Abstract: Disclosed is a broadband achromatic metasurface waveplate including a device that includes a plurality of nanostructures physically coupled to a substrate and formed at least partially of a dielectric material having a first refractive index and an anti-reflective film applied to a surface of the device. The anti-reflective film may include a material having a second refractive index that is less than the first refractive index. The device and the anti-reflective film may modify incident light with wavelengths extending over a bandwidth of at least 100 nanometers to impart a substantially uniform phase retardation across the wavelengths and a transmittance of at least 90 percent across the wavelengths.

Abstract: An optical component comprises a metasurface comprising nanoscale elements. The metasurface is configured to receive incident light and to generate optical outputs. The geometries and/or orientations of the nanoscale elements provide a first optical output upon receiving a polarized incident light with a first polarization, and provide a second optical output upon receiving a polarized incident light with a second polarization that is different from the first polarization.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and techniques for performing wavelength division multiplexing or demultiplexing using one or more metamaterials in an optical communications systems are described. An optical device may be configured to shift one or more phase profiles of an optical signal using one or more stages of metamaterials to multiplex or demultiplex wavelengths of optical signals. The optical device may be an example of a stacked design with two or more stages of metamaterials stacked on top of one another. The optical device may be an example of a folded design that reflects optical signals between different stages of metamaterials.

Abstract: Disclosed is a depth sensor for determining depth. The depth sensor can include a photosensor, a metalens configured to manipulate light to simultaneously produce at least two images having different focal distances on a surface of the photosensor, and processing circuitry configured to receive, from the photosensor, a measurement of the at least two images having different focal distances. The depth sensor can determine, according to the measurement, a depth associated with at least one feature in the at least two images.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of generating a functional singularity at a point or collection of points. The method may include determining a relationship between one or more parameters associated with a physical structure and a spatial gradient of field values of at least one of electromagnetic energy, sound energy, particle beam, or water waves manipulated by the physical structure, configuring, according to the relationship, the spatial gradient of field values to represent a functional singularity at a point, performing backpropagation using the spatial gradient of field values to obtain design parameters corresponding to values for the one or more parameters that achieve the functional singularity at the point, and producing a physical structure having the design parameters.

Abstract: An optical metasurface film includes a flexible polymeric film having a first major surface, a patterned polymer layer having a first surface proximate to the first major surface of the flexible polymeric film and having a second nanostructured surface opposite the first surface, and a refractive index contrast layer adjacent to the nanostructured surface of the patterned polymer layer forming a nanostructured bilayer with a nanostructured interface. The nanostructured bilayer acts locally on amplitude, phase, or polarization of light, or a combination thereof and imparts a light phase shift that varies as a function of position of the nano structured bilayer on the flexible polymeric film. The light phase shift of the nanostructured bilayer defines a predetermined operative phase profile of the optical metasurface film.

Abstract: Disclosed is a laser system including a first laser and a second laser. The first laser includes a laser cavity, and a gas phase molecular gain medium disposed in the laser cavity, the gain medium having an absorption band. The second laser is a solid state laser configured to be continuously tunable, with respect to an emission wavelength of the second laser, over the absorption band of the gain medium, and the second laser is tuned to pump rotational vibrational transitions in the gain medium to achieve a rotational population inversion.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a visible spectrum optical component includes: providing a substrate; forming a resist layer over a surface of the substrate; patterning the resist layer to form a patterned resist layer defining openings exposing portions of the surface of the substrate; performing deposition to form a dielectric film over the patterned resist layer and over the exposed portions of the surface of the substrate, wherein a top surface of the dielectric film is above a top surface of the patterned resist layer; removing a top portion of the dielectric film to expose the top surface of the patterned resist layer and top surfaces of dielectric units within the openings of the patterned resist layer; and removing the patterned resist layer to retain the dielectric units over the substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an optical component, which may be a metasurface grating, including (a) a substrate; and (b) an array of subwavelength-spaced phase-shifting elements, which are tessellated on the substrate to produce, when illuminated with a polarized incident light, a diffracted light beam with a distinct polarization state for each of a finite number of diffraction orders, wherein the finite number is 2 or more.

Abstract: A wireless communication device includes a quantum cascade laser (QCL) configured to generate a terahertz (THz) or microwave carrier signal. The QCL includes a laser waveguide, a laser optical gain medium incorporated in the laser waveguide, and at least one electrode. An antenna may be integrated with the electrode. The device may be a transmitter, the electrode configured to receive an input baseband signal, the QCL configured to couple the THz or microwave carrier signal and the input baseband signal into a THz or microwave communication signal, and the antenna configured to transmit the THz or microwave communication signal. The device may be a receiver, the antenna configured to receive a THz or microwave communication signal, and the QCL configured to de-couple the THz or microwave communication signal from the THz or microwave carrier signal into an output baseband signal.

