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Advances in optical metalenses

Nature Photonics volume 17, pages 16–25 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Optical metalenses—two-dimensional arrays of submicrometre scatterers that collectively focus light—have experienced growing research interest in recent years as they can realize conventional optical elements while offering novel functionalities. Their progress is driven by the need for low-cost, high-performance miniaturized optical systems and is supported by advances in nanofabrication and computational tools and techniques. Here we review the main capabilities offered by metalenses, such as their multifunctionality and their ability to efficiently focus light to subwavelength spots. We discuss how these characteristics enable new applications and provide an overview of the current state of the art of optical metasystems. We conclude by discussing the outstanding challenges in the field and highlighting application areas where metalenses could have a substantial impact.

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Fig. 1: Multifunctional metalenses.
Fig. 2: Optical metasystems.
Fig. 3: Metalens-based polarization imagers.
Fig. 4: Metalens applications in microscopy.
Fig. 5: Metalens applications in computational imaging.
Fig. 6: Metalens applications in virtual reality and quantum optical systems.

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Acknowledgements

A.A. acknowledges support from Manning/IALS innovation grant. A.F. acknowledges support from Caltech via the Rothenberg Innovation Initiative (RI2) and Clinard Innovation Fund.

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  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA

    Amir Arbabi

  2. T. J. Watson Laboratory of Applied Physics and Kavli Nanoscience Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Andrei Faraon

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Arbabi, A., Faraon, A. Advances in optical metalenses. Nat. Photon. 17, 16–25 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-022-01108-6

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