Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical Optics

Metasurfaces (MSs) have emerged as a promising technology for optical system design. When combined with traditional refractive optics, MS-refractive hybrid lenses can enhance imaging performance, reduce optical aberrations, and introduce new functionalities such as polarization control. However, mod...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ko-Han Shih, C. Kyle Renshaw
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Photonics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/4/401
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850143630399897600
author Ko-Han Shih
C. Kyle Renshaw
author_facet Ko-Han Shih
C. Kyle Renshaw
author_sort Ko-Han Shih
collection DOAJ
description Metasurfaces (MSs) have emerged as a promising technology for optical system design. When combined with traditional refractive optics, MS-refractive hybrid lenses can enhance imaging performance, reduce optical aberrations, and introduce new functionalities such as polarization control. However, modeling these hybrid lenses requires advanced simulation techniques that usually go beyond conventional raytracing tools. This work presents a physical optics framework for modeling MS-refractive hybrid lenses. We introduce a ray-wave hybrid method that integrates multiple propagation techniques to account for vector wave propagation through various optical elements. At the center of the proposed framework is the Gaussian decomposition method for modeling beam propagation through refractive optics. Ray-path diffraction is automatically considered in this method, and complex input wavefront can be modeled as well. Several techniques are integrated to ensure accuracy in decomposing an incoming vector wave into Gaussian beamlets, such as adaptive consideration of local wavefront principal curvatures and best-fit beam width estimation from the local covariance matrix. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, we apply it to several hybrid lens designs, including polarization-sensitive MSs and aberration-correcting MSs integrated into complex optical systems.
format Article
id doaj-art-507a079d4f4640f2829a65f0ebef205b
institution OA Journals
issn 2304-6732
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Photonics
spelling doaj-art-507a079d4f4640f2829a65f0ebef205b2025-08-20T02:28:38ZengMDPI AGPhotonics2304-67322025-04-0112440110.3390/photonics12040401Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical OpticsKo-Han Shih0C. Kyle Renshaw1College of Optics and Photonics, CREOL, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USACollege of Optics and Photonics, CREOL, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USAMetasurfaces (MSs) have emerged as a promising technology for optical system design. When combined with traditional refractive optics, MS-refractive hybrid lenses can enhance imaging performance, reduce optical aberrations, and introduce new functionalities such as polarization control. However, modeling these hybrid lenses requires advanced simulation techniques that usually go beyond conventional raytracing tools. This work presents a physical optics framework for modeling MS-refractive hybrid lenses. We introduce a ray-wave hybrid method that integrates multiple propagation techniques to account for vector wave propagation through various optical elements. At the center of the proposed framework is the Gaussian decomposition method for modeling beam propagation through refractive optics. Ray-path diffraction is automatically considered in this method, and complex input wavefront can be modeled as well. Several techniques are integrated to ensure accuracy in decomposing an incoming vector wave into Gaussian beamlets, such as adaptive consideration of local wavefront principal curvatures and best-fit beam width estimation from the local covariance matrix. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, we apply it to several hybrid lens designs, including polarization-sensitive MSs and aberration-correcting MSs integrated into complex optical systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/4/401metasurfacehybrid lensphysical opticsgaussian decomposition method
spellingShingle Ko-Han Shih
C. Kyle Renshaw
Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical Optics
Photonics
metasurface
hybrid lens
physical optics
gaussian decomposition method
title Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical Optics
title_full Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical Optics
title_fullStr Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical Optics
title_full_unstemmed Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical Optics
title_short Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Modeling with Vector Field Physical Optics
title_sort metasurface refractive hybrid lens modeling with vector field physical optics
topic metasurface
hybrid lens
physical optics
gaussian decomposition method
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/4/401
work_keys_str_mv AT kohanshih metasurfacerefractivehybridlensmodelingwithvectorfieldphysicaloptics
AT ckylerenshaw metasurfacerefractivehybridlensmodelingwithvectorfieldphysicaloptics