Superheterodyne-inspired waveguide-integrated metasurfaces for flexible free-space light manipulation

Metasurfaces have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their unprecedented light-manipulation abilities. However, most metasurfaces so far have relied on external light excitation, prohibiting them from full on-chip integration. Inspired by the superheterodyne principle in radio communications, here we propose a new waveguide-integrated metasurface architecture capable of converting in-plane guided modes into any desired out-of-plane free-space modes. A theoretical model, verified by simulation and experiment, is developed to provide a deep understanding of the involved physical mechanism and facilitate innovative metasurface designs. The judicious design of baseband signals allows the silicon-based superheterodyne metasurfaces to achieve complex light manipulations, including arbitrary-direction beam deflection and focusing. The proposed superheterodyne metasurface is a marriage of radio communications and photonics. It provides a paradigm shift of metasurface designs and empowers integrated photonic devices with extraordinary free-space interactivity capability, enabling a broad spectrum of applications in communications, remoting sensing, and imaging.