Enhanced infrared vision by nonlinear up-conversion in nonlocal metasurfaces

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a compact metasurface that efficiently converts infrared images into visible light, enabling high-resolution imaging and edge detection for applications like night vision.

Contribution

It introduces a nonlinear up-conversion metasurface that enhances infrared imaging capabilities with high efficiency and resolution, including edge detection functionalities.

Findings

High conversion efficiency achieved

High-resolution infrared images obtained

Edge detection integrated with up-conversion imaging

Abstract

The ability to detect and image short-wave infrared light has important applications in surveillance, autonomous navigation, and biological imaging. However, the current infrared imaging technologies often pose challenges due to their large footprints, large thermal noise, and the inability to augment infrared and visible imaging. Here, we demonstrate infrared imaging by nonlinear up conversion to the visible on an ultra-compact, high-quality lithium niobate resonant metasurface. Images with high conversion efficiency and resolution quality are obtained despite the strong nonlocality of the metasurface. We further show the possibility of edge-detection image processing augmented with direct-up conversion imaging for advanced night vision applications.