{"slug":"metamaterials-photonics","topic":"metamaterials-photonics","title":"Metamaterials, Nanophotonics & Integrated Photonics: State of the Field (October 2026)","summary":"Covers flat optics built from metasurfaces, high-Q and reconfigurable meta-optics, thin-film lithium niobate integrated photonics, and optical computing for AI workloads. The main takeaway is that metasurface optics have moved from single-function demonstrations toward visible and infrared imaging components, while integrated photonics is consolidating around thin-film lithium niobate, with heterogeneous and gain-integrated routes whose system-level benefits are still being measured.","version":1,"published_at":"2026-10-30","updated_at":"2026-10-30","stats":{"words":3632,"citations":66,"claims":28,"timeline":19,"benchmarks":9,"open_problems":7,"key_papers":15,"glossary":16},"verification":{"status":"verified","method":"automated figure and citation-relevance triage against cited abstracts, plus targeted AI review with web checks of flagged statements; automated citation resolution","claims_checked":23,"issues_fixed":6,"verified_at":"2026-10-30"},"ai_assisted":true,"price":{"usd":"0.20","protocol":"x402","network":"eip155:84532","asset":"USDC"},"url":"https://space-kitty.com/dossiers/metamaterials-photonics","preview_url":"https://space-kitty.com/api/v1/dossiers/metamaterials-photonics/preview","purchase_url":"https://space-kitty.com/api/v1/dossiers/metamaterials-photonics","toc":[{"level":2,"text":"Executive summary","anchor":"executive-summary"},{"level":2,"text":"Background and core concepts","anchor":"background-and-core-concepts"},{"level":2,"text":"Timeline of key milestones","anchor":"timeline-of-key-milestones"},{"level":2,"text":"State of the art","anchor":"state-of-the-art"},{"level":3,"text":"Flat optics: metalenses, holograms and polarization control","anchor":"flat-optics-metalenses-holograms-and-polarization-control"},{"level":3,"text":"Resonant and high-Q metasurfaces","anchor":"resonant-and-high-q-metasurfaces"},{"level":3,"text":"Reconfigurable and time-varying metasurfaces","anchor":"reconfigurable-and-time-varying-metasurfaces"},{"level":3,"text":"Thin-film lithium niobate photonics","anchor":"thin-film-lithium-niobate-photonics"},{"level":3,"text":"Photonic computing and optical neural networks","anchor":"photonic-computing-and-optical-neural-networks"},{"level":3,"text":"Quantitative benchmarks","anchor":"quantitative-benchmarks"},{"level":2,"text":"Open problems and active debates","anchor":"open-problems-and-active-debates"},{"level":2,"text":"Major programs and players","anchor":"major-programs-and-players"},{"level":2,"text":"Outlook: what to watch in the near term","anchor":"outlook-what-to-watch-in-the-near-term"},{"level":2,"text":"Key papers","anchor":"key-papers"},{"level":2,"text":"Glossary","anchor":"glossary"}],"sample_claims":["A metasurface is a planar, subwavelength-structured layer that locally controls the amplitude, phase and polarization of light, and it can be patterned lithographically into thin optical components.","Generalized laws of reflection and refraction describe how abrupt phase discontinuities at a surface redirect light, which is the design basis of phase-gradient metasurfaces."],"includes":["markdown","claims","timeline","benchmarks","open_problems","key_papers","glossary","bibliography"],"citation_count":66,"how_to_buy":"GET https://space-kitty.com/api/v1/dossiers/metamaterials-photonics with an x402 client ($0.20, USDC on Base Sepolia (testnet))."}