All-solid-state spatial light modulator with independent phase and amplitude control for three-dimensional LiDAR applications

Spatial light modulators are essential optical elements in applications that require the ability to regulate the amplitude, phase and polarization of light, such as digital holography, optical communications and biomedical imaging. With the push towards miniaturization of optical components, static metasurfaces are used as competent alternatives. These evolved to active metasurfaces in which light-wavefront manipulation can be done in a time-dependent fashion. The active metasurfaces reported so far, however, still show incomplete phase modulation (below 360 degrees). Here we present an all-solid-state, electrically tunable and reflective metasurface array that can generate a specific phase or a continuous sweep between 0 and 360 degrees at an estimated rate of 5.4 MHz while independently adjusting the amplitude. The metasurface features 550 individually addressable nanoresonators in a 250 x 250 mu m(2) area with no micromechanical elements or liquid crystals. A key feature of our design is the presence of two independent control parameters (top and bottom gate voltages) in each nanoresonator, which are used to adjust the real and imaginary parts of the reflection coefficient independently. To demonstrate this array's use in light detection and ranging, we performed a three-dimensional depth scan of an emulated street scene that consisted of a model car and a human figure up to a distance of 4.7 m. By controlling two voltage gates separately from one another, a spatial light modulator has been made that can continuously vary the phase of 360 degrees while independently adjusting the amplitude.

Automated summary

Spatial light modulators are essential for regulating the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light, while static and active metasurfaces serve as alternatives for miniaturized optical components. A new all-solid-state, electrically tunable, and reflective metasurface array has been developed to generate specific or continuous phase modulation with independent amplitude adjustment. This design includes individually addressable nanoresonators with two independent control parameters for adjusting the reflection coefficient in each nanoresonator.