Metasurfaces-Enabled Advanced Multidimensional Imaging: Principle and Applications

The efficient acquisition of multidimensional information—spatial, polarization, frequency, and phase of optical fields, is a key research focus. Metasurfaces, which are emerging as planar arrays of artificial nanostructures, offer significant advantages in advanced imaging due to their exceptional ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves through subwavelength optical resonators. Meanwhile, the rapidly developing computational imaging algorithms have also greatly enhanced the performance of metasurfaces in multi-dimensional imaging. In this review, we focus on the research progress in metasurface-empowered multidimensional imaging, including advanced spatial imaging, compact polarization imaging, high-resolution spectral imaging, single-shot phase imaging, and edge imaging. Their basic principles and imaging results will also be presented. Furthermore, a summary of several current challenges and anticipation in various future directions within this field will also be provided.