Work

Phase model for analysis and compensation of metalens fabrication errors in a refractive–metalens hybrid imaging system

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Fabrication-induced deviations in metalens unit cells can produce full-aperture phase errors and degrade hybrid imaging performance. A first-order model is developed for a 3.3–5 μm refractive–metalens MWIR system to relate pillar-height, radius, and sidewall-angle errors to phase deviations through the effective propagation constant. The predictions are assessed using three-dimensional local-cell finite-difference time-domain calculations and a non-axisymmetric composite-error realization. The errors reduce the on-axis and edge-field MTFs at 33 lp/mm from 0.63 and 0.44 to 0.41 and 0.38, respectively. Re-optimization of the refractive group restores them to 0.63 and 0.43. The FDTD-assembled phase produces comparable system performance. The ideal and composite-error metalenses have forward transmittances of 80.40% and 77.65%, respectively. The model therefore provides an efficient basis for tolerance analysis and compensation of refractive–metalens hybrid systems.

Source: Optics Express

DOI: 10.1364/oe.614690

Authors: Junsong Wang, Mingxu Piao, Xian Zhang, Keyan Dong, Zhongju Ren, Huilin Jiang

Institution: Changchun University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,270

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China