Multi-wavelength optical dielectric metasurfaces

• US 10,267,956 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Arbabi, Ehsan, Arbabi, Amir, Faraon, Andrei
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Washington, Tamara Y.
• Application Number:
  US15/096,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 359240
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/002 made of materials engineered to provide properties not available in nature, e.g. metamaterials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4211 correcting chromatic aberrations G02B27/0056, G02B27/4222, G02B27/4227 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0226 having particles on the surface
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0263 with positional variation of the diffusing properties, e.g. gradient or patterned diffuser
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0268 characterized by the fabrication or manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1876 Diffractive Fresnel lenses; Zone plates; Kinoforms G02B5/1842, G02B5/1847 take precedence; optical systems having diffractive correction means G02B27/0037; Fresnel lenses operating by refraction G02B3/08

Abstract

Structures for scattering light at multiple wavelengths are disclosed. Scattering elements are fabricated with different geometric dimensions and arrangements, to scatter or focus light at the same focal distance for each wavelength, or at different focal distances according to the desired application. Scattering elements can be circular or elliptical posts, allowing polarization dependent scattering. The elements can have different orientations to scatter light from multiple wavelengths at the desired focal length.

Claims

1. A structure comprising:

a substrate;

a first plurality of scattering elements on the substrate, the first plurality of scattering elements having first geometrical dimensions for the scattering elements; and

a second plurality of scattering elements on the substrate, the second plurality of scattering elements having second geometrical dimensions for the scattering elements, the second geometrical dimensions being different from the first geometrical dimensions,

wherein the first plurality of scattering elements are arranged in first four sectors and the second plurality of scattering elements are arranged in second four sectors spatially separated from the first four sectors.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of scattering elements has a first spacing between scattering elements and the second plurality of scattering elements has a second spacing between scattering elements, the second spacing being different from the first spacing.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the substrate is transparent to light, the first plurality of scattering elements is configured to focus light at a first wavelength, and the second plurality of scattering elements is configured to focus light at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the first wavelength is 775 nm and the second wavelength is 1550 nm.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second four sectors are consecutive octaves of a circular substrate.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second pluralities of scattering elements are arranged as alternating circular rows on the substrate.

7. The structure of claim 1, wherein the scattering elements are circular, the first plurality having a first diameter and the second plurality having a second diameter.

8. The structure of claim 1, wherein the scattering elements are made of amorphous silicon and have a height less than 1 micrometer, and the substrate is made of fused silica.

9. The structure of claim 8, wherein the substrate and the first and second plurality of scattering elements form a lens having a 100 μ

m diameter and a 50 μ

m focal distance.

10. The structure of claim 1, wherein the scattering elements are elliptical.

11. The structure of claim 10, wherein the elliptical scattering elements of the first and second pluralities have varying orientation on the substrate.

12. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of scattering elements are arranged in a hexagonal lattice.

13. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of scattering elements are each located at a center of a respective hexagon in a first plurality of hexagons and the second plurality of scattering elements are each located at a center of a respective hexagon of a second plurality of hexagons, wherein the first and second plurality of hexagons are arranged in a single hexagonal two-dimensional lattice and at least six hexagons of the second plurality of hexagons surround at least one hexagon of the first plurality of hexagons.

14. A structure comprising:

a substrate;

a first plurality of scattering elements on the substrate, the first plurality of scattering elements having first geometrical dimensions for the scattering elements;

a second plurality of scattering elements on the substrate, the second plurality of scattering elements having second geometrical dimensions for the scattering elements, the second geometrical dimensions being different from the first geometrical dimensions; and

a third plurality of scattering elements on the substrate, the third plurality of scattering elements having third geometrical dimensions for the scattering elements, the third geometrical dimensions being different from the first and the second geometrical dimensions.

15. A method comprising:

providing a substrate;

fabricating a first plurality of scattering elements on the substrate according to first geometric dimensions, to scatter light at a first wavelength; and

fabricating a second plurality of scattering elements on the substrate according to second geometric dimensions, to scatter light at a second wavelength,

wherein;

the first geometric dimensions are different from the second geometric dimensions, and the first wavelength is different from the second wavelength, and

the first plurality of scattering elements are arranged in first four sectors and the second plurality of scattering elements are arranged in second four sectors spatially separated from the first four sectors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of scattering elements is to focus light of the first wavelength at a first focal distance, and the second plurality of scattering elements is to focus light of the second wavelength at a second focal distance, the first focal distance different from the second focal distance.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of scattering elements is to focus light of the first wavelength at a first focal distance, and the second plurality of scattering elements is to focus light of the second wavelength at the first focal distance.

18. The method of claim 15, where the first and second pluralities of scattering elements are co-designed to focus light at the first and second wavelengths at a same focal distance.