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Beating spectral bandwidth limits for large aperture broadband nano-optics

Author

Listed:
  • Johannes E. Fröch

    (University of Washington
    University of Washington)

  • Praneeth Chakravarthula

    (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

  • Jipeng Sun

    (Princeton University)

  • Ethan Tseng

    (Princeton University)

  • Shane Colburn

    (University of Washington)

  • Alan Zhan

    (Fluke Hall)

  • Forrest Miller

    (University of Washington)

  • Anna Wirth-Singh

    (University of Washington)

  • Quentin A. A. Tanguy

    (University of Washington)

  • Zheyi Han

    (University of Washington)

  • Karl F. Böhringer

    (University of Washington
    University of Washington
    University of Washington)

  • Felix Heide

    (Princeton University)

  • Arka Majumdar

    (University of Washington
    University of Washington)

Abstract

Flat optics have been proposed as an attractive approach for the implementation of new imaging and sensing modalities to replace and augment refractive optics. However, chromatic aberrations impose fundamental limitations on diffractive flat optics. As such, true broadband high-quality imaging has thus far been out of reach for fast f-numbers, large aperture, flat optics. In this work, we overcome intrinsic spectral bandwidth limitations, achieving broadband imaging in the visible wavelength range with a flat meta-optic, co-designed with computational reconstruction. We derive the necessary conditions for a broadband, 1 cm aperture, f/2 flat optic, with a diagonal field of view of 30° and average system MTF contrast of 20% or larger for a spatial frequency of 100 lp/mm in the visible band (>30% for

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes E. Fröch & Praneeth Chakravarthula & Jipeng Sun & Ethan Tseng & Shane Colburn & Alan Zhan & Forrest Miller & Anna Wirth-Singh & Quentin A. A. Tanguy & Zheyi Han & Karl F. Böhringer & Felix He, 2025. "Beating spectral bandwidth limits for large aperture broadband nano-optics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58208-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58208-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yueqiang Hu & Yuting Jiang & Yi Zhang & Xing Yang & Xiangnian Ou & Ling Li & Xianghong Kong & Xingsi Liu & Cheng-Wei Qiu & Huigao Duan, 2023. "Asymptotic dispersion engineering for ultra-broadband meta-optics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
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