Polarization-Encoded Lenticular Nano-Printing with Single-Layer Metasurfaces

Metasurface-based nano-printing has enabled ultrahigh-resolution grayscale or color image display. However, the maximum number of independent nano-printing images allowed by one single-layer metasurface is still limited despite many multiplexing methods that have been proposed to increase the design degree of freedom. In this work, we substantially push the multiplexing limit of nano-printing by transforming images at different observation angles into mapping the corresponding images to different positions in the Fourier space, and simultaneously controlling the complex electric field across multiple polarization channels. Our proposed Polarization-Encoded Lenticular Nano-Printing (Pollen), aided by a modified evolutionary algorithm, allows the display of several images based on the viewing angle, similar to traditional lenticular printing but without requiring a lenticular layer. In addition, it extends the display capability to encompass multiple polarization states. Empowered by the ability to control the complex amplitude of three polarization channels, we numerically and experimentally demonstrate the generation of 13 distinguished gray-scale Chinese ink wash painting images, 49 binary patterns, and three sets of 3D nano-printing images, totaling 25 unique visuals. These results present the largest number of recorded images with ultra-high resolution to date. Our innovative Pollen technique is expected to benefit the development of modern optical applications, including but not limited to optical encryption, optical data storage, lightweight display, and augmented reality and virtual reality.