Wavelength-multiplexed massively parallel diffractive optical information storage and image projection

TL;DR

This paper presents a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical system capable of storing and projecting thousands of images simultaneously across multiple spectral channels, using deep learning for design optimization.

Contribution

The authors introduce a scalable, high-capacity optical storage platform that multiplexes images across wavelengths without requiring material dispersion engineering.

Findings

Stored and projected over 4,000 images in simulations.

Demonstrated a two-layer design projecting six patterns at six wavelengths.

Achieved high image quality with minimal crosstalk between channels.

Abstract

We introduce a wavelength-multiplexed massively parallel diffractive information storage platform composed of dielectric surfaces that are structurally optimized at the wavelength scale using deep learning to store and project thousands of distinct image patterns, each assigned to a unique wavelength. Through numerical simulations in the visible spectrum, we demonstrated that our wavelength-multiplexed diffractive system can store and project over 4,000 independent desired images/patterns within its output field-of-view, with high image quality and minimal crosstalk between spectral channels. Furthermore, in a proof-of-concept experiment, we demonstrated a two-layer diffractive design that stored six distinct patterns and projected them onto the same output field of view at six different wavelengths (500, 548, 596, 644, 692, and 740 nm). This diffractive architecture is scalable and can operate at various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum without the need for material dispersion engineering or redesigning its optimized diffractive layers. The demonstrated storage capacity, reconstruction image fidelity, and wavelength-encoded massively parallel read-out of our diffractive platform offer a compact and fast-access solution for large-scale optical information storage, image projection applications.