{"podcast":{"title":"632nm","slug":"632nm-6933948","podcast_index_feed_id":6933948,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/632nm","website_url":"https://632nm.com","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/nEXmi7A5la3DaXHPICs5XCc9TDmVySH0knUXP1bJgUk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yOGMz/YTliMThlODIyYzYw/OGVjOWNiZWNlNmQ1/ZmQ0Ni5qcGc.jpg","author":"Misha Shalaginov, Michael Dubrovsky, Xinghui Yin","episode_count":58,"summary":"Technical interviews with the greatest scientists in the world.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-09T06:19:48.668776+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/632nm-6933948"},"episode":{"title":"Snell's Law, Metasurfaces, and Metalenses  | Federico Capasso","slug":"snell-s-law-metasurfaces-and-metalenses-federico-capasso","published_at":"2026-01-20T16:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/632nm-6933948/snell-s-law-metasurfaces-and-metalenses-federico-capasso","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/632nm-6933948","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/7ded1989","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/7ded1989/94bdf9e2.mp3","summary":"How can flat surfaces shape light as powerfully as bulky lenses? In this episode, we speak with Federico Capasso, Harvard physicist and pioneer of metasurfaces, metalenses, and nanophotonics. Capasso traces the path from his work at Bell Labs on quantum cascade lasers to the invention of metasurface optics, showing how a practical challenge—collimating light without traditional lenses—sparked a new way to control light. We explore the physics behind metasurfaces and generalized Snell’s law, explaining how subwavelength structures enable precise control of wavefronts, phase, and polarization beyond what conventional diffractive optics or Fresnel lenses allow. Capasso clarifies common misconceptions, contrasts metasurfaces with diffraction gratings and phased arrays, and emphasizes the importance of physical intuition and simplicity. The conversation covers metalenses, polarization optics, holography, and how these ideas moved from theory to large-scale manufacturing in semiconductor foundries, ultimately appearing in consumer devices like smartphones. Capasso also reflects on commercialization, the legacy of Bell Labs, and the blurred boundary between basic science and real-world technology. Whether you’re interested in metasurfaces, metalenses, nanophotonics, optics, or the process behind breakthrough discoveries, this episode offers a clear and insightful look at how modern optical physics becomes transformative technology. Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists: Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/ Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/ Follow our hosts! Mikh…","meta_description":"How can flat surfaces shape light as powerfully as bulky lenses? In this episode, we speak with Federico Capasso, Harvard physicist and pioneer of metasur…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":7989,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/632nm-6933948/episodes/snell-s-law-metasurfaces-and-metalenses-federico-capasso/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/632nm-6933948/snell-s-law-metasurfaces-and-metalenses-federico-capasso.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}