# US 12,768,722 B2 · Volumetric metaoptics for multi-dimensional wavefront sensing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,768,722 B2 - Document ID: US12768722B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/799,930 - Filed: 2024-08-09 - Published: 2026-03-05 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-17 - Assignees: California Institute of Technology - Applicants: California Institute of Technology - Inventors: Conner K Ballew; Gregory D Roberts; Andrei Faraon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12768722B2 ## CPC - G01J 9/02: by interferometric methods (using interferometers for measuring optically the linear dimensions of objects G01B9/02) - G01J 2009/0261: {polarised} - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) ## Abstract Methods and devices enabling simultaneous sorting light based on its wavelength, polarization, and direction of propagation are disclosed. The disclosed device maps different combinations of input light properties to different corresponding pixels on an underlying image sensor array, allowing for compressed sensing of multiple light properties simultaneously. The described devices can be designed using advanced inverse design and topology optimization techniques, including adjoint-based optimization and level-set methods. Exemplary performance results show smooth, predictable behavior for input states between the explicitly optimized states, allowing it to interpolate and classify a continuum of input light properties. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for multi-dimensional wavefront sensing, comprising: a three-dimensional (3D) structure configured to receive incident light; and a single planar sensor array disposed underneath the 3D structure, the single planar sensor array comprising multiple pixels; wherein the 3D structure is configured to simultaneously focus different combinations of wavelength, polarization, and propagation direction of the incident light onto different corresponding pixels or combinations of pixels of the single planar sensor array. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the 3D structure is configured to maintain wavelength and polarization demultiplexing functionalities across a range of incident angles within an acceptance cone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the 3D structure comprises a stack of multiple layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein each layer of the stack comprises a first material with a first refractive index and a second material with a second refractive index being different from the first refractive index. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the first material comprises silicon dioxide (SiO2) and the second material comprises titanium dioxide (TiO2). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the 3D structure has dimensions of 3 μm×3 μm×4 μm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the single planar sensor array comprises a 3×3 array of pixels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the 3D structure is configured to perform wavelength demultiplexing, polarization sorting, and angle-dependent focusing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the wavelength demultiplexing is configured to separate at least two distinct wavelengths. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the polarization sorting is configured to separate at least two polarization states, including orthogonal linear states. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the angle-dependent focusing is configured to focus at least five different incident angles to five different locations on the single planar sensor array. ### Claim 12 An optical system for multi-dimensional wavefront sensing, comprising: an array of devices, each device comprising: a three-dimensional (3D) structure configured to receive incident light; and a single planar sensor array disposed underneath the 3D structure, the single planar sensor array comprising multiple pixels; wherein each 3D structure is configured to simultaneously focus different combinations of wavelength, polarization, and propagation direction of the incident light onto different pixels or combinations of pixels of a corresponding portion of the single planar sensor array. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The optical system of claim 12, wherein each 3D structure in the array is identical. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The optical system of claim 12, wherein at least some of the 3D structures in the array have different configurations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The optical system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to perform light field imaging. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The optical system of claim 15, further comprising a tunable bandpass filter coupled to the array of devices to enable wavelength-dependent light field imaging. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The optical system of claim 12, configured to perform laser beam profiling, the laser beam profiling including classification of wavelength, polarization, and incident angle of the laser beam. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein each 3D structure is optimized using topology optimization based on adjoint-based inverse design. ### Claim 19 A device for multi-dimensional wavefront sensing, comprising: a three-dimensional (3D) structure configured to receive incident light, wherein the 3D structure comprises a volumetric stack of multiple layers, each layer of the stack having a subwavelength permittivity distribution; and a sensor array disposed underneath the 3D structure, the sensor array comprising multiple pixels; wherein the subwavelength permittivity distribution within the 3D structure is configured to simultaneously focus different combinations of wavelength, polarization, and propagation direction of the incident light onto different corresponding pixels or combinations of pixels of the sensor array.