Nonlocal phase-change metaoptics for reconfigurable nonvolatile image processing

Guoce Yang; Mengyun Wang; June Sang Lee; Nikolaos Farmakidis; Joe Shields; Carlota Ruiz de Galarreta; Stuart Kendall; Jacopo Bertolotti; Andriy Moskalenko; Kairan Huang; Andrea Alù; C. David Wright; Harish Bhaskaran

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01841-x

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Nonlocal phase-change metaoptics for reconfigurable nonvolatile image processing

Original Articles

- Nonlocal phase-change metaoptics for reconfigurable nonvolatile image processing
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 6, Pages: 1759-1768(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK
  2.Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QF, UK
  3.Photonics Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
  4.Physics Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Author bio：
  
  C. David Wright (david.wright@exeter.ac.uk)
  Harish Bhaskaran (harish.bhaskaran@materials.ox.ac.uk)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01841-x
  CLC：
- Received：04 September 2024，
  
  Revised：03 March 2025，
  
  Accepted：20 March 2025，
  
  Published Online：06 May 2025，
  
  Published：30 June 2025
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Yang, G. et al. Nonlocal phase-change metaoptics for reconfigurable nonvolatile image processing. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 1759-1768 (2025).
DOI：

Yang, G. et al. Nonlocal phase-change metaoptics for reconfigurable nonvolatile image processing. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 1759-1768 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01841-x.

摘要

Abstract

The next generation of smart imaging and vision systems will require compact and tunable optical computing hardware to perform high-speed and low-power image processing. These requirements are driving the development of computing metasurfaces to realize efficient front-end analog optical pre-processors

especially for edge detection capability. Yet

there is still a lack of reconfigurable or programmable schemes

which may drastically enhance the impact of these devices at the system level. Here

we propose and experimentally demonstrate a reconfigurable flat optical image processor using low-loss phase-change nonlocal metasurfaces. The metasurface is configured to realize different transfer functions in spatial frequency space

when transitioning the phase-change material between its amorphous and crystalline phases. This enables edge detection and bright field imaging modes on the same device. The metasurface is compatible with a large numerical aperture of ~0.5

making it suitable for high resolution coherent optical imaging microscopy. The concept of phase-change reconfigurable nonlocal metasurfaces may enable emerging applications of artificial intelligence-assisted imaging and vision devices with switchable multitasking.

关键词

Keywords

references

Krizhevsky, A., Sutskever, I.&Hinton, G. E. ImageNet classification with deep convolutional neural networks. Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems. Lake Tahoe: Curran Associates Inc., 2012, 1097–1105.

Rawat, W. & Wang, Z. H. Deep convolutional neural networks for image classification: a comprehensive review. Neural Comput. 29 , 2352–2449 (2017)..

Wu, B. C. et al. SqueezeDet: unified, small, low power fully convolutional neural networks for real-time object detection for autonomous driving. Proceedings of 2017 IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Workshops. Honolulu: IEEE, 2017, 446–454.

Gu, J. X. et al. Recent advances in convolutional neural networks. Pattern Recognit. 77 , 354–377 (2018)..

Shen, Y. C. et al. Deep learning with coherent nanophotonic circuits. Nat. Photonics 11 , 441–446 (2017)..

Feldmann, J. et al. Parallel convolutional processing using an integrated photonic tensor core. Nature 589 , 52–58 (2021)..

Goodman, J. W. Introduction to Fourier Optics. (Englewood: Roberts&Company, 2005).

Yu, N. F. et al. Light propagation with phase discontinuities: generalized laws of reflection and refraction. Science 334 , 333–337 (2011)..

Ni, X. J., Kildishev, A. V. & Shalaev, V. M. Metasurface holograms for visible light. Nat. Commun. 4 , 2807 (2013)..

Huang, L. L. et al. Three-dimensional optical holography using a plasmonic metasurface. Nat. Commun. 4 , 2808 (2013)..

Wang, S. M. et al. A broadband achromatic metalens in the visible. Nat. Nanotechnol. 13 , 227–232 (2018)..

Khorasaninejad, M. et al. Metalenses at visible wavelengths: diffraction-limited focusing and subwavelength resolution imaging. Science 352 , 1190–1194 (2016)..

Arbabi, A. et al. Subwavelength-thick lenses with high numerical apertures and large efficiency based on high-contrast transmitarrays. Nat. Commun. 6 , 7069 (2015)..

Zheng, G. X. et al. Metasurface holograms reaching 80% efficiency. Nat. Nanotechnol. 10 , 308–312 (2015)..

Tanriover, I., Dereshgi, S. A. & Aydin, K. Metasurface enabled broadband all optical edge detect ion in visible frequencies. Nat. Commun. 14 , 6484 (2023)..

Swartz, B. T. et al. Broadband and large-aperturemetasurface edge encoders for incoherent infrared radiation. Sci. Adv. 10 , eadk0024 (2024)..

Wang, S. et al. Metalens for accelerated optoelectronic edge detection under ambient illumination. Nano Lett. 24 , 356–361 (2024)..

Zheng, H. Y. et al. Multichannel meta-imagers for accelerating machine vision. Nat. Nanotechnol. 19 , 471–478 (2024)..

Kwon, H. et al. Nonlocal metasurfaces for optical signal processing. Phys. Rev. Lett. 121 , 173004 (2018)..

Shastri, K. & Monticone, F. Nonlocal flat optics. Nat. Photonics 17 , 36–47 (2023)..