Abstract: An optical device includes a substrate, a single-layer metasurface disposed on the substrate, and a refractive lens. The metasurface and the refractive lens may be configured to bring at least five distinct wavelengths to focus on a same plane.

Abstract: An optical component includes a substrate and a metasurface comprising one or more linearly birefringent elements. The linearly birefringent elements define a grating configured to implement parallel polarization analysis for a plurality of polarization orders for incident light of an arbitrary polarization.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a visible spectrum optical component includes: providing a substrate; forming a resist layer over a surface of the substrate; patterning the resist layer to form a patterned resist layer defining openings exposing portions of the surface of the substrate; performing deposition to form a dielectric film over the patterned resist layer and over the exposed portions of the surface of the substrate, wherein a top surface of the dielectric film is above a top surface of the patterned resist layer; removing a top portion of the dielectric film to expose the top surface of the patterned resist layer and top surfaces of dielectric units within the openings of the patterned resist layer; and removing the patterned resist layer to retain the dielectric units over the substrate.

Abstract: The optical imaging apparatus includes a metasurface lens including a substrate and a plurality of nano-structures patterned on a first side of the substrate. The optical imaging apparatus further includes imaging optics disposed in a spaced apart relationship with a second side of the substrate. The second side is opposite the first side on which the nano-structures are patterned. A surface of the imaging optics and the second side of the substrate define a space for accommodating an immersion fluid. The metasurface lens is configured to direct light incident on the plurality of nano-structures towards the imaging optics through the space accommodating the immersion fluid.

Abstract: An optical device includes a membrane. The membrane includes a plurality of apertures extending at least partially through a thickness of the membrane. The membrane is configured to structure incoming light having a wavelength to produce modified light. The wavelength of the incoming light in vacuum is in a range of ultraviolet light and mid-infrared. The membrane is configured to reflect the modified light away from the membrane or transmit the modified light through the membrane. A separation between each of the plurality of apertures is subwavelength relative to the wavelength of the incoming light. A width of each of the plurality of apertures is subwavelength relative to the wavelength of the incoming light. A length of each of the plurality of apertures is wavelength-scale relative to the wavelength of the incoming light.

Abstract: Polarization-insensitive metasurfaces using anisotropic nanostructures are disclosed. These anisotropic structures allow for an accurate implementation of phase, group delay, and group delay dispersion, while simultaneously making it possible to realize a polarizationinsensitive, diffraction-limited and achromatic metalens for wavelength, e.g., ?=from about 460 nm to about 700 nm. The approach of polarization-insensitivity can be also applied for other metasurface devices with applications in, e.g., imaging and virtual or augmented reality.

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens includes a hybrid plano-convex refractive lens body having a convex portion and a planar portion. A metasurface array can be associated with the planar portion and include an arrangement of metasurface building elements dimensioned from an optical wavelength. The metasurface building elements can be configured across the lens body to define an optical characteristic of the ophthalmic lens. The arrangement of metasurface building elements can include meta-atoms that are configured to induce a polarization-dependent focusing of light received by the ophthalmic lens. A shape of the meta-atoms of the array can be determined based on a function of the ophthalmic lens, including glare/halo reduction. The meta-atoms can be formed as canonical and/or freeform shapes.

Abstract: An optical device includes: (1) a substrate; and (2) multiple meta-lenses disposed on the substrate, each meta-lens of the meta-lenses including multiple nanofins disposed on a respective region of the substrate, the nanofins together specifying a phase profile of the meta-lens.

Abstract: A display system includes an optical device configured according to constructive interference for a plurality of wavelengths at a focal length. The display system includes a fiber. The display system includes a controller configured to scan the fiber using a Lissajous scanning method to generate a display. The display can be disposed within a focal plane of the optical device. The controller is configured to modulate light intensity from the fiber. The controller can be configured to form a display image that passes through the optical device. The display system can include an optical combiner configured to reflect the display image from the optical device and form a virtual image. The optical device can be configured to magnify a display image from the display and form a virtual image.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an optical component, which may be a metasurface grating, including (a) a substrate; and (b) an array of subwavelength-spaced phase-shifting elements, which are tessellated on the substrate to produce, when illuminated with a polarized incident light, a diffracted light beam with a distinct polarization state for each of a finite number of diffraction orders, wherein the finite number is 2 or more.