Very-large-scale-integrated high quality factor nanoantenna pixels

Metasurfaces precisely control the amplitude, polarization and phase of light, with applications spanning imaging, sensing, modulation and computing. Three crucial performance metrics of metasurfaces and their constituent resonators are the quality factor (Q factor), mode volume (V_m) and ability to control far-field radiation. Often, resonators face a trade-off between these parameters: a reduction in V_m leads to an equivalent reduction in Q, albeit with more control over radiation. Here we demonstrate that this perceived compromise is not inevitable: high quality factor, subwavelength V_m and controlled dipole-like radiation can be achieved simultaneously. We design high quality factor, very-large-scale-integrated silicon nanoantenna pixels (VINPix) that combine guided mode resonance waveguides with photonic crystal cavities. With optimized nanoantennas, we achieve Q factors exceeding 1,500 with V_m less than 0.1 $$ . Each nanoantenna is individually addressable by free-space light and exhibits dipole-like scattering to the far-field. Resonator densities exceeding a million nanoantennas per cm² can be achieved. As a proof-of-concept application, we show spectrometer-free, spatially localized, refractive-index sensing, and fabrication of an 8 mm × 8 mm VINPix array. Our platform provides a foundation for compact, densely multiplexed devices such as spatial light modulators, computational spectrometers and in situ environmental sensors.