Song, J. H. et al. Non-local metasurfaces for spectrally decoupled wavefront manipulation and eye tracking. Nat. Nanotechnol. 16 , 1224–1230 (2021)..

Zhou, Y. et al. Multiresonant n onlocal metasurfaces. Nano Lett. 23 , 6768–6775 (2023)..

Zhang, J. H. et al. Spatially entangled photon pairs from lithium niobate nonlocal metasurfaces. Sci. Adv. 8 , eabq4240 (2022)..

Cordaro, A. et al. High-index dielectric metasurfaces performing mathematical operations. Nano Lett. 19 , 8418–8423 (2019)..

Overvig, A. & Alù, A. Diffractive nonlocal metasurfaces. Laser Photonics Rev. 16 , 2100633 (2022)..

Chai, R. H. et al. Emerging planar nanostructures involving both local and nonlocal modes. ACS Photonics 10 , 2031–2044 (2023)..

Kwon, H. et al. Dual-polarization analog 2D image processing with nonlocal metasurfaces. ACS Photonics 7 , 1799–1805 (2020)..

Zhou, Y. et al. Flat optics for image differentiation. Nat. Photonics 14 , 316–323 (2020)..

Long, O. Y. et al. Polarization-independent isotropic nonlocal metasur faces with wavelength-controlled functionality. Phys. Rev. Appl. 17 , 024029 (2022)..

Cotrufo, M. et al. Dispersion engineered metasurfaces for broadband, high-NA, high-efficiency, dual-polarization analog image processing. Nat. Commun. 14 , 7078 (2023)..

Cotrufo, M. et al. Polarization imaging and edge detection with image-processing metasurfaces. Optica 10 , 1331–1338 (2023)..

Guo, C., Wang, H. W. & Fan, S. H. Squeeze free space with nonlocal flat optics. Optica 7 , 1133–1138 (2020)..

Chen, A. B. & Monticone, F. Dielectric nonlocal metasurfaces for fully solid-state ultrathin optical systems. ACS Photonics 8 , 1439–1447 (2021)..

Reshef, O. et al. An optic to replace space and its application towards ultra-thin imaging systems. Nat. Commun. 12 , 3512 (2021)..

Guo, C. et al. Structured 3D linear space–time light bullets by nonlocal nanophotonics. Light Sci. Appl. 10 , 160 (2021)..

Liu, W. Z. et al. Imaging with an ultrathin reciprocal lens. Phys. Rev. X 13 , 031039 (2023)..

Malek, S. C. et al. Active nonlocal metasurfaces. Nanophotonics 10 , 655–665 (2020)..

Zhang, X. M. et al. Reconfigurable metasurface for image processing. Nano Lett. 21 , 8715–8722 (2021)..

Shalaginov, M. Y. et al. Reconfigurable all-dielectric metalens with diffraction-limited performance. Nat. Commun. 12 , 1225 (2021)..

Wang, M. Y. et al. Varifocal metalens using tunable and ultralow-loss dielectrics. Adv. Sci. 10 , 2204899 (2023)..

Zhang, Y. F. et al. Electrically reconfigurable non-volatile metasurface using low-loss optical phase-change material. Nat. Nanotechnol. 16 , 661–666 (2021)..

de Galarreta, C. R. et al. Nonvolatile reconfigurable phase-change metadevices for beam steering in the near infrared. Adv. Funct. Mater. 28 , 1704993 (2018)..

de Galarreta, C. R. et al. Reconfigurable multilevel control of hybrid all-dielectric phase-change metasurfaces. Optica 7 , 476–484 (2020)..

Delaney, M. et al. A new family of ultralow loss reversible phase-change materials for photonic integrated circuits: Sb 2 S 3 and Sb 2 Se 3 . Adv. Funct. Mater. 30 , 2002447 (2020)..

Abdollahramezani, S. et al. Electrically driven reprogrammable phase-change metasurface reaching 80% efficiency. Nat. Commun. 13 , 1696 (2022)..

Zhou, W. et al. In-memory photonic dot-product engine with electrically programmable weight banks. Nat. Commun. 14 , 2887 (2023)..

Fang, Z. R. et al. Ultra-low-energy programmable non-volatile silicon photonics based on phase-change materials with graphene heaters. Nat. Nanotechnol. 17 , 842–848 (2022)..

Wang, Y. F. et al. Electrical tuning of phase-change antennas and metasurfaces. Nat. Nanotechnol. 16 , 667–672 (2021)..

Huang, L. J. et al. Ultrahigh-Q guided mode resonances in an All-dielectric metasurface. Nat. Commun. 14 , 3433 (2023)..

Jin, R. et al. Toroidal dipole BIC-driven highly robust perfect absorption with a graphene-loaded metasurface. Nano Lett. 23 , 9105–9113 (2023)..

Zhou, C. B. et al. Bound states in the continuum in asymmetric dielectric metasurfaces. Laser Photonics Rev. 17 , 2200564 (2023)..

Hugonin, J. P. & Lalanne, P. RETICOLO software for grating analysis. Print at https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2101.00901 https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2101.00901 (2025).

Cotrufo, M. et al. Reconfigurable image processing metasurfaces with phase-change materials. Nat. Commun. 15 , 4483 (2024)..

Hosseini, P., Wright, C. D. & Bhaskaran, H. An optoelectronic framework enabled by low-dimensional phase-change films. Nature 511 , 206–211 (2014)..

Views

Downloads

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

Tools

Publicity Resources

No data

Related Author

No data

Related Institution

No data

⁰