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Although hot-carrier-based photodetection using plasmonic effects has been widely investigated, photodetectors of this type with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) >1% ${ >}1\%$ and an active area of

The Sweatt model has been extensively used to design optical systems containing diffractive optical elements (DOEs) because it captures the dispersive characteristics of DOEs. We introduce a new dispersive Sweatt model (DSM) that can describe meta-atom (MA) dispersion, which has material and geometric contributions in addition to diffraction. It uses a wavelength-dependent scalar coefficient to modify the diffractive dispersion and describe the dispersion of a given MA basis. This provides a robust framework to design systems containing metasurface (MS) elements while including their unique dispersive properties in the design optimization. Importantly, the DSM is based on ray optics and enables the design of MS-containing systems using conventional optical design software such as Zemax and Code V. We use the DSM to demonstrate the design of a hybrid refractive/MS achromatic doublet for the midwave infrared (MWIR) band. The design example includes multiple wavelengths and field angles during optimization and demonstrates excellent agreement between the DSM and real hybrid lens performance modeled using wave optics. We discuss the limits of the DSM and present a simple model to predict performance limits due to phase mismatch at Fresnel zone boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy conversion via internal photoemission (IPE) across a planar p-type Schottky junction is quantified for aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) in the framework of direct transitions with non-constant matrix elements. Transition probabilities and k-resolved group velocities are obtained based on pseudo-wavefunction expansions and realistic band structures using the pseudopotential method. The k-resolved number of direct transitions, hole photocurrent density, quantum yield (QY), and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) under AM1.5G solar irradiance are subsequently calculated and analyzed. For Al, the parabolic and "parallel-band" effect along the U-W-K path significantly enhances the transition rate with final energies of holes mainly within 1.41 eV below the Fermi energy. For Cu, d-state hot holes mostly generated near the upper edge of 3d bands dominate the hole photocurrent and are weekly (strongly) dependent on the barrier height (metal film thickness). Hot holes produced in the 4s band behave just oppositely to their d-state counterparts. Non-constant matrix elements are shown to be necessary for calculations of transitions due to time-harmonic perturbation in Cu. Compared with Cu, Al-based IPE in p-type Schottky shows the highest PCE (QY) up to about 0.2673% (5.2410%) at ΦB = 0.95 eV (0.5 eV) and a film thickness of 11 nm (20 nm). It is predicted that metals with relatively dispersionless d bands (such as Cu) in most cases do not outperform metals with photon-accessible parallel bands (such as Al) in photon energy conversion using a planar p-type Schottky junction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid lenses are created by combining metasurface optics with refractive optics, where refractive elements contribute optical power, while metasurfaces correct optical aberrations. We present an algorithm for optimizing metasurface nanostructures within a hybrid lens, allowing flexible interleaving of metasurface and refractive optics in the optical train. To efficiently optimize metasurface nanostructures, we develop a scalar field, ray-wave hybrid propagation method. This method facilitates the propagation of incident and derived adjoint fields through optical elements, enabling effective metasurface optimization within the framework of adjoint gradient optimization. Numerical examples of various lens configurations are presented to illustrate the versatility of the algorithm and showcase the benefits offered by the proposed approach, allowing metasurfaces to be positioned beyond the image space of a lens. Taking a F/2, 40° field-of-view, midwave infrared lens as an example, the lens exhibits an average focusing efficiency of 38% before the integration of metasurfaces. Utilizing the new algorithm to design two metasurfaces-one in the object space and one in the image space-results in significant enhancement of the average focusing efficiency to over 90%. In contrast, a counterpart design with both metasurfaces limited to the image space yields a lower average focusing efficiency of 73%.

A new metric for imaging systems, the volumetric imaging efficiency (VIE), is introduced. It compares the compactness and capacity of an imager against fundamental limits imposed by diffraction. Two models are proposed for this fundamental limit based on an idealized thin-lens and the optical volume required to form diffraction-limited images. The VIE is computed for 2,871 lens designs and plotted as a function of FOV; this quantifies the challenge of creating compact, wide FOV lenses. We identify an empirical limit to the VIE given by VIE < 0.920 × 10 -0.582×FOV when using conventional bulk optics imaging onto a flat sensor. We evaluate VIE for lenses employing curved image surfaces and planar, monochromatic metasurfaces to show that these new optical technologies can surpass the limit of conventional lenses and yield >100x increase in VIE.