4D integrated metasurfaces for free-space wavefront generation

This technology is a compact, integrated metasurface which controls the flow and direction of light in four dimensions for optical devices.

Unmet Need: Bridge between integrated photonic chip and waves in free space

Current technologies in optics generally separate integrated photonics and metasurfaces: photonics propagate waveguide modes, while metasurfaces shape the beam of light. Additionally, available technologies can only optically control a limited number of optical properties with few structural degrees of freedom. Therefore, current technologies are unable to control more than two disparate elements of light at the same time, including properties such as polarization, amplitude, and phase. This limits the type and specificity of these optical technologies by requiring large configurations, and lower quality displays.

The Technology: Integrated metasurface with four dimensions of optical control

This technology is an integrated metasurface which can generate a free-space optical wavefront with specific optical properties. This technology can work bidirectionally to either generate light then form a beam with a complex wavefront or couple a beam with a complex wavefront to an integrated chip. This technology is composed of three layers including a substrate, a low refractive index layer, and a high refractive index layer with paired units. This design enables the independent control of four optical parameters including amplitude, phase, polarization orientation and polarization ellipticity.

This technology has been validated in six devices including a radially polarized wavefront, a converging beam, a vortex beam and gaussian beam, a 2D and 4D Hologram and a Poincare beam.

Applications:

• Augmented reality/virtual reality display
• Wearable photonics
• Chip-to-chip free-space communications
• Research tool for quantum optics
• Medical imaging and optical devices

Advantages:

• Complex geometry with increased structural and optical degrees of freedom
• Precise control over highest number of optical parameters
• Connects free-space channel and integrated channel
• Enables highest quality displays
• Compact configuration

Lead Inventor:

Nanfang Yu, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Related Publications:

• Malek SC, Overvig AC, Alù A, Yu N. "Multifunctional resonant wavefront-shaping meta-optics based on multilayer and multi-perturbation nonlocal metasurfaces" Light: Science & Applications. 2022 Aug 3; 11(1).

• Huang H, Overvig AC, Malek SC, Alù A, Yu N. "Integrated Metasurfaces for Free-Space Wavefront Generation with Amplitude, Phase and Polarization Control" InCLEO: QELS_Fundamental Science. 2022 May 15: FM1B-5. Optica Publishing Group.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU22328

• Licensing Contact: Greg Maskel