EurekAlert March 8, 2021
Critical challenges for real-world applications of flat optics technology are due to the limited operational efficiency in the visible region, on average lower than 60%, which originates from absorption losses in wavelength-thick structures and the realization of on-demand optical components for controlling vectorial light at visible frequencies simultaneously in both reflection and transmission and with a predetermined wavefront shape. Researcher in Saudi Arabia have developed an inverse design approach that allows the realization of highly efficient (up to 99%) ultrathin (down to 50 nm thick) optics for vectorial light control with broadband input–output responses in the visible and near-IR regions with a desired wavefront shape. They used engineered semiconductor nanostructures, which behave as a neural network that can approximate a user-defined input–output function and reduce absorption losses to near-negligible values. The devices can be manufactured with a CMOS-compatible process, making them scalable for mass production at low cost…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Comparison with state-of-the-art and cascaded systems. Credit: Light: Science & Applications volume 10, Article number: 47 (2021)