On-chip optical filter processes wide range of light wavelengths
https://phys.org/news/2018-08-on-chip-optical-filter-wide-range.html
Existing optical filters, however, have tradeoffs and disadvantages. Discrete (off-chip) "broadband" filters, called dichroic filters, process wide portions of the light spectrum but are large, can be expensive, and require many layers of optical coatings that reflect certain wavelengths. Integrated filters can be produced in large quantities inexpensively, but they typically cover a very narrow band of the spectrum, so many must be combined to efficiently and selectively filter larger portions of the spectrum.
Researchers from MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics have designed the first on-chip filter that, essentially, matches the broadband coverage and precision performance of the bulky filters but can be manufactured using traditional silicon-chip fabrication methods.