| Francesco Aieta, Patrice Genevet, Mikhail A. Kats, Nanfang Yu, Romain Blanchard, Zeno Gaburro and Federico Capasso
This paper presents aberration-free ultra-thin flat lenses and axicons at telecom wavelengths based on plasmonic metasurfaces. The devices are designed using phased arrays of ultrathin subwavelength spaced optical antennas, which generate spherical wavefronts and non-diffracting Bessel beams. The lenses and axicons consist of radial distributions of V-shaped nanoantennas that produce the desired wavefronts. The design is based on optical phase discontinuities, which allow for precise control of the wavefront without relying on traditional refractive optics.
The flat lenses and axicons are fabricated using electron beam lithography on a silicon substrate with gold nanoantennas. The lenses have focal lengths of 3 cm and 6 cm, and the axicon has an angle of 0.5 degrees. The devices are tested experimentally and show excellent agreement with numerical simulations. The results demonstrate that the flat lenses and axicons can focus light with high numerical aperture (NA) without aberrations.
The design of the flat lenses is based on a hyperboloidal phase profile, which ensures that the secondary waves emerging from the metasurface constructively interfere at the focal plane. The axicon has a conical phase distribution that converts Gaussian beams into non-diffracting Bessel beams. The devices are shown to have high focusing efficiency, although the efficiency is limited by optical losses and reflection within the substrate.
The paper also discusses the advantages of using plasmonic metasurfaces for flat lenses and axicons, including their ability to achieve high NA without aberrations. The devices are suitable for applications in microscopy and other imaging tools, and can be designed for other spectral regions, particularly in the mid-infrared, terahertz, and other frequency ranges where transparent refractive materials are difficult to find. The results demonstrate the potential of plasmonic metasurfaces for creating high-performance optical devices with minimal aberrations.This paper presents aberration-free ultra-thin flat lenses and axicons at telecom wavelengths based on plasmonic metasurfaces. The devices are designed using phased arrays of ultrathin subwavelength spaced optical antennas, which generate spherical wavefronts and non-diffracting Bessel beams. The lenses and axicons consist of radial distributions of V-shaped nanoantennas that produce the desired wavefronts. The design is based on optical phase discontinuities, which allow for precise control of the wavefront without relying on traditional refractive optics.
The flat lenses and axicons are fabricated using electron beam lithography on a silicon substrate with gold nanoantennas. The lenses have focal lengths of 3 cm and 6 cm, and the axicon has an angle of 0.5 degrees. The devices are tested experimentally and show excellent agreement with numerical simulations. The results demonstrate that the flat lenses and axicons can focus light with high numerical aperture (NA) without aberrations.
The design of the flat lenses is based on a hyperboloidal phase profile, which ensures that the secondary waves emerging from the metasurface constructively interfere at the focal plane. The axicon has a conical phase distribution that converts Gaussian beams into non-diffracting Bessel beams. The devices are shown to have high focusing efficiency, although the efficiency is limited by optical losses and reflection within the substrate.
The paper also discusses the advantages of using plasmonic metasurfaces for flat lenses and axicons, including their ability to achieve high NA without aberrations. The devices are suitable for applications in microscopy and other imaging tools, and can be designed for other spectral regions, particularly in the mid-infrared, terahertz, and other frequency ranges where transparent refractive materials are difficult to find. The results demonstrate the potential of plasmonic metasurfaces for creating high-performance optical devices with minimal aberrations.