Recent Developments of Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing for Meta-Optics

Micro-optics based on the artificial adjustment of physical dimensions, such as the phase, polarization, and wavelength of light, constitute the basis of contemporary information optoelectronic technology. As the main means of optical integration, it has become one of the important ways to break through the future bottleneck of microelectronic technology. Geometric phase optical components can precisely control the polarization, phase, amplitude and other properties of the light field at the sub-wavelength scale by periodically arranging nanometer-sized unit structures. It has received extensive attention in the fields of holographic imaging and polarization optics. This paper reviews the physical mechanism of micro-nano structure modification, research progress of femtosecond laser direct-writing photoresist, femtosecond laser ablation of metal thin films, femtosecond laser-induced nanograting, and other methods for preparing polarization converters and geometric phase optics. The challenges of fabricating ultrafast optical devices using femtosecond laser technology are discussed.

Automated summary

Micro-optics based on artificial adjustment of physical dimensions, such as phase, polarization, and wavelength, play a vital role in contemporary information optoelectronic technology and offer an important approach to overcome the future bottleneck of microelectronic technology. Geometric phase optical components, achieved through nanometer-scale unit structure arrangement, allow precise control of the properties of the light field, including polarization, phase, and amplitude, at the sub-wavelength scale. These components have gained extensive attention in the fields of holographic imaging and polarization optics. This paper reviews the physical mechanisms and research progress of various methods for preparing polarization converters and geometric phase optics using femtosecond laser technology, while discussing the challenges associated with fabricating ultrafast optical devices.