Compact meta-spectral image sensor for mobile applications

We have demonstrated a compact and efficient metasurface-based spectral imager for use in the near-infrared range. The spectral imager was created by fabricating dielectric multilayer filters directly on top of the CMOS image sensor. The transmission wavelength for each spectral channel was selected by embedding a Si nanopost array of appropriate dimensions within the multilayers on the corresponding pixels, and this greatly simplified the fabrication process by avoiding the variation of the multilayer-film thicknesses. The meta-spectral imager shows high efficiency and excellent spectral resolution up to 2.0 nm in the near-infrared region. Using the spectral imager, we were able to measure the broad spectra of LED emission and obtain hyperspectral images from wavelength-mixed images. This approach provides ease of fabrication, miniaturization, low crosstalk, high spectral resolution, and high transmission. Our findings can potentially be used in integrating a compact spectral imager in smartphones for diverse applications.