Metadevice for intensity modulation with sub-wavelength spatial resolution

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel metadevice capable of sub-wavelength spatial intensity modulation of light, enabling advanced optical control such as dynamic beam shaping and holography with minimal diffraction artifacts.

Contribution

It presents a new reconfigurable nanomembrane metasurface design that achieves sub-wavelength resolution through nanomechanical actuation for optical intensity control.

Findings

Achieves sub-wavelength spatial intensity modulation.

Enables dynamic control of light absorption and reflection.

Potential applications in beam shaping and holography.

Abstract

Effectively continuous control over propagation of a beam of light requires light modulation with pixelation that is smaller than the optical wavelength. Here we propose a spatial intensity modulator with sub-wavelength resolution in one dimension. The metadevice combines recent advances in reconfigurable nanomembrane metamaterials and coherent all-optical control of metasurfaces. It uses nanomechanical actuation of metasurface absorber strips placed near a mirror in order to control their interaction with light from perfect absorption to negligible loss, promising a path towards dynamic beam diffraction, light focusing and holography without unwanted diffraction artefacts.