Metasurfaces: A Nanophotonic Platform for Full Control of Light in Space and Time

Explore a comprehensive physics colloquium that delves into the fascinating world of metasurfaces and their role in nanophotonics. Learn how photonics evolved to require extreme miniaturization, similar to electronics, leading to developments at nanometric scales. Discover how metasurfaces - artificial bidimensional structures composed of subwavelength-sized elements called metaatoms - can replace bulky optical elements in increasingly miniaturized devices. Understand the fundamental principles of controlling light's amplitude and phase through metasurfaces, including both spatial manipulation through nanostructuring and temporal control using phase change materials. Examine specific applications and investigate how vanadium dioxide nanodisks can create tunable metasurfaces in the visible light spectrum. Gain insights from Leonardo de S. Menezes, Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems at Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, as he explains these cutting-edge developments in nanophotonic technology.