On-chip nonlocal metasurface for color router: conquering efficiency-loss from spatial-multiplexing

Area of Science:

• Integrated Photonics
• Metasurface Technology
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Metasurfaces offer advanced optical control on-chip, but spectral control remains a challenge.
• Existing integrated photonic systems struggle with efficient wavelength manipulation.
• Quasi-bound states in the continuum (q-BICs) offer potential for narrowband spectral control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate an on-chip metasurface color router.
• To achieve simultaneous control over light extraction intensity and spectral characteristics.
• To improve energy utilization efficiency (EUE) in on-chip optical routing.

Main Methods:

• Engineering on-chip meta-diatom pairs with controlled asymmetry.
• Leveraging symmetry-broken q-BICs mode for spectral selectivity.
• Spatial mapping and cascading of q-BIC-assisted meta-diatom pixels.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated narrowband spectral extraction of out-coupled light.
• Achieved simultaneous modulation of extraction intensity and spectral properties.
• Realized multiplexed on-chip color routers with improved EUE.

Conclusions:

• On-chip q-BIC-assisted metasurface color routers enable efficient, wavelength-selective light routing.
• The proposed design offers spatial multiplexing with enhanced energy efficiency.
• Potential applications include advanced information routing and intelligent photonic systems.