One-step printable platform for high-efficiency metasurfaces down to the deep-ultraviolet region

A single-step printable platform for ultraviolet (UV) metasurfaces is introduced to overcome both the scarcity of low-loss UV materials and manufacturing limitations of high cost and low throughput. By dispersing zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) nanoparticles in a UV-curable resin, ZrO₂ nanoparticle-embedded-resin (nano-PER) is developed as a printable material which has a high refractive index and low extinction coefficient from near-UV to deep-UV. In ZrO₂ nano-PER, the UV-curable resin enables direct pattern transfer and ZrO₂ nanoparticles increase the refractive index of the composite while maintaining a large bandgap. With this concept, UV metasurfaces can be fabricated in a single step by nanoimprint lithography. As a proof of concept, UV metaholograms operating in near-UV and deep-UV are experimentally demonstrated with vivid and clear holographic images. The proposed method enables repeat and rapid manufacturing of UV metasurfaces, and thus will bring UV metasurfaces more close to real life.