{
  "abstract": "Inverse-designed spectral routers can enable compact snapshot spectral imaging by directing different wavelengths to designated detector sub-pixels without mechanical scanning or absorptive filters. Here, we examine how routing performance varies as the number of spectral channels increases while the visible bandwidth remains fixed. A delay-bandwidth analysis relates channel count, worst-channel efficiency, and device thickness, explaining the growing optical capacity required to generate many spatially distinct spectral outputs. We then use adjoint-based topology optimization and three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulations to design TiO2/SiO2 routers with 9, 16, 25, and 36 channels under matched material, bandwidth, and thickness conditions. The average routing efficiency increases with sub-pixel size and approaches a plateau, while the maximum near-plateau efficiency decreases monotonically from 97.0% for 9 channels to 82.3% for 36 channels. At a fixed channel count, compressing the wavelength spacing to 8 nm or rearranging the wavelength-to-sub-pixel assignment changes the efficiency by less than one percentage point. These results indicate that the observed efficiency penalty is governed mainly by the number of wavelength-dependent routing constraints rather than by wavelength spacing or local wavelength arrangement. The findings quantify the trade-off between spectral sampling and optical throughput in compact snapshot spectral imagers.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2607.23508",
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Junseo Han"
    },
    {
      "name": "Seunghyun Lee"
    },
    {
      "name": "Donghyun Kim"
    },
    {
      "name": "Haejun Chung"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ddy5t1ea6j3aq.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2607.23508",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "ddy5t1ea6j3aq",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.23508",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.optics"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2504|Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7171558549",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.23508",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-20",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ddy5t1ea6j3aq.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:34:04Z",
      "native_id": "2607.23508",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.23508"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.optics",
      "subfield": "optics-photonics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Scaling Limits of Multichannel Spectral Routers for Snapshot Imaging",
  "title_text": "Scaling Limits of Multichannel Spectral Routers for Snapshot Imaging",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:34:04Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ddy5t1ea6j3aq",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}