This $467,930 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) supports research at Northeastern University to design and implement a novel class of metasurface-based optical neural networks, termed "meta-ONNs." The key objectives are to:
Design multiplexed meta-ONNs that can integrate multiple wavelength and polarization channels within a single system, increasing the capacity and versatility of optical neural networks.
Demonstrate generative meta-ONNs capable of creating distinct images, enabling novel optical encryption schemes and aiding AI-assisted photonic design.
Fabricate low-loss, multilayered metasurfaces to implement the designed meta-ONNs and characterize their performance metrics.
The project aims to unlock the potential of meta-ONNs as a platform for multifunctional optical computing, complex information processing, and innovative image generation. The award has an ultimate completion date of July 31, 2027 and does not include any planned sub-awards.