Optical Fourier Surfaces for Free-Space Computer-Generated Holography
6 affiliations
- 1Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
- 2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- 3Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- 4California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- 5Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
- 6Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
Abstract
Computer-generated holography can shape electromagnetic fields by encoding wavefront information in nanostructured surfaces. However, despite significant progress, hologram designs for visible and near-infrared wavelengths remain largely limited by fabrication constraints. Most implementations rely on lithographic methods that produce discretized surfaces that do not match the wave nature of light. Further advances would benefit from accurate, continuous (grayscale) control of interfacial profiles, which would allow straightforward design principles from Fourier optics to be applied. In this work, we introduce optical Fourier surfaces as a versatile, intuitive platform for free-space computer-generated holograms. Exploiting these arbitrarily wavy surfaces, we demonstrate three different design strategies for computer-generated holography. First, we use an analytical linear design approach based on sinusoidal lenses and gratings as fundamental holographic building blocks. Second, we enhance diffraction efficiencies through an iterative Fourier-transform algorithm. Finally, we extend our framework with differentiable inverse design, creating wavelength-multiplexed holograms that reconstruct distinct diffraction responses in a predefined image plane. Our results combine advanced thermal scanning-probe lithography with flexible design strategies to create useful structures for photonic applications, particularly in settings where rapid prototyping is crucial.
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BibTeX
@article{glauser2026optical,
title = {{Optical Fourier Surfaces for Free-Space Computer-Generated Holography}},
author = {Yannik M. Glauser and Che-Yung Shen and David B. Seda and Çaǧatay Işil and Patrick Benito Eberhard and Hannah Niese and Juri G. Crimmann and Daniel Petter and Gabriel Nagamine and Sander J. W. Vonk and Nolan Lassaline and Aydogan Ozcan and David J. Norris},
journal = {ACS Nano},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsnano.6c13095},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c13095},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Optical Fourier Surfaces for Free-Space Computer-Generated Holography
AU - Yannik M. Glauser
AU - Che-Yung Shen
AU - David B. Seda
AU - Çaǧatay Işil
AU - Patrick Benito Eberhard
AU - Hannah Niese
AU - Juri G. Crimmann
AU - Daniel Petter
AU - Gabriel Nagamine
AU - Sander J. W. Vonk
AU - Nolan Lassaline
AU - Aydogan Ozcan
AU - David J. Norris
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - ACS Nano
DO - 10.1021/acsnano.6c13095
UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c13095
AB - Computer-generated holography can shape electromagnetic fields by encoding wavefront information in nanostructured surfaces. However, despite significant progress, hologram designs for visible and near-infrared wavelengths remain largely limited by fabrication constraints. Most implementations rely on lithographic methods that produce discretized surfaces that do not match the wave nature of light. Further advances would benefit from accurate, continuous (grayscale) control of interfacial profiles, which would allow straightforward design principles from Fourier optics to be applied. In this work, we introduce optical Fourier surfaces as a versatile, intuitive platform for free-space computer-generated holograms. Exploiting these arbitrarily wavy surfaces, we demonstrate three different design strategies for computer-generated holography. First, we use an analytical linear design approach based on sinusoidal lenses and gratings as fundamental holographic building blocks. Second, we enhance diffraction efficiencies through an iterative Fourier-transform algorithm. Finally, we extend our framework with differentiable inverse design, creating wavelength-multiplexed holograms that reconstruct distinct diffraction responses in a predefined image plane. Our results combine advanced thermal scanning-probe lithography with flexible design strategies to create useful structures for photonic applications, particularly in settings where rapid prototyping is crucial.
SN - 1936-0851
SN - 1936-086X
ER -