Full-Dimensional Spatial Light Meta-modulators

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel broadband full-dimensional spatial light meta-modulator that independently manipulates phase, amplitude, and polarization of light using parallel-tasking geometric phase metasurfaces, enabling advanced light control.

Contribution

It proposes a new design of geometric phase metasurfaces with divided sub-phases for independent control of light properties, demonstrated through fabrication and experiments.

Findings

Achieved broadband full-dimensional light modulation

Demonstrated generation of structured light beams with modified diffraction patterns

Validated independent control of phase, amplitude, and polarization

Abstract

The full-dimensional spatial light meta-modulator requires simultaneous, arbitrary and independent manipulation of spatial phase, amplitude, and polarization. It is an essential step towards harnessing complete dimensional resources of light. However, full-dimensional meta-modulation can be challenging due to the need of multiple independent control factors. To address this challenge, here we propose parallel-tasking geometric phase metasurfaces. Indeed, the broadband geometric phase of meta-atoms is divided into several sub-phases, each of which serves as an independent control factor to manipulate light phase, amplitude, and polarization through geometric phase, interference, and orthogonal polarization beam superposition, respectively. Therefore, the macroscopic group of meta-atoms leads to the metasurfaces that can achieve the broadband full-dimensional spatial light meta-modulation. Finally, we fabricate and experimentally demonstrate the meta-modulator that generates special structured light beams with original or modified diffractions, as the signature of spatial phase, amplitude and polarization modulation. This approach paves the way to future wide applications of light manipulation enabled by the full-dimensional spatial light meta-modulators.