Work

Scalable Manufacturing of Polarization‐Insensitive Metalenses with High‐Uniform Focal Arrays in the Visible

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Metalenses with uniform focal arrays (MUFAs), capable of directing incident beams to identical focal points on the same plane, have attracted significant attention due to their roles in advanced applications, including microscopy, light field detection, and optical trapping. However, limitations in existing design and fabrication techniques have hindered the practical applications of MUFAs. In this work, we propose an effective inverse‐design optimization strategy for phase retrieval of MUFAs, enabling high intensity uniformity and flexible geometries. Additionally, we experimentally demonstrate the scalable manufacturing of polarization‐insensitive high‐quality MUFAs in the visible using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). This single‐step NIL fabrication achieves high‐aspect‐ratio nanopillars, facilitating the subsequent deposition of a thin high‐index film via atomic layer deposition to provide full phase coverage. As a proof of concept, metalenses operating at the 450 nm wavelength are explored by producing diverse focal arrays on 4‐inch silica wafers, including intact and defective rings, as well as complex geometries such as square and rhombic lattices. The MUFAs exhibit an average positional inaccuracy of 0.64 µm and a peak intensity uniformity of over 97%, whereas the wafer‐scale spatial uniformity reaches up to approximately 98%. This work may contribute to applications in materials science, biological imaging, and quantum optics.

Source: Laser & Photonics Review

DOI: 10.1002/lpor.202502378