High-efficiency infrared upconversion imaging with nonlinear silicon metasurfaces empowered by quasi-bound states in the continuum

Abstract: Infrared imaging is indispensable for its ability to penetrate obscurants and visualize thermal signatures, yet its practical use is hindered by the intrinsic limitations of conventional detectors. Nonlinear upconversion, which converts infrared light into the visible band, offers a promising pathway to address these challenges. Here, we demonstrate high-efficiency infrared upconversion imaging using nonlinear silicon metasurfaces. By strategically breaking in-plane symmetry, the metasurface supports a high-$Q$ quasi-bound states in the continuum resonance, leading to strongly enhanced third-harmonic generation (THG) with a conversion efficiency of $3\times10^{-5}$ at a pump intensity of 10 GW/cm$^{2}$. Through this THG process, the metasurface enables high-fidelity upconversion of arbitrary infrared images into the visible range, achieving a spatial resolution of $\sim 6$ $\upmu$m as verified using a resolution target and various customized patterns. This work establishes a robust platform for efficient nonlinear conversion and imaging, highlighting the potential of CMOS-compatible silicon metasurfaces for high-performance infrared sensing applications with reduced system complexity.