The combination of photonic integrated circuits and free-space metaoptics has the ability to untie technological knots that require advanced light manipulation due to their conjoined ability to achieve strong light–matter interaction via wave-guiding light over a long distance and shape them via large space-bandwidth product. Rapid prototyping of such a compound system requires component interchangeability. This represents a functional challenge in terms of fabrication and alignment of high-performance optical systems. Here, we report a flexible and interchangeable interface between a photonic integrated circuit and the free space using an array of low-loss metaoptics and demonstrate multifunctional beam shaping at a wavelength of 780 nm. We show that robust and high-fidelity operation of the designed optical functions can be achieved without prior precise characterization of the free-space input nor stringent alignment between the photonic integrated chip and the metaoptics chip. A diffraction limited spot of ∼3 μm for a hyperboloid metalens of numerical aperture 0.15 is achieved despite an input Gaussian elliptical deformation of up to 35% and misalignments of the components of up to 20 μm. A holographic image with a peak signal-to-noise ratio of >10 dB is also reported.

Photon nanosieves, as amplitude-type metasurfaces, have been demonstrated usually in a transmission mode for optical super-focusing, display, and holography, but the sieves with subwavelength size constrain optical transmission, thus leading to low efficiency. Here, we report reflective photon nanosieves that consist of metallic meta-mirrors sitting on a transparent quartz substrate. Upon illumination, these meta-mirrors offer the reflectance of ∼50%, which is higher than the transmission of visible light through diameter-identical nanoholes. Benefiting from this configuration, a meta-mirror-based reflective hologram has been demonstrated with good consistence between theoretical and experimental results over the broadband spectrum from 500 nm to 650 nm, meanwhile exhibiting total efficiency of ∼7%. Additionally, if an additional high-reflectance layer is employed below these meta-mirrors, the efficiency can be enhanced further for optical anti-counterfeiting.

Micromachining based on femtosecond lasers usually requires accurate control of the sample movement, which may be very complex and costly. Therefore, the exploration of micromachining without sample movement is valuable. Herein, we have illustrated the manipulation of optical fields by controlling the polarization or phase to vary periodically and then realized certain focal traces by real-time loading of the computer-generated holograms (CGHs) on the spatial light modulator. The focal trace is composed of many discrete focal spots, which are generated experimentally by using the real-time dynamically controlled CGHs. With the designed focal traces, various microstructures such as an ellipse, a Chinese character “Nan”, and an irregular quadrilateral grid structure are fabricated in the z-cut LiNbO3 wafers, showing good qualities in terms of continuity and homogeneity. Our method proposes a movement free solution for micromachining samples and completely abandons the high precision stage and complex movement control, making microstructure fabrication more flexible, stable, and cheaper.