title: Shaping a Subwavelength Needle with Ultra-long Focal Length by Focusing Azimuthally Polarized Light.
abstract: Flat optics, which could planarize and miniaturize the traditional optical elements, possesses the features of extremely low profile and high integration for advanced manipulation of light. Here we proposed and experimentally demonstrated a planar metalens to realize an ultra-long focal length of ~240λ with a large depth of focus (DOF) of ~12λ, under the illumination of azimuthally polarized beam with vortical phase at 633 nm. Equally important is that such a flat lens could stably keep a lateral subwavelength width of 0.42λ to 0.49λ along the needle-like focal region. It exhibits one-order improvement in the focal length compared to the traditional focal lengths of 20~30λ of flat lens, under the criterion of having subwavelength focusing spot. The ultra-long focal length ensures sufficient space for subsequent characterization behind the lens in practical industry setups, while subwavelength cross section and large DOF enable high resolution in transverse imaging and nanolithography and high tolerance in axial positioning in the meantime. Such planar metalens with those simultaneous advantages is prepared by laser pattern generator rather than focused ion beam, which makes the mass production possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Singapore Synchrotron Light Source (SSLS), National University of Singapore, 5 Research Link, 117603, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Optical Technologies on Nano-Fabrication and Micro-Engineering, Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Science, P. O. Box 350, Chengdu 610209, China.
authors.forename: Jiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Optical Technologies on Nano-Fabrication and Micro-Engineering, Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Science, P. O. Box 350, Chengdu 610209, China.
authors.forename: Xiangang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chengwei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Minghui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong