Nonlocal phase-change metaoptics for reconfigurable nonvolatile image processing.

Journal: Light, science & applications
Published Date: May 6, 2025

Abstract

The next generation of smart imaging and vision systems will require compact and tunable optical computing hardware to perform high-speed and low-power image processing. These requirements are driving the development of computing metasurfaces to realize efficient front-end analog optical pre-processors, especially for edge detection capability. Yet, there is still a lack of reconfigurable or programmable schemes, which may drastically enhance the impact of these devices at the system level. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a reconfigurable flat optical image processor using low-loss phase-change nonlocal metasurfaces. The metasurface is configured to realize different transfer functions in spatial frequency space, when transitioning the phase-change material between its amorphous and crystalline phases. This enables edge detection and bright field imaging modes on the same device. The metasurface is compatible with a large numerical aperture of ~0.5, making it suitable for high resolution coherent optical imaging microscopy. The concept of phase-change reconfigurable nonlocal metasurfaces may enable emerging applications of artificial intelligence-assisted imaging and vision devices with switchable multitasking.

Authors

  • Guoce Yang
    Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK.
  • Mengyun Wang
    Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK.
  • June Sang Lee
    Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK.
  • Nikolaos Farmakidis
    Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK.
  • Joe Shields
    Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK.
  • Carlota Ruiz de Galarreta
    Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK.
  • Stuart Kendall
    Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK.
  • Jacopo Bertolotti
    Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK.
  • Andriy Moskalenko
    Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK.
  • Kairan Huang
    Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK.
  • Andrea Alù
    Photonics Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
  • C David Wright
    Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK. david.wright@exeter.ac.uk.
  • Harish Bhaskaran
    Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK. harish.bhaskaran@materials.ox.ac.uk.

Keywords

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