Metalens for Infrared Light Emitting Diodes and Photodiodes

To address the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF’s) need to develop metalenses for filtering and beamforming of LEDs and photodiodes (PDs) in the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) wavebands, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (Intellisense) proposes, in Phase II, to advance the development of the new Metalens for InfraRed Light-Emitting Diodes and Photodiodes (MIRLE) that was successfully proven feasible in Phase I. MIRLE is based on the use of metamaterials to form metalenses that enable achromatic, diffraction-limited, and polarization-insensitive performance in MWIR/LWIR, and metasurface filters to provide narrow bandpass filtering. This MIRLE design allows for ultrathin, flat infrared lenses, leading to ultracompact and lightweight LEDs, PDs, optical imaging systems with a small f-number, configurable beamforming (such as conversion of a Lambertian profile to a narrow beam, and light collection over a broad band) and filtering (such as bandpass filter arrays at different MWIR/LWIR subbands), and high efficiency. MIRLE can be cost-effectively manufactured using advanced nanoimprint lithography (NIL) with high resolution and fidelity accompanied with other semiconductor fabrication equipment. As a result, MIRLE can be integrated into transistor-outline (TO) and surface-mount packages of LEDs and PDs for beamforming and filtering, producing a very compact, lightweight optical system for chemical sensors on UAVs, soldier-borne sensors, and integrated visual augmentation systems. In Phase II, Intellisense will improve the MIRLE design through optical simulation, develop nanofabrication processes for cost-effective mass production, develop methods for integrating the MIRLE prototypes to TO and surface-mount LEDs and PDs, and evaluate the optical performance. The MIRLE prototypes will be evaluated by integrating them into the LEDs and PDs selected for use to validate their beamforming and filtering performance over a large MWIR/LWIR band with high transmission efficiency. In addition, Intellisense will evaluate the environmental reliability and ruggedness when the assembled MIRLE optical components are deployed in a variety of military environments, thereby meeting the DAF requirements. We will also develop a path for mass production, deliver MIRLE prototypes to the DAF for further testing and application, and prepare to transition MIRLE technology into a commercial product.