EP-4735922-A1 - METASURFACE OPTICAL MODE FILTERING

Abstract

An optical system includes an optical mode filter comprising a metasurface optical element. The metasurface optical element is configured to, in response to an optical beam being incident thereon, emit a selected mode beam with first propagation characteristics and one or more unselected mode beams with respective second propagation characteristic. The first propagation characteristics differ from the respective second propagation characteristics such that a majority of the optical power of the selected mode beam is caused to be incident on at least one of a downstream optical element or a target location and a majority of the optical power of the one or more unselected mode beams is caused to be not incident on the at least one of the downstream optical element or the target location.

Inventors

• OLLANIK, Adam Jay
• BUSHATI, Rezlind
• MILLER, DAVID
• GAUDIOSI, DAVID M.
• SCHULTZ, JUSTIN

Assignees

• Quantinuum LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240628

Claims (20)

1. 1. An optical system comprising: an optical mode filter comprising a metasurface optical element, wherein the metasurface optical element is configured to, in response to an optical beam being incident thereon, emit a selected mode beam with first propagation characteristics and one or more unselected mode beams with respective second propagation characteristics, wherein the first propagation characteristics differ from the respective second propagation characteristics such that a majority of optical power of the selected mode beam is caused to be incident on at least one of a downstream optical element or a target location and a majority of optical power of the one or more unselected mode beams is caused to be not incident on the at least one of the downstream optical element or the target location.
2. 2. The optical system of claim 1, wherein differences in the first propagation characteristics and the second propagation characteristics are used to spatially filter the selected mode beam from the one or more unselected mode beams.
3. 3. The optical system of claim 1 further comprising an optical block defining an aperture, wherein the first propagation characteristics are configured to cause the selected mode beam to propagate through the aperture and the second propagation characteristics are configured to cause the one or more unselected mode beams to be incident on the optical block.
4. 4. The optical system of claim 3, wherein the first propagation characteristics corresponding focusing of the selected mode beam on the aperture.
5. 5. The optical system of claim 1, further comprising: a lens configured to project the selected mode beam and the one or more unselected mode beams onto a Fourier plane; an optical block disposed at the Fourier plane, wherein the first propagation characteristics correspond to the selected mode beam propagating past the optical block and the second propagation characteristics corresponding to the one or more unselected mode beams being substantially incident on the optical block.
6. 6. The optical system of claim 5, further comprising an additional lens downstream of the optical block configured to modify the first propagation characteristics of the selected mode beam.
7. 7. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the first propagation characteristics correspond to the selected mode beam propagating along a selected mode axis and the second propagation characteristics correspond to the one or more unselected mode beams propagating along respective unselected mode axes, the selected mode axis and the respective unselected mode axes forming different angles with respect to an optical axis of the metasurface optical element.
8. 8. The optical system of claim 7, wherein one of a photon absorber, a photon blocker, a photon deflector, or a photodetector is aligned with at least one of the respective unselected mode axes.
9. 9. The optical system of claim 7, wherein differences in a direction defined by the selected mode axis and respective directions defined by the respective unselected mode axes are used to spatially filter the selected mode beam from the one or more unselected mode beams.
10. 10. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the metasurface optical element is configured to control one or more optical properties of the selected mode beam.
11. 11. The optical system of claim 10, wherein the one or more optical properties include at least one of polarization, wavelength, focusing, beam waist, phase, beam profile, or intensity.
12. 12. The optical system of claim 1, further comprising a beam source configured to generate and provide the optical beam.
13. 13. The optical system of claim 12, wherein the beam source comprises at least one of an optical fiber, waveguide, or laser and the optical beam is a laser beam.
14. 14. The optical system of claim 12, wherein the beam source is part of a onedimensional or two-dimensional array of beam sources and the metasurface optical element is part of one- dimensional or two-dimensional array of metasurface optical elements.
15. 15. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the optical beam comprises one or more Gaussian, Laguerre Gaussian, Hermite Gaussian, Bessel beam, or Airy beam optical modes.
16. 16. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the selected mode beam is propagated to the target location and the one or more unselected mode beams are propagated to one or more respective locations that are not the target location.
17. 17. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the metasurface optical element is configured to act on the selected mode beam with a first order interaction.
18. 18. An optical system comprising: an optical mode filter comprising a metasurface optical element, wherein the metasurface optical element is configured to, in response to an optical beam being incident thereon, emit a selected mode beam along a selected mode axis and emit one or more unselected mode beams along respective unselected mode axes, the selected mode axis and the respective unselected mode axes forming different angles with respect to an optical axis of the metasurface optical element.
19. 19. A system comprising: one or more beam sources; a target apparatus defining one or more target locations; and an optical system comprising one or more optical mode filters each comprising a respective metasurface optical element, wherein the respective metasurface optical element is configured to, in response to an optical beam being incident thereon, emit a selected mode beam with first propagation characteristics and one or more unselected mode beams with respective second propagation characteristics, wherein the first propagation characteristics differ from the respective second propagation characteristics such that a majority of optical power of the selected mode beam is caused to be incident on at least one of a downstream optical element or a target location and a majority of optical power of the one or more unselected mode beams is caused to be not incident on the at least one of the downstream optical element or the target location, wherein the one or more beam sources are configured to provide respective optical beams to the one or more optical mode filters and the selected mode beam is provided to a respective target location of the one or more target locations.
20. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical system is a beam delivery system configured to provide respective beams to the one or more target locations for performing particle interaction.

