New algorithm approach paves the way for larger, more complex metalenses

Metasurfaces, which use specifically designed and patterned nanostructures on a flat surface to focus, shape and control light, are a promising technology for Wearable applications. Research teams design the specific pattern of nanostructures on the surface to achieve the desired function of the lens, whether that be resolving nanoscale features, simultaneously producing several depth-perceiving images or focusing light.

If the metalens is going to be used commercially, it will need to be scaled up a lot, which means there will be billions of them. What can researchers do to design something that is complex? That is where artificial intelligence comes in.

A new method for designing large-scale metasurfaces that uses techniques of machine intelligence was described in a recent paper.

The Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and the senior author of the paper said that the article lays the groundwork and design approach which may influence many real-world devices.

Researchers used to need years of experience in the field to design a metasurface.

We have been guided by intuition-based design, relying heavily on one's training in physics, which has been limited in the number of parameters that can be considered simultaneously, as we are by human working memory capacity.

The team taught a computer program the physics of meta surface design. The program uses the foundation of physics to design millions to billions of parameters simultaneously.

The inverse design process means that the researchers start with a desired function of metalens and then the program finds the best design to achieve that goal.

Allowing a computer to make a decision is inherently scary, but we have shown that our program can act as a compass, pointing the way to the optimal design.

Steven G said that the increase in the scale of inverse design fornanomagnitude photonic devices, generating devices of tens of thousands of wavelength in diameter compared to hundreds in previous works, and it opens up new classes of applications for computational discovery, is an orders-of-magnitude increase in the scale

The research team designed and fabricated a meta-eyepiece for a virtual reality platform based on the new approach.

The presented platform is based on a meta-eyepiece and a laser back-illuminated micro-LCD, which offers many desirable features, including compactness, light weight, high resolution, wide color gamut, and more.

The research was co-authored by two people.

More information: Zhaoyi Li et al, Inverse design enables large-scale high-performance meta-optics reshaping virtual reality, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29973-3 Journal information: Nature Communications Citation: New algorithm approach paves the way for larger, more complex metalenses (2022, May 17) retrieved 17 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-algorithm-approach-paves-larger-complex.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.