On-chip nonlocal metasurface for color router: conquering efficiency-loss from spatial-multiplexing

Yangyang Shi; Shuai Wan; Zejing Wang; Runlong Rao; Zhongyang Li

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-02146-9

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On-chip nonlocal metasurface for color router: conquering efficiency-loss from spatial-multiplexing

Original Articles

- On-chip nonlocal metasurface for color router: conquering efficiency-loss from spatial-multiplexing
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 15, Issue 2, Pages: 675-685(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Electronic Information School, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
  2.Wuhan Institute of Quantum Technology, Wuhan 430206, China
- Author bio：
  
  Zhongyang Li (zhongyangli@whu.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-02146-9
  CLC：
- Received：22 April 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-11-16，
  
  Accepted：26 November 2025，
  
  Online First：12 January 2026，
  
  Published：28 February 2026
- Accepted：
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Shi, Y. Y. et al. On-chip nonlocal metasurface for color router: conquering efficiency-loss from spatial-multiplexing. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 675-685 (2026).
DOI：

Shi, Y. Y. et al. On-chip nonlocal metasurface for color router: conquering efficiency-loss from spatial-multiplexing. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 675-685 (2026). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02146-9.

摘要

Abstract

Metasurfaces integrated onto guided-wave photonic systems have been investigated for enabling advanced functionalities such as point-by-point optical extraction and manipulation of amplitude

phase

and polarization. However

achieving full control over the spectrum (i.e.

wavelength/frequency) of on-chip light remains a challenge

limiting their widespread application in integrated photonics. Here

we propose and experimentally demonstrate an on-chip metasurface color router by leveraging symmetry-broken quasi-bound states in the continuum (q-BICs) mode. By precisely engineering the on-chip meta-diatom pairs with controlled scaling and asymmetry

we simultaneously achieve modulation of both extraction intensity and narrowband spectral extraction of the out-coupled lightwave. As a proof of concept

we realize several on-chip multiplexed color routers through spatial mapping and cascading of distinct q-BIC-assisted meta-diatom pixels

capable of selectively guiding and routing primary wavelengths into free space from different spatial positions along the waveguide. Crucially

due to the on-chip optical propagation scheme

these color routers

enabled by nonlocal metasurfaces

exhibit spatial multiplexing but with a significant improvement in the energy utilization efficiency (EUE) compared with conventional designs. We envision that such on-chip q-BIC-assisted metasurface color routers

with their potential for miniaturized integration

could open new avenues for advanced applications in multiplexed information routing

intelligent integrated photonic systems

and next-generation wearable display technologies.

关键词

Keywords

references

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