Virtual Workshop: From Unit Cell to Full Metalens with PyLumerical

Overview

Metalenses are built from sub-wavelength “meta-atoms” whose geometry controls the transmitted phase and amplitude. In this free virtual workshop, we’ll walk through a fully automated, Python-based end-to-end workflow for designing a diffractive metalens made of cylindrical nanorods: defining a target phase profile, building a unit-cell library with RCWA sweeps (height and radius), mapping phase-to-radius to construct a full metalens in FDTD, and validating focusing performance via near-field and far-field analysis. We’ll also compare direct full-lens FDTD simulation (using symmetric boundary conditions and top-down field monitors) against faster field-reconstruction approaches. We’ll finish with a discussion of inverse design strategies for metalenses with Lumerical’s photonic inverse design package. The entire workflow is automated via PyLumerical, Lumerical’s updated Python API.

What Attendees Will Learn

• How to automate Lumerical workflows with PyLumerical
• How to define and import a target metalens phase profile (analytic or OpticStudio-optimized) for physical realization
• How to run RCWA height/radius sweeps to build a reusable unit-cell library of phase and amplitude versus incident wavelength and angle
• How to perform phase-to-radius mapping and simulate a full metalens in FDTD using symmetry to reduce runtime/memory
• How to use near-field monitors and far-field projections to quantify focal length, spot size, and focusing behavior
• How to use inverse design approaches to optimize a group of pillars

Who Should Attend

• Photonics/metasurface engineers designing metalenses or diffractive optical elements
• Simulation engineers using Ansys Lumerical (RCWA/FDTD) and/or PyLumerical automation
• Optical designers validating metasurface behavior in Zemax OpticStudio (POP, phase optimization)
• Researchers and advanced students working in metamaterials, flat optics, and nanophotonics