Engineering the light coupling between metalens and photonic crystal resonators for robust on-chip microsystems

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel on-chip metalens-photonic crystal resonator system that minimizes insertion loss and enhances robustness, suitable for miniaturized chemical and biosensors in various environments.

Contribution

It introduces a mode-matching design for metalens and photonic crystal resonators on a silicon platform, eliminating the need for fragile nanowire waveguides.

Findings

Reduced insertion loss through mode-matching

Mechanically robust system without oxide claddings

Suitable for miniaturized sensors in air or solution

Abstract

We designed an on-chip transformative optic system of a metalens-photonic crystal resonator metasystem on a foundry compatible silicon photonic platform. By adjusting the on-chip metalens' focusing length and mode dimension, the insertion loss between the metalens and the photonic crystal resonator and waveguide structures are minimized through mode-matching. The micro-system does not involve any single mode silicon nanowire waveguide, and thus mechanically robust without any oxide claddings. The proposed microsystem is ideal for miniaturized chemical and biosensors operating in air or solution environment.