Westlake University Team Develops Novel SiC Metalens with Promising Thermal Management Capabilities for High-Power Laser Systems

The research group led by Prof. Min Qiu at Westlake University has successfully developed a novel homogenous 4H-SiC (silicon carbide) metalens, offering a unique solution to address thermal drift in high-power laser processing.

By leveraging the high thermal conductivity and low loss characteristics of 4H-SiC, the new metalens effectively suppresses thermal drift without the need for complex external cooling systems.

This breakthrough not only provides crucial support for high-power laser systems, but also opens new possibilities in precision instrumentation, polar exploration, aerospace, and other fields. In applications demanding extremely high machining accuracy and surface quality, the 4H-SiC metalens can play a vital role in providing a more efficient and compact solution for high-power laser systems.

The related paper, titled “4H-SiC Metalens: Mitigating Thermal Drift Effect in High-Power Laser Irradiation,” was recently published in Advanced Materials [1].

A New Strategy for Tackling Thermal Drift in High-Power Laser Processing

Researchers observed a recurring issue in high-power laser precision cutting: long-term operation led to heat accumulation in lenses, deforming internal optical elements and degrading machining consistency and morphology.

This stems from the partial absorption of laser energy by optical components, which is converted into heat. In materials like quartz and CaF₂ with poor thermal conductivity, local overheating occurs due to ineffective heat dissipation.

To resolve this, the team fabricated a transparent 4H-SiC metalens with billions of nanopillars (200–400 nm in diameter and ~1 µm deep) engineered on its surface.

“Thanks to the high refractive index of SiC, by tuning the nanopillar dimensions we can manipulate the optical phase and achieve focusing performance comparable to commercial lenses. Combined with its high thermal conductivity, efficient heat dissipation is realized in a much thinner device,” said Boqu Chen.

Experimental Demonstration of Outstanding Thermal Stability

Under simulated industrial conditions, the team compared their 4H-SiC metalens with a leading commercial objective from Mitutoyo Japan. Upon continuous 15 W, 1030 nm pulsed laser irradiation for 1 hour, the 4H-SiC metalens exhibited only a 3.2 °C temperature rise, with focal shift merely one-tenth of that observed in traditional objectives.

Conventional cooling generally relies on external water-cooling rings to remove heat, which increases system complexity, cost, energy consumption, and carbon emissions.

In contrast, the metalens‐based solution requires no additional cooling components — simply mounting the lens allows rapid solid-state heat extraction, enabling stable, long‐term operation while simplifying use and maintenance.

Moving Toward Mass Production

Multiple types of SiC metalenses have now been fabricated for different applications, with efforts underway to reduce costs and boost throughput. The technique has already been applied in collaboration with several companies and institutions. 

4H-SiC metalenses are expected to accelerate the application of high-power laser systems in increasingly demanding environments.

Leveraging our expertise in SiC materials, we are able to supply a full range of SiC-based products, including:

4H-SiC and 6H-SiC substrates (research and device grade, 2–6 inch)

SiC epitaxial wafers (n-type / p-type, HPSI, custom thicknesses and doping)

Optical-grade SiC windows and lenses

Patterned SiC substrates for optoelectronic and MEMS devices

Custom-machined SiC components (heat spreaders, laser mirrors, precision parts)

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Please let us know if you would like datasheets, quotations or customized solutions for your application.

Reference

1. Chen, B., et al. 4H-SiC Metalens: Mitigating Thermal Drift Effect in High-Power Laser Irradiation. Advanced Materials, 2024, 2412414. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202412414