Description

METASURFACE OPTICAL MODE FILTERING CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 18/753,172, field June 25, 2024, which claims priority to U.S. Application No. 63/579,608 filed August 30, 2023, and U.S. Application No. 63/524,122, filed June 29, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] Various embodiments relate to optical mode filtering. An example embodiment relates to a metasurface optical element configured for optical mode filtering. BACKGROUND [0003] When an optical beam is propagated through an optical system, the optical beam may include multiple optical modes. However, it may be desired to use a particular mode of the optical beam to perform a task (e.g., interact with trapped ions, and/or the like). Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation many deficiencies of prior optical beam delivery systems have been solved by developing solutions that are structured in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, many examples of which are described in detail herein. BRIEF SUMMARY OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS [0004] Example embodiments provide optical systems, systems and/or assemblies including optical systems, and/or the like that use metasurface optical elements to spatially filter modes of an optical beam. For example, an example embodiment provides a quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) -based quantum computer including an optical system that spatially filters modes of an optical beam using a metasurface optical element. In an example embodiment, the metasurface optical element is configured to control optical properties of a selected mode beam. [0005] In various embodiments, the optical system includes an array of optical beams, respective metasurface optical elements for spatially filtering modes of respective optical beams of the array of optical beams. In various embodiments, the optical system includes various optical elements as appropriate for the application. For example, in an example embodiment, an array of metasurfaces optical elements receives a plurality of optical beams and provides an array of property-controlled selected mode beams where the optical properties of each selected mode beam are controlled and/or conditioned independently by a respective metasurface optical element. In an example embodiment, the optical system further includes a relay component configured to relay the plurality of property-controlled selected model beams to respective target locations of an array of target locations. For example, the relay component is configured to provide a respective property-controlled selected mode beam to a respective target location at an appropriate incident angle for the respective target location. [0006] According to a first aspect, an optical system is provided. In an example embodiment, the optical system includes an optical mode filter comprising a metasurface optical element having an upstream surface and a downstream surface. The metasurface optical element is configured to, in response to an optical beam being incident on the upstream surface, emit a selected mode beam along a selected mode axis and emit at least one unselected mode beam along an unselected mode axis. The selected mode axis and the unselected mode axis forming different angles with respect to an optical axis of the metasurface optical element axis. [0007] In an example embodiment, a downstream component of the optical system is aligned with the selected mode axis. [0008] In an example embodiment, one of a photon absorber, a photon blocker, a photon deflector, or a photodetector is aligned with the unselected mode axis. [0009] In an example embodiment, the selected mode beam is provided to a target location of the optical system. [0010] In an example embodiment, the metasurface optical element is configured to control one or more optical properties of the selected mode beam. [0011] In an example embodiment, the one or more optical properties include at least one of polarization, wavelength, focusing, beam waist, phase, beam profile, or intensity. [0012] In an example embodiment, the system further includes a beam source configured to generate and provide the optical beam. [0013] In an example embodiment, the beam source comprises at least one of an optical fiber, waveguide, or laser and the optical beam is a laser beam. [0014] In an example embodiment, the beam source is part of a one-dimensional or two- dimensional array of beam sources and the metasurface optical element is part of one- dimensional or two-dimensional array of metasurface optical elements. [0015] In an example embodiment, a difference in a direction defined by the selected mode axis and a direction defined by the unselected mode axis is used to spatially filter the selected mode beam from the unselected mode beam. [0016] In an example embodiment, the optical beam comprises one or more Gaussian, Lague