of the structure. Based on the theory of quasi-bound states in the continuum, we propose and simulate a bifunctional resonant metasurface, whose periodic unit structure consists of four antiparallel and symmetrical amorphous silicon columns embedded in a poly(methyl methacrylate) layer. The metasurface can exhibit an extreme Huygens’ regime in the case of an incident plane wave with linear polarization, while exhibiting chirality in the case of incident circular polarized light. Our structure provides ideas for promoting the multifunctional development of flat optical devices, as well as presenting potential in polarization-dependent fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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17 pages, 6649 KiB  
Article
Silicon Metalens Fabrication from Electron Beam to UV-Nanoimprint Lithography
by Angela Mihaela Baracu, Marius Andrei Avram, Carmen Breazu, Mihaela-Cristina Bunea, Marcela Socol, Anca Stanculescu, Elena Matei, Paul Conrad Vaagen Thrane, Christopher Andrew Dirdal, Adrian Dinescu and Oana Rasoga
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(9), 2329; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11092329 - 07 Sep 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4543
Abstract
This study presents the design and manufacture of metasurface lenses optimized for focusing light with 1.55 µm wavelength. The lenses are fabricated on silicon substrates using electron beam lithography, ultraviolet-nanoimprint lithography and cryogenic deep reactive-ion etching techniques. The designed metasurface makes use of [...] Read more.
This study presents the design and manufacture of metasurface lenses optimized for focusing light with 1.55 µm wavelength. The lenses are fabricated on silicon substrates using electron beam lithography, ultraviolet-nanoimprint lithography and cryogenic deep reactive-ion etching techniques. The designed metasurface makes use of the geometrical phase principle and consists of rectangular pillars with target dimensions of height h = 1200 nm, width w = 230 nm, length l = 354 nm and periodicity p = 835 nm. The simulated efficiency of the lens is 60%, while the master lenses obtained by using electron beam lithography are found to have an efficiency of 45%. The lenses subsequently fabricated via nanoimprint are characterized by an efficiency of 6%; the low efficiency is mainly attributed to the rounding of the rectangular nanostructures during the pattern transfer processes from the resist to silicon due to the presence of a thicker residual layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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11 pages, 3122 KiB  
Article
Performance Analysis of Metalenses Based on Three Kinds of Phase Compensation Techniques
by Peiyao Lu, Changda Zhou, Zhen Mou, Danhua Liu and Shuyun Teng
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(8), 2091; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11082091 - 18 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2027 | Correction
Abstract
The phase delays introduced by anisotropic nanounits include propagation phase delay, resonant phase delay and geometric phase delay. Various phase devices can be formed based on the metasurfaces consisting of anisotropic nanounits and the phase devices of the same kind function have different [...] Read more.
The phase delays introduced by anisotropic nanounits include propagation phase delay, resonant phase delay and geometric phase delay. Various phase devices can be formed based on the metasurfaces consisting of anisotropic nanounits and the phase devices of the same kind function have different performances because of different working modes. In this paper, metalenses and vortex metalenses are chosen as examples to compare the optical performance of metasurface phase devices based on three kinds of phase compensation techniques. We design separately three kinds of metalenses and vortex metalenses using the cross nanoholes, L-shaped nanohole and V-shaped nanoholes and simulate numerically their intensity and phase distributions. Additionally, the results show the differences among these elements in structure complexity, polarization dependence, working efficiency and phase uniformity. The comparison for three kinds of metalenses clearly shows the merits of different phase compensation techniques and this work must be helpful for expanding the practical applications of metasurfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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10 pages, 3035 KiB  
Article
Active Modulating the Intensity of Bifocal Metalens with Electrically Tunable Barium Titanate (BTO) Nanofins
by Shuai Qin, Hui Huang, Kaiqian Jie, Sirui Zeng, Li Chen, Hongzhan Liu, Jianping Guo, Hongyun Meng, Faqiang Wang, Xiangbo Yang and Zhongchao Wei
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(8), 2023; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11082023 - 08 Aug 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2369
Abstract
The multifocal metalens with an adjustable intensity has great potential in many applications such as the multi-imaging system, but it is less studied. In this paper, by combining the electro-optic material barium titanate (BTO) with the Pancharatnam-Berry phase, an electrically modulated bifocal metalens [...] Read more.
