Diffraction-limited operation of micro-metalenses: fundamental bounds and designed rules for pixel integration

Abstract Metasurfaces provide a compact, flexible, and reliable solution for controlling the wavefront of light. In imaging systems, micro-lens arrays are integrated with pixel matrices to reduce optical crosstalk, enhance photon collection efficiency, and improve spatial resolution. However, as the aperture size of the photonic devices decreases, fundamental limitations associated with diffraction emerge. Here, we theoretically analyze and experimentally demonstrate that these constraints also affect the performance of small functionalized apertures, including metasurfaces and metalenses, emphasizing the increasing impact of diffraction at small pixel sizes. Despite their design versatility, our findings reveal the necessity of accounting for fundamental diffraction properties to optimize the performance of miniature optical metasurfaces.