Augmented Harris Hawks Optimizer with Gradient-Based-Like Optimization: Inverse Design of All-Dielectric Meta-Gratings.

In this paper, we introduce a new hybrid optimization method for the inverse design of metasurfaces, which combines the original Harris hawks optimizer (HHO) with a gradient-based optimization method. The HHO is a population-based algorithm that mimics the hunting process of hawks tracking prey. The hunting strategy is divided into two phases: exploration and exploitation. However, the original HHO algorithm performs poorly in the exploitation phase and may get trapped and stagnate in a basin of local optima. To improve the algorithm, we propose pre-selecting better initial candidates obtained from a gradient-based-like (GBL) optimization method. The main drawback of the GBL optimization method is its strong dependence on initial conditions. However, like any gradient-based method, GBL has the advantage of broadly and efficiently spanning the design space at the cost of computation time. By leveraging the strengths of both methods, namely GBL optimization and HHO, we show that the proposed hybrid approach, denoted as GBL-HHO, is an optimal scenario for efficiently targeting a class of unseen good global optimal solutions. We apply the proposed method to design all-dielectric meta-gratings that deflect incident waves into a given transmission angle. The numerical results demonstrate that our scenario outperforms the original HHO.

Domain Decomposition Spectral Method Applied to Modal Method: Direct and Inverse Spectral Transforms.

We introduce a Domain Decomposition Spectral Method (DDSM) as a solution for Maxwell's equations in the frequency domain. It will be illustrated in the framework of the Aperiodic Fourier Modal Method (AFMM). This method may be applied to compute the electromagnetic field diffracted by a large-scale surface under any kind of incident excitation. In the proposed approach, a large-size surface is decomposed into square sub-cells, and a projector, linking the set of eigenvectors of the large-scale problem to those of the small-size sub-cells, is defined. This projector allows one to associate univocally the spectrum of any electromagnetic field of a problem stated on the large-size domain with its footprint on the small-scale problem eigenfunctions. This approach is suitable for parallel computing, since the spectrum of the electromagnetic field is computed on each sub-cell independently from the others. In order to demonstrate the method's ability, to simulate both near and far fields of a full three-dimensional (3D) structure, we apply it to design large area diffractive metalenses with a conventional personal computer.

High-efficiency, large-area, topology-optimized metasurfaces.

Metasurfaces are ultrathin optical elements that are highly promising for constructing lightweight and compact optical systems. For their practical implementation, it is imperative to maximize the metasurface efficiency. Topology optimization provides a pathway for pushing the limits of metasurface efficiency; however, topology optimization methods have been limited to the design of microscale devices due to the extensive computational resources that are required. We introduce a new strategy for optimizing large-area metasurfaces in a computationally efficient manner. By stitching together individually optimized sections of the metasurface, we can reduce the computational complexity of the optimization from high-polynomial to linear. As a proof of concept, we design and experimentally demonstrate large-area, high-numerical-aperture silicon metasurface lenses with focusing efficiencies exceeding 90%. These concepts can be generalized to the design of multifunctional, broadband diffractive optical devices and will enable the implementation of large-area, high-performance metasurfaces in practical optical systems.

Polynomial modal analysis of lamellar diffraction gratings in conical mounting.

An efficient numerical modal method for modeling a lamellar grating in conical mounting is presented. Within each region of the grating, the electromagnetic field is expanded onto Legendre polynomials, which allows us to enforce in an exact manner the boundary conditions that determine the eigensolutions. Our code is successfully validated by comparison with results obtained with the analytical modal method.

Reformulation of the modal method based on Gegenbauer polynomial expansion for cylindrical structures with arbitrary cross sections.

The work presented here focuses on the numerical modeling of cylindrical structure eigenmodes with an arbitrary cross section using Gegenbauer polynomials. The new eigenvalue equation leads to considerable reduction in computation time compared to the previous formulation. The main idea of this new formulation involves considering that the numerical scheme can be partially separated into two independent parts and the size of the eigenvalue matrix equation may be reduced by a factor of 2. We show that the ratio of the computation times between the first and current versions follows a linear relation with respect to the number of polynomials.

Mode solver based on Gegenbauer polynomial expansion for cylindrical structures with arbitrary cross sections.

