High-Sensitivity RGB–NIR Image Sensor with Dispersion-Engineered Meta-Optics

Image sensors capturing both red-green-blue (RGB) and near-infrared (NIR) images (i.e., RGB–NIR image sensors) have been actively developed due to their promising applications, such as security and biometric measurements. For such applications, there is a strong demand for developing high-sensitivity RGB–NIR image sensors capable of operating even under low-light conditions, such as at night. However, the conventional sensor architecture based on pixelated color filters limits the detectable light power because filters waste the light through absorption, which restricts the sensor’s sensitivity. Here, we developed a filter-free RGB–NIR image sensor based on CMOS-compatible pixelated color splitters. The splitters are designed by leveraging dispersion-engineered meta-optics, enabling four colors on pixels to be classified without using filters. A prototype image sensor integrating such splitters significantly enhances light detection while providing high-quality images, adaptability to various imaging optics, and compatibility with state-of-the-art image processing. These demonstrations pave the way for developing high-sensitivity RGB–NIR image sensors that surpass sensitivity limits while blending with CMOS image sensor technologies.