Temporal color mixing and dynamic beam shaping with silicon metasurfaces

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 365; no. 6450; pp. 257 - 260
• Main Authors: Holsteen, Aaron L, Cihan, Ahmet Fatih, Brongersma, Mark L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 19.07.2019
• Subjects: Actuation; Amplitude modulation; Antenna arrays; Beam steering; Color; Computer applications; Computer Simulation; Electric potential; Fabrication; Form factors; Light; Light beams; Metasurfaces; Nanotechnology; Nanowires; Optical components; Phase control; Pixels; Silicon; Substrates; Technology; Time dependence; Virtual reality; Voltage; Wave fronts; Wavelengths
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aax5961

Metasurfaces offer the possibility to shape optical wavefronts with an ultracompact, planar form factor. However, most metasurfaces are static, and their optical functions are fixed after the fabrication process. Many modern optical systems require dynamic manipulation of light, and this is now driving the development of electrically reconfigurable metasurfaces. We can realize metasurfaces with fast (>10 hertz), electrically tunable pixels that offer complete (0- to 2π) phase control and large amplitude modulation of scattered waves through the microelectromechanical movement of silicon antenna arrays created in standard silicon-on-insulator technology. Our approach can be used to realize a platform technology that enables low-voltage operation of pixels for temporal color mixing and continuous, dynamic beam steering and light focusing.