Achromatic wide-FoV compound metalens enabled by end-to-end large-diameter inverse design

The realization of a metalens composed of multiple metasurfaces that permits an ultrawide field of view for various imaging and surveillance applications in the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges is of great importance and has been a challenge. In this proposal, we aim to realize a metalens consisting of multilayered metasurfaces to extend the design freedoms for zone engineering and angle dispersion to tackle chromatic aberration, reduce total track length, and increase the field of view. We will also implement an end-to-end design method together with our proprietary large-scale FDTD and inverse design algorithms to fully simulate the metasurfaces and unlock all possible design freedoms. We will validate the designs by prototyping metalenses and assessing quantitative specifications such as focusing efficiency and modulation transfer function over the entire field of view and design bandwidth. Additionally, we will consider the manufacturability of the metalenses. By the end of Phase I, we expect to have demonstrated and validated the designs, allowing us to further develop and improve performance, proceed to assemble the metalens with a camera sensor, and test the camera under various illumination conditions in Phase II and beyond.