Quantum mechanics

Wavefront

Holography

Planar

Computer graphics (images)

Telecommunications

Phase retrieval

Computer science

Physical chemistry

Polarization (electrochemistry)

Linear polarization

Laser

Physics

Multiplexing

Optics

Ptychography

Chemistry

Diffraction

Fourier transform

Nature Communications

Controlling light properties with diffractive planar elements requires full-polarization channels and accurate reconstruction of optical signal for real applications. Here, we present a general method that enables wavefront shaping with arbitrary output polarization by encoding both phase and polarization information into pixelated metasurfaces. We apply this concept to convert an input plane wave with linear polarization to a holographic image with arbitrary spatial output polarization. A vectorial ptychography technique is introduced for mapping the Jones matrix to monitor the reconstructed metasurface output field and to compute the full polarization properties of the vectorial far field patterns, confirming that pixelated interfaces can deflect vectorial images to desired directions for accurate targeting and wavefront shaping. Multiplexing pixelated deflectors that address different polarizations have been integrated into a shared aperture to display several arbitrary polarized images, leading to promising new applications in vector beam generation, full color display and augmented/virtual reality imaging.

Ptychography retrieval of fully polarized holograms from geometric-phase metasurfaces