Dynamic phase reconstruction enabled by an integrated operational metasurface

Abstract

The acquisition and reconstruction of phase information has become a major research focus in optical imaging, especially in fields such as optical metrology and label-free microscopic imaging. Existing phase restoration techniques often require bulky equipment or multiple measurements under identical conditions. These methods are typically limited to static scenarios, restricting their application in dynamic imaging. In this work, an integrated operational metasurface was designed and fabricated to enable the parallel execution of multiple functions within a single operational state. This approach enables accurate and efficient retrieval of phase information in a single shot by performing parallel optical computation through the metasurface, simultaneously recording two oppositely biased delay images. The feasibility and effectiveness of the method were verified through both theoretical analysis and experimental demonstrations of static and dynamic phase reconstructions. The entire optical system features a simple and compact structure, facilitating integration and embedding. This provides a strategy for real-time phase imaging and offers broad application prospects, particularly in fields such as biological imaging and optical sensing for dynamic light field regulation.