Silicon metasurface-based infrared polarizing beam splitter with on-demand deflection angles

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Metamaterials
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polarizing beam splitters (PBSs) are crucial for polarization control in optical systems.
• Conventional PBSs, often prism-based, suffer from large volumes, limiting their use in compact integrated systems.
• There is a need for miniaturized PBS solutions for advanced optical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel single-layer silicon metasurface-based PBS.
• To achieve on-demand deflection of orthogonally linearly polarized infrared light beams.
• To enable the development of ultracompact integrated optical systems.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a single-layer silicon metasurface composed of anisotropic microstructures.
• Design of metasurfaces to impart distinct phase profiles for orthogonal polarizations.
• Experimental characterization of the metasurface's beam splitting performance at a 10 μm infrared wavelength.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of a planar, thin PBS using silicon metasurfaces.
• Metasurfaces provided different phase profiles for x- and y-polarized light, enabling selective deflection.
• Observed good splitting performance for orthogonally polarized infrared beams at 10 μm.

Conclusions:

• Single-layer silicon metasurfaces can function as effective polarizing beam splitters.
• The demonstrated metasurface-based PBS offers a compact and versatile alternative to traditional bulky devices.
• This technology holds promise for miniaturized thermal infrared systems and integrated optics.