面向偏振光场调控的超表面

    Metasurfaces for polarization-field manipulation

    • 摘要: 偏振是光场的重要自由度之一,在光通信、量子信息、三维显示、超分辨成像、生物医学检测和光学信息安全等领域具有重要应用。传统偏振调控技术主要依赖双折射晶体、二向色性材料、波片和空间光调制器等分立元件,存在体积较大、集成度有限和复用能力不足等问题。超表面作为一种由亚波长人工微纳结构单元组成的二维光学平台,为解决上述问题提供了新的思路。为了梳理超表面在偏振光场调控领域的研究进展,本综述系统总结了超表面的基本调控机制及其在偏振光场生成、调制及其应用中的代表性方法。首先,从相位、振幅、频率和偏振四个方面归纳了超表面的光场调控能力;其次,围绕几何相位、传播相位、各向异性响应和自旋-轨道耦合等机制,分析了超表面实现各偏振态及复杂矢量光场调控的物理基础;进一步综述了超表面在矢量光束生成、偏振态纵向动态演化、偏振复用与信息加密、全斯托克斯偏振成像及可重构偏振调控等方向的研究进展。研究表明,超表面能够在超薄器件中实现多自由度光场调控,并在多通道光学信息处理、片上偏振器件、结构光通信和智能成像等领域具有重要应用潜力。

       

      Abstract: Polarization is a fundamental degree of freedom of light and plays a crucial role in optical communications, quantum information, three-dimensional displays, super-resolution imaging, biomedical sensing, and optical information security. Conventional polarization-control technologies rely primarily on discrete components, including birefringent crystals, dichroic materials, wave plates, and spatial light modulators, which are generally bulky, difficult to integrate, and limited in multiplexing capability. Metasurfaces, two-dimensional optical platforms composed of subwavelength artificial micro- and nanostructures, offer a promising route to overcoming these limitations. In this review, the fundamental mechanisms of metasurface-enabled polarization-field manipulation and the representative approaches to the generation, modulation, and application of polarization fields were systematically summarized. First, the capabilities of metasurfaces for controlling the phase, amplitude, frequency, and polarization of light were outlined. Next, the physical mechanisms underlying the manipulation of linear, circular, and elliptical polarization states and complex vectorial light fields were discussed, with emphasis placed on geometric phase, propagation phase, anisotropic responses, and spin–orbit coupling. Recent advances in vector beam generation, longitudinal evolution of polarization states, polarization multiplexing and information encryption, full-Stokes polarimetric imaging, and reconfigurable polarization control were then reviewed. It is shown that metasurfaces enable multi-degree-of-freedom light-field manipulation in ultrathin devices, and significant application potential is demonstrated in multi-channel optical information processing, on-chip polarization devices, structured-light communication, and intelligent imaging. Overall, metasurfaces enable multidimensional light-field manipulation with ultrathin devices and hold substantial potential for multichannel optical information processing, on-chip polarization components, structured-light communication, and intelligent imaging.

       

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