All-solid-state spatial light modulator with independent phase and amplitude control for three-dimensional LiDAR...

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Spatial light modulators are crucial for controlling light properties in various optical systems.
• Metasurfaces offer miniaturized alternatives to traditional optical elements, with active versions enabling dynamic control.
• Existing active metasurfaces have limitations in achieving full phase modulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an all-solid-state, electrically tunable reflective metasurface array.
• To achieve independent control over both the phase and amplitude of light.
• To demonstrate the metasurface's capability for dynamic light manipulation and 3D imaging.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a metasurface array with 550 individually addressable nanoresonators.
• Utilizing dual gate voltages for independent control of the real and imaginary reflection coefficients.
• Implementing the metasurface in a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated full 0-360° phase modulation at a rate of 5.4 MHz with independent amplitude control.
• Achieved precise control over light-wavefront manipulation using dual gate voltages.
• Successfully performed a 3D depth scan up to 4.7 meters using the metasurface array.

Conclusions:

• The developed metasurface array overcomes limitations of previous active metasurfaces by offering full phase modulation.
• This technology enables dynamic and precise control of light, paving the way for advanced optical functionalities.
• The successful LiDAR demonstration highlights the potential of this active metasurface for high-performance imaging and sensing applications.