We present a modal method for the computation of eigenmodes of cylindrical structures with arbitrary cross sections. These modes are found as eigenvectors of a matrix eigenvalue equation that is obtained by introducing a new coordinate system that takes into account the profile of the cross section. We show that the use of Hertz potentials is suitable for the derivation of this eigenvalue equation and that the modal method based on Gegenbauer expansion (MMGE) is an efficient tool for the numerical solution of this equation. Results are successfully compared for both perfectly conducting and dielectric structures. A complex coordinate version of the MMGE is introduced to solve the dielectric case.

Modal method based on subsectional Gegenbauer polynomial expansion for nonperiodic structures: complex coordinates implementation.

In this paper we present an extension of the modal method by Gegenbauer expansion (MMGE) [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A28, 2006 (2011)], [Progress Electromagn. Res.133, 17 (2013)] to the study of nonperiodic problems. The nonperiodicity is introduced through the perfectly matched layers (PMLs) concept, which can be introduced in an equivalent way either by a change of coordinates or by the use of a uniaxial anisotropic medium. These PMLs can generate strong irregularities of the electromagnetic fields that can significantly alter the convergence and stability of the numerical scheme. This is the case, e.g., for the famous Fourier modal method, especially when using complex stretching coordinates. In this work, it will be shown that the MMGE equipped with PMLs is a robust approach because of its natural immunity against spurious modes.

Modal method based on subsectional Gegenbauer polynomial expansion for lamellar gratings.

A first approach of a modal method by Gegenbauer polynomial expansion (MMGE1) is presented for a plane wave diffraction by a lamellar grating. Modal methods are among the most popular methods that are used to solve the problem of lamellar gratings. They consist in describing the electromagnetic field in terms of eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of an operator. In the particular case of the Fourier modal method (FMM), the eigenfunctions are approximated by a finite Fourier sum, and this approximation can lead to a poor convergence of the FMM. The Wilbraham-Gibbs phenomenon may be one of the reasons for this poor convergence. Thus, it is interesting to investigate other basis functions that may represent the fields more accurately. The approach proposed in this paper consists in subdividing the pattern in homogeneous layers, according to the periodicity axis. The field is expanded, in each layer, on the basis of Gegenbauer's polynomials. Boundary conditions are rigorously written between adjacent layers; thus, an eigenvalue equation is obtained. The approach presented in this paper proves to describe the fields accurately. Finally, it is demonstrated that the results obtained with the MMGE1 are more accurate than several existing modal methods, such as the classical and the parametric FMM.

Scattering matrix interpolation from the perturbation method: application to calculation of a grating's electromagnetic and scatterometric signatures.

The scatterometric and electromagnetic signatures of a pattern are computed with the perturbation method combined with the Fourier modal method in order to reduce computational time. From an electromagnetic point of view, the grating is characterized by its scattering matrix, which allows the computation of the reflection and transmission coefficients. A slight variation of profile parameters or electrical ones provides a small fluctuation of the scattering matrix; consequently, an analytical expression of the local behavior of its eigenvectors and eigenvalues can be obtained by using a perturbation method.

Perturbation method for the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis of grating diffraction.

The perturbation method is combined with the Rigorous CoupledWave Analysis (RCWA) to enhance its computational speed. In the original RCWA, a grating is approximated by a stack of lamellar gratings and the number of eigenvalue systems to be solved is equal to the number of subgratings. The perturbation method allows to derive the eigensolutions in many layers from the computed eigensolutions of a reference layer provided that the optical and geometrical parameters of these layers differ only slightly. A trapezoidal grating is considered to evaluate the performance of the method.

Modal analysis of lamellar gratings using the moment method with subsectional basis and adaptive spatial resolution.

We formulate the problem of diffraction by a one-dimensional lamellar grating as an eigenvalue problem in which adaptive spatial resolution is introduced thanks to a new coordinate system that takes into account the permittivity profile function. We use the moment method with triangle functions as expansion functions and pulses as test functions. Our method is successfully compared with the Fourier modal method and the frequency domain finite difference method.

Complex coordinate implementation in the curvilinear coordinate method: application to plane-wave diffraction by nonperiodic rough surfaces.

We investigate the electromagnetic modeling of plane-wave diffraction by nonperiodic surfaces by using the curvilinear coordinate method (CCM). This method is often used with a Fourier basis expansion, which results in the periodization of both the geometry and the electromagnetic field. We write the CCM in a complex coordinate system in order to introduce the perfectly matched layer concept in a simple and efficient way. The results, presented for a perfectly conducting surface, show the efficiency of the model.