Meta-optics, also known as metasurface optics or flat optics, is a branch of optics that involves the design, fabrication, and utilization of artificial structures called metasurfaces to control and manipulate light at the nanoscale level. Unlike traditional optics, which typically involve bulky lenses and mirrors, meta-optics aims to achieve similar functionalities using ultrathin, planar structures composed of subwavelength nanostructures.
Metasurfaces are typically composed of arrays of nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanorods, or nanoholes, which are engineered to possess unique optical properties that can control the amplitude, phase, polarization, and direction of light waves. By carefully designing the geometric parameters of these nanostructures, researchers can tailor the optical response of metasurfaces to perform various functions, including focusing, beam shaping, polarization manipulation, and even cloaking.
Meta-optics holds great promise for miniaturizing optical devices, enhancing the performance of optical systems, and enabling new functionalities that were previously challenging or impossible to achieve with conventional optics. It finds applications in diverse fields such as imaging, sensing, communication, and optical computing.