Catenaa, Thursday, November 13, 2025- Scientists at the University of Washington and Princeton University have developed a large-aperture, ultra-flat metalens capable of capturing sharp, full-color images, overcoming long-standing limits in optical technology.
The lens, just one micron thick and measuring 300 microns with its substrate, is hundreds of times thinner than conventional lenses.
Researchers combined the metalens with AI-powered computational techniques to produce images comparable to traditional optics while reducing size, weight, and power requirements.
Ultra-flat lenses, or metalenses, have historically struggled with chromatic aberration, particularly when scaled to large apertures.
By co-optimizing optical design with AI-based image processing, the team produced vivid, low-noise color images. In tests, the metalens delivered performance on par with multi-lens systems while occupying far less space.
The innovation could revolutionize imaging devices in smartphones, laptops, drones, satellites, and medical instruments.
It may also enable new modalities, such as capturing polarization or spectral information beyond human vision, with potential applications in augmented reality, LiDAR, and advanced diagnostics. Researchers emphasize that integrating optical hardware with AI computation was key to overcoming previous limitations.
The work represents a collaboration among UW ECE professors Johannes Fröch and Arka Majumdar, Princeton’s Felix Heide, and UNC Chapel Hill’s Praneeth Chakravarthula.
Plans include further improving image quality, exploring alternative sensing modalities, and potential commercialization through scalable nanoprint lithography for mass manufacturing.
