Metalenses are a new type of lens that will revolutionize how we see and interact with the world. They can make smaller, thinner, and more powerful optical devices such as cameras or microscopes. However, before applying this technology in your design process, there are some things you should consider first. This article briefly discusses few considerations for using metalenses.

  1. The primary factor to consider is your application.

Metalenses are great for many applications, but they don’t work as well in some as others. For example, metalenses can replace the micro lens array on image sensor chips and produce high-resolution images with low distortion at high frame rates.

  1. Metalenses function as a single unit, so they can’t be adjusted or corrected later.

Metalens surfaces are smooth and uniform over the entire surface area of each lenslet, giving them excellent optical performance right out of the box. However, conventional lenses should be used instead if you need to correct chromatic aberration or other distortions.

  1. The number of layers in a metalens is limited.

Metalenses can be counted as one layer, but other components, such as the surface coating and substrate material, should also be considered. If you only need an optical element with a single refractive index, this may not matter to you, but if your device requires more than one, it must use conventional lenses instead.

  1. Metalenses are not initially transparent.

Metalens surfaces must first be made hydrophobic by coating them with a thin titanium dioxide (TiO) layer. This underwater, water-repellent coating can then be modified to produce specific optical properties like reflection or polarization by adding additional coatings on top.

  1. Metalenses are still relatively expensive compared to conventional lenses.

Metalens technology is new, so it’s not quite as cheap or efficient yet. However, the price will continue to decrease until they become more affordable for commercial use in consumer products like cameras and microscopes. Most metalenses have a spherical shape because of their history with optics research.

  1. Metalenses are still not as good as conventional lenses.

Metalens technology is growing quickly, but it’s still behind in some areas, such as chromatic aberration and light diffusion. In addition, there isn’t currently a metalens that can focus the entire visible spectrum on one point as a normal lens does, either.

Conclusion

Metalenses may be used for various applications, but not all work as well in every case. So make sure to consider these things before using metalenses if you’re designing something new.