Monolithic Integrated Multi-Parameter Light-Field Sensor Based on Tailored Disordered Nanostructures

Abstract

Light fields carry abundant information, including intensity, spectral, and polarization, which have been widely studied in imaging, quantum technologies, and communications. However, conventional cameras are typically limited to capturing intensity alone, neglecting other crucial dimensions of information, which restricts their application scope. Disordered nanostructures significantly enhance light scattering and absorption, thereby broadening the spectral response range and enabling the sensitive detection of multi-dimensional physical information, including angle, wavelength, and polarization state. Here, by combining disordered nanostructures with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides, an integrated light-field sensor that integrates angle, wavelength, and polarization detection is successfully realized. The sensor, with a compact integration footprint of 32 × 32 µm², demonstrated angle detection with a resolution of 3.2° within elevation angles ranging from −20° to 20°, and spectral reconstruction with a resolution of 3.25 nm across wavelengths from 1520  to 1550 nm. Additionally, azimuth and polarization state detection functionalities are further validated. This multi-parameter, highly integrated design enhances the performance of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and shows great potential for applications in LIDAR, satellite communication, and optical interconnection.