KR-102962456-B1 - Optical devices including metasurfaces

Abstract

The device comprises an optical element having an optical metasurface comprising meta-atoms. In some instances, at least some of the meta-atoms have a first height, and other meta-atoms have a second height different from the first height. In some instances, each meta-atom has a cross-section composed of a first metamaterial that is laterally surrounded by a different second metamaterial. Techniques for manufacturing such optical elements are also disclosed.

Inventors

• 잴코브스키, 막심
• 목시, 마크 앨런

Assignees

• 엔아이엘티 스위철랜드 게엠베하

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20211007

Priority Date

20201009

Claims (20)

1. As a device, An optical device comprising an optical metasurface comprising a plurality of meta-atoms — each of the plurality of meta-atoms has a circular cross-section, and At least some of the plurality of meta-atoms have a first height, and other meta-atoms among the plurality of meta-atoms have a second height different from the first height —; Substrate; and Multiple polymer layers — each polymer layer is disposed between an individual meta-atom and the substrate — Includes, A device in which the width of each polymer layer is equal to the width of each individual meta-atom on the polymer layer.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein some of the meta-atoms have a third height different from the first height and the second height.
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the meta-atoms comprises a metamaterial that laterally surrounds a polymer material.
4. delete
5. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross-section composed of metamaterial.
6. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross section composed of a first metamaterial laterally surrounded by a different second metamaterial.
7. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the meta-atoms has an annular cross-section composed of a first metamaterial laterally surrounded by a different second metamaterial.
8. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the meta-atoms is disposed directly on a substrate.
9. delete
10. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the meta-atoms are composed of at least one metamaterial having a refractive index greater than 1 and less than or equal to 5 and an optical loss of less than 0.1.
11. delete
12. delete
13. As a method for manufacturing an optical element, A step of imprinting a polymer layer disposed on a substrate — said imprinting step results in the formation of protrusions of the material of said polymer layer extending away from said substrate —; A step of forming meta-atoms, at least a portion of which is composed of a first metamaterial layer — said step of forming meta-atoms includes a step of depositing the first metamaterial layer on the protrusions —; and Step of removing a portion of the first metamaterial layer to expose the surface of the protrusions of the material of the polymer layer A method including
14. In paragraph 13, a method wherein some of the meta-atoms have a first meta-atom height and other meta-atoms have a second meta-atom height different from the first meta-atom height.
15. In paragraph 13 or 14, A method further comprising the step of removing a residual portion of the polymer layer present on the substrate such that each of the meta-atoms has a circular cross-section.
16. In paragraph 13 or 14, A step of removing a residual portion of the polymer layer present on the substrate; and A method comprising the step of depositing a second metamaterial layer in regions from which the remainder of the polymer layer has been removed, such that each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross-section.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the second metamaterial layer is composed of the same material as the first metamaterial layer.
18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the second metamaterial layer is composed of a material different from the material of the first metamaterial layer.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross-section comprising an annular portion composed of the first metamaterial that is laterally surrounded by a core portion composed of the second metamaterial.
20. In claim 13, the step of forming the meta-atoms further comprises the step of depositing a second metamaterial layer on the protrusions, wherein the second metamaterial is different from the first metamaterial, and each of the meta-atoms comprises a first annular ring composed of the first metamaterial and a second annular ring composed of the second metamaterial.

Description

Optical devices including metasurfaces The present disclosure relates to optical devices comprising a metasurface. Advanced optical devices may include metasurfaces, which refer to surfaces having dispersed small structures (e.g., meta-atoms) arranged to interact with light in a specific manner. For example, a metasurface, which may also be referred to as a metastructure, may be a surface having a dispersed array of nanostructures. The nanostructures may interact with light waves individually or collectively. For example, nanostructures or other meta-atoms may alter the local amplitude, local phase, or both of the incident light wave. When the meta-atoms (e.g., nanostructures) of a metasurface are arranged in a specific configuration, the metasurface can function as an optical device, such as a lens, lens array, beam splitter, diffuser, polarizer, bandpass filter, or other optical element. In some cases, metasurfaces can perform optical functions traditionally carried out by refractive and/or diffractive optical devices. The present disclosure describes optical devices comprising a metasurface, as well as methods for manufacturing such optical devices. For example, in one embodiment, the present disclosure describes an apparatus comprising an optical element. The optical element has an optical metasurface comprising meta-atoms. At least some of the meta-atoms have a first height, and other parts of the meta-atoms have a second height different from the first height. Some embodiments include one or more of the following features. For example, some of the meta-atoms may have a third height different from the first height and the second height. In some embodiments, each of the meta-atoms comprises a metamaterial that laterally surrounds a polymer material. In some cases, each of the meta-atoms has an annular cross-section. In some embodiments, each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross-section composed of a metamaterial. In some cases, each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross-section composed of a first metamaterial laterally surrounded by a different second metamaterial. In some cases, each of the meta-atoms has an annular cross-section composed of a first metamaterial laterally surrounded by a different second metamaterial. In some embodiments, the device comprises a substrate and a polymer layer upon which meta-atoms are disposed, wherein the polymer layer is disposed between each of the meta-atoms and the substrate. In some cases, the meta-atoms are composed of at least one metamaterial having a high refractive index and low optical loss. The present disclosure also describes optical elements in which meta-atoms do not necessarily have different heights (e.g., all meta-atoms may have the same height). For example, the device may include an optical element having an optical metasurface comprising meta-atoms—each meta-atom having a cross-section composed of a first metamaterial laterally surrounded by a different second metamaterial. In some embodiments, each meta-atom has an annular cross-section. The present disclosure also discloses a method for manufacturing an optical element. The method comprises the step of imprinting a polymer layer disposed on a substrate. The imprinting step results in the formation of protrusions of the material of the polymer layer extending away from the substrate. The method also comprises the step of forming meta-atoms, at least a portion of which is composed of a first metamaterial. The step of forming meta-atoms comprises the step of depositing a first metamaterial layer on the protrusions. The method may also comprise the step of removing a portion of the first metamaterial layer to expose the surface of the protrusions of the material of the polymer layer. Some embodiments include one or more of the following features. For example, some of the meta-atoms have a first meta-atom height, and other meta-atoms have a second meta-atom height different from the first meta-atom height. The method may further include the step of removing a remainder of a polymer layer present on a substrate so that each of the meta-atoms has an annular cross-section. In some embodiments, the method includes the step of removing a remainder of a polymer layer present on a substrate and the step of depositing a second metamaterial layer in the regions from which the remainder of the polymer layer has been removed so that each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross-section. In some cases, the second metamaterial layer is composed of the same material as the material of the first metamaterial layer. Furthermore, in some cases, the second metamaterial layer is composed of a material different from the material of the first metamaterial layer. In some embodiments, each of the meta-atoms has a solid cross-section comprising an annular portion composed of a first metamaterial that is laterally surrounded by a core portion composed of the second metamaterial. In some cases, the method for forming meta-atoms furt