Nonlinear Metamaterials for Holography

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates nonlinear multilayer metamaterial holograms that use third harmonic generation to produce background-free 3D images at new frequencies, enabling advanced optical device functionalities.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to holography using multilayer nonlinear metamaterials fabricated with e-beam lithography, enabling polarization-sensitive and frequency-shifted holograms.

Findings

Successful fabrication of multilayer plasmonic nanoantenna holograms

Demonstration of background-free images via third harmonic generation

Potential for advanced optical device applications

Abstract

A hologram is an optical element storing phase and possibly amplitude information enabling the reconstruction of a three dimensional image of an object by illumination and scattering of a coherent beam of light, and the image is generated at the same wavelength as the input laser beam. In recent years it was shown that information can be stored in nanometric antennas giving rise to ultrathin components. Here we demonstrate nonlinear multi-layer metamaterial holograms where by the nonlinear process of Third Harmonic Generation, a background free image is formed at a new frequency which is the third harmonic of the illuminating beam. Using e-beam lithography of multilayer plasmonic nanoantennas, we fabricate polarization-sensitive nonlinear elements such as blazed gratings, lenses and other computer-generated holograms. These holograms are analyzed and prospects for future device applications are discussed.