Flat optics for analog computing: from fundamental mechanisms to advanced meta-processors
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arXiv
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| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866910143232344064 |
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| author | Liu, Tingting Qiu, Jumin Shi, Xintong Liu, Qiegen Xiao, Shuyuan |
| author_facet | Liu, Tingting Qiu, Jumin Shi, Xintong Liu, Qiegen Xiao, Shuyuan |
| contents | As the explosive growth of visual data increasingly strains the latency and energy limits of conventional electronic computing, optical analog computing has re-emerged as a disruptive paradigm for zero-power, speed-of-light information processing. Propelled by the unprecedented wave-manipulation capabilities of optical metasurfaces, this field is undergoing a rapid transition from macroscopic physical optics to ultra-compact, on-chip meta-processors. This Review examines the fundamental mechanisms of metasurface-empowered optical computing spanning Fourier-domain, nonlocal spatial-domain, and interferometric architectures that perform mathematical operations, with a particular focus on spatial differentiation and edge detection as representative computing tasks. By emphasizing recent breakthroughs, we highlight the evolution of meta-processors from static, linear regimes to dynamically reconfigurable, nonlinear, and quantum-assisted multidimensional platforms. We also envision how the synergy of AI-driven inverse design and the integration of analog meta-front-ends with optical neural networks will synergistically revolutionize next-generation intelligent machine vision. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_16849 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Flat optics for analog computing: from fundamental mechanisms to advanced meta-processors Liu, Tingting Qiu, Jumin Shi, Xintong Liu, Qiegen Xiao, Shuyuan Optics Applied Physics As the explosive growth of visual data increasingly strains the latency and energy limits of conventional electronic computing, optical analog computing has re-emerged as a disruptive paradigm for zero-power, speed-of-light information processing. Propelled by the unprecedented wave-manipulation capabilities of optical metasurfaces, this field is undergoing a rapid transition from macroscopic physical optics to ultra-compact, on-chip meta-processors. This Review examines the fundamental mechanisms of metasurface-empowered optical computing spanning Fourier-domain, nonlocal spatial-domain, and interferometric architectures that perform mathematical operations, with a particular focus on spatial differentiation and edge detection as representative computing tasks. By emphasizing recent breakthroughs, we highlight the evolution of meta-processors from static, linear regimes to dynamically reconfigurable, nonlinear, and quantum-assisted multidimensional platforms. We also envision how the synergy of AI-driven inverse design and the integration of analog meta-front-ends with optical neural networks will synergistically revolutionize next-generation intelligent machine vision. |
| title | Flat optics for analog computing: from fundamental mechanisms to advanced meta-processors |
| topic | Optics Applied Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.16849 |