The multifocal metalens with an adjustable intensity has great potential in many applications such as the multi-imaging system, but it is less studied. In this paper, by combining the electro-optic material barium titanate (BTO) with the Pancharatnam-Berry phase, an electrically modulated bifocal metalens in a visible light band is innovatively proposed. Due to the electro-optic effect, we can control the refractive index of the BTO nanofins to vary between 2.4 and 3.07 by applying different voltages (0–60 V). Thus, the method of modulating the intensity ratio of the two focal points is applying an electric field. It is different from using phase change materials or changing the ellipticity of incident light, the strategies proposed in previous studies. Moreover, when the applied voltage is 0 V or 60 V, the bifocal metalens becomes a single focal metalens with different focal lengths, and the full width at half maximum of each focal point is close to the diffraction limit. It has great potential in applications of optical storage, communication and imaging systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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13 pages, 33692 KiB  
Article
Cubic-Phase Metasurface for Three-Dimensional Optical Manipulation
by Hsin Yu Kuo, Sunil Vyas, Cheng Hung Chu, Mu Ku Chen, Xu Shi, Hiroaki Misawa, Yu-Jung Lu, Yuan Luo and Din Ping Tsai
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(7), 1730; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11071730 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3552
Abstract
The optical tweezer is one of the important techniques for contactless manipulation in biological research to control the motion of tiny objects. For three-dimensional (3D) optical manipulation, shaped light beams have been widely used. Typically, spatial light modulators are used for shaping light [...] Read more.
The optical tweezer is one of the important techniques for contactless manipulation in biological research to control the motion of tiny objects. For three-dimensional (3D) optical manipulation, shaped light beams have been widely used. Typically, spatial light modulators are used for shaping light fields. However, they suffer from bulky size, narrow operational bandwidth, and limitations of incident polarization states. Here, a cubic-phase dielectric metasurface, composed of GaN circular nanopillars, is designed and fabricated to generate a polarization-independent vertically accelerated two-dimensional (2D) Airy beam in the visible region. The distinctive propagation characteristics of a vertically accelerated 2D Airy beam, including non-diffraction, self-acceleration, and self-healing, are experimentally demonstrated. An optical manipulation system equipped with a cubic-phase metasurface is designed to perform 3D manipulation of microscale particles. Due to the high-intensity gradients and the reciprocal propagation trajectory of Airy beams, particles can be laterally shifted and guided along the axial direction. In addition, the performance of optical trapping is quantitatively evaluated by experimentally measured trapping stiffness. Our metasurface has great potential to shape light for compact systems in the field of physics and biological applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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Review

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21 pages, 5606 KiB  
Review
Optical Fiber-Integrated Metasurfaces: An Emerging Platform for Multiple Optical Applications
by Qiancheng Zhao, Weihao Yuan, Jiaqi Qu, Zhi Cheng, Gang-Ding Peng and Changyuan Yu
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(5), 793; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12050793 - 26 Feb 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4669
Abstract
The advent of metasurface technology has revolutionized the field of optics and photonics in recent years due to its capability of engineering optical wavefronts with well-patterned nanostructures at subwavelength scale. Meanwhile, inspired and benefited from the tremendous success of the “lab-on-fiber” concept, the [...] Read more.
The advent of metasurface technology has revolutionized the field of optics and photonics in recent years due to its capability of engineering optical wavefronts with well-patterned nanostructures at subwavelength scale. Meanwhile, inspired and benefited from the tremendous success of the “lab-on-fiber” concept, the integration of metasurface with optical fibers has drawn particular interest in the last decade, which establishes a novel technological platform towards the development of “all-in-fiber” metasurface-based devices. Thereby, this review aims to present and summarize the optical fiber-integrated metasurfaces with the current state of the art. The application scenarios of the optical fiber metasurface-based devices are well classified and discussed accordingly, with a brief explanation of physical fundamentals and design methods. The key fabrication methods corresponding to various optical fiber metasurfaces are summarized and compared. Furthermore, the challenges and potential future research directions of optical fiber metasurfaces are addressed to further leverage the flexibility and versatility of meta-fiber-based devices. It is believed that the optical fiber metasurfaces, as a novel all-around technological platform, will be exploited for a large range of applications in telecommunication, sensing, imaging, and biomedicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalens: Applications and Manufacturing)
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