Multifunctional wide-angle optics and lasing based on supercell metasurfaces

Metasurfaces are arrays of subwavelength spaced nanostructures that can manipulate the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light to achieve a variety of optical functions beyond the capabilities of 3D bulk optics. However, they suffer from limited performance and efficiency when multiple functions with large deflection angles are required because the non-local interactions due to optical coupling between nanostructures are not fully considered. Here we introduce a method based on supercell metasurfaces to demonstrate multiple independent optical functions at arbitrary large deflection angles with high efficiency. In one implementation the incident laser is simultaneously diffracted into Gaussian, helical and Bessel beams over a large angular range. We then demonstrate a compact wavelength-tunable external cavity laser with arbitrary beam control capabilities - including beam shaping operations and the generation of freeform holograms. Our approach paves the way to novel methods to engineer the emission of optical sources. The angular dependence is a well-known issue in metasurface engineering. Here the authors introduce a supercell metasurface able to implement multiple independent functions under large deflection angles with high efficiency, leading to a wavelength tunable laser with arbitrary wavefront control.

Automated summary

The article introduces a method based on supercell metasurfaces that can achieve multiple independent optical functions with high efficiency at large deflection angles. This paves the way for novel approaches to engineer the emission of optical sources, including the development of a wavelength-tunable laser with arbitrary wavefront control.