南方科技大学孙小卫团队在最新研究中，报道了一种用于增强现实显示器的消色差超表面波导。这一研究成果于2025年2月25日发表在国际顶尖学术期刊《光：科学与应用》上。

增强现实（AR）显示器正在成为下一代交互平台，提供比传统平板显示器更深入的人机交互和沉浸式体验。衍射波导是一种很有前途的增强现实光学组合技术，因为它具有最薄的几何形状和最轻的重量。

然而，衍射耦合器严重的色差问题制约了衍射波导的广泛应用。波长相关的光偏转，在耦合和外耦合过程中由色散引起，导致有限的全彩色视场（FOV）和颜色和角域的不均匀光学响应。

在这项研究中，该团队介绍了一种创新的全彩AR系统，该系统克服了色差这一长期存在的挑战，该系统采用了反设计的超表面耦合器和高折射率波导的组合。优化后的超表面耦合器在波导支持的最大视场范围内（超过45°），表现出真正的消色差行为。

他们的AR原型基于设计的超表面波导，具有卓越的色彩准确性和均匀性。这种独特的消色差超表面波导技术，有望推动紧凑型AR显示系统中引人注目的视觉体验的发展。

附：英文原文

Title: An achromatic metasurface waveguide for augmented reality displays

Author: Tian, Zhongtao, Zhu, Xiuling, Surman, Philip A., Chen, Zhidong, Sun, Xiao Wei

Issue&Volume: 2025-02-25

Abstract: Augmented reality (AR) displays are emerging as the next generation of interactive platform, providing deeper human-digital interactions and immersive experiences beyond traditional flat-panel displays. Diffractive waveguide is a promising optical combiner technology for AR owing to its potential for the slimmest geometry and lightest weight. However, severe chromatic aberration of diffractive coupler has constrained widespread adoption of diffractive waveguide. Wavelength-dependent light deflection, caused by dispersion in both in-coupling and out-coupling processes, results in limited full-color field of view (FOV) and nonuniform optical responses in color and angular domains. Here we introduce an innovative full-color AR system that overcomes this long-standing challenge of chromatic aberration using a combination of inverse-designed metasurface couplers and a high refractive index waveguide. The optimized metasurface couplers demonstrate true achromatic behavior across the maximum FOV supported by the waveguide (exceeding 45°). Our AR prototype based on the designed metasurface waveguide, exhibits superior color accuracy and uniformity. This unique achromatic metasurface waveguide technology is expected to advance the development of visually compelling experience in compact AR display systems.

DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-01761-w

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41377-025-01761-w