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Optical analog computation is garnering increasing attention due to its innate parallel processing capabilities, swift computational speeds, and minimal energy requirements. However, traditional optical components employed for such computations are usually bulky. Recently, there has been a substantial shift toward utilizing nanophotonic structures to downsize these bulky optical elements. Nevertheless, these nanophotonic structures are typically realized in planar subwavelength nanostructures, demanding intricate fabrication processes and presenting limitations in their numerical apertures. In this study, we present a three-layer thin-film optical coating different from the conventional Fabry–Pérot nanocavity. Our design functions as a real-time Laplacian operator for spatial differentiation, and it remarkably boasts an ultrahigh numerical aperture of up to 0.7, enabling the detected edges to be sharper and have closely matched intensities. We also experimentally demonstrate its capacity for effective edge detection. This ultracompact and facile-to-fabricate thin-film spatial differentiator holds promising prospects for applications in ultrafast optical processing and biomedical imaging.
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This content will become publicly available on June 3, 2026
Multi-wavelength edge detection based on nonlocal multilayer GaAs–AlAs thin films
We demonstrate a compact multilayer GaAs–AlAs structure for passive optical edge detection at multiple wavelengths. Through the inverse design of the layer thicknesses, this structure manipulates spatial frequency components of an incoming wavefront, selectively reflecting high-frequency features while suppressing low-frequency intensity variations. Simulations reveal a reflectance transition from minimal to near-total as a function of numerical aperture, a property leveraged for enhancing edge contrast in optical imaging. For the first time, to our knowledge, we utilize molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to fabricate edge detection devices, ensuring structural fidelity. Material characterization confirms high-quality interfaces, precise thickness control, and excellent uniformity, validating the suitability of MBE for this application. Experimental angle-resolved reflectance measurements closely align with theoretical predictions, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach for real-time, hardware-based optical image processing. The proposed design automatically works for at least two wavelengths and can be readily extended to operate at multiple wavelengths simultaneously. This work opens new possibilities for employing multilayer interference structures in high-performance optical imaging and real-time signal processing.
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- PAR ID:
- 10596801
- Publisher / Repository:
- Optical Society of America
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Optics Letters
- Volume:
- 50
- Issue:
- 12
- ISSN:
- 0146-9592; OPLEDP
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: Article No. 3856
- Size(s):
- Article No. 3856
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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