Resonant Laser Printing of Optical Metasurfaces

One of the challenges for metasurface research is upscaling. The conventional methods for fabrication of meta surfaces, such as electron-beam or focused ion beam lithography, are not scalable. The use of ultraviolet steppers or nanoimprinting still requires large-size masks or stamps, which are costly and challenging in further handling. This work demonstrates a costeffective and lithography-free method for printing optical metasurfaces. It is based on resonant absorption of laser light in an optical cavity formed by a multilayer structure of ultrathin metal and dielectric coatings. A nearly perfect light absorption is obtained via interferometric control of absorption and operating around a critical coupling condition. Controlled by the laser power, the surface undergoes a structural transition from random, semiperiodic, and periodic to amorphous patterns with nanoscale precision. The reliability, upscaling, and subwavelength resolution of this approach are demonstrated by realizing metasurfaces for structural colors, optical holograms, and diffractive optical elements.

Automated summary

This work presents a cost-effective and lithography-free method for printing optical metasurfaces. By utilizing resonant absorption of laser light in an optical cavity formed by a multilayer structure, nearly perfect light absorption is achieved through interferometric control. This approach demonstrates reliability, upscaling, and subwavelength resolution in creating metasurfaces for structural colors, optical holograms, and diffractive optical elements.