Abstract

A direct-write configuration of microsphere photolithography (MPL) is investigated for the patterning of IR metasurfaces at large scales. MPL uses a self-assembled hexagonal close-packed array of microspheres as an optical element to generate photonic nanojets within a photoresist layer. The photonic jets can be positioned within the microsphere-defined unit cells by controlling the illumination’s angle of incidence (AOI). This allows the definition of complex antenna elements. A digital micromirror device is used to provide spatial modulation across the microsphere arrays and coordinated with a set of stages providing AOI control. This provides hierarchical patterning at the sub- and super-unit cell levels and is suitable for a range of metasurfaces. The constraints of this approach are analyzed and demonstrated with a polarization-dependent infrared perfect absorber/emitter, which agrees well with modeling.

© 2021 Optical Society of America

Microsphere photolithography with dynamic angular spectra control for metasurface fabrication

Chen Zhu, Sergio Salinas-Sáenz, Nishan Khadka, and Edward Kinzel
Opt. Express 32(2) 2718-2731 (2024)

Modeling of microsphere photolithography

Chuang Qu, Chen Zhu, and Edward C. Kinzel
Opt. Express 28(26) 39700-39712 (2020)

Infrared metasurfaces created with off-normal incidence microsphere photolithography

Chuang Qu and Edward C. Kinzel
Opt. Express 25(11) 12632-12639 (2017)

Polycrystalline metasurface perfect absorbers fabricated using microsphere photolithography

Chuang Qu and Edward C. Kinzel
Opt. Lett. 41(15) 3399-3402 (2016)

Super-resolution imaging of plasmonic nanostructures by microsphere-assisted microscopy

Yurong Cao, Xiaoqing Wang, Songlin Yang, Yong Pei, Jiaojiao Zang, Jianguo Wang, and Yong-Hong Ye
Appl. Opt. 61(8) E8-E13 (2022)