Multispectral Chiral Imaging with a Metalens.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Biophysics

Background:

• Chiral molecules, common in biology, exhibit unique optical properties.
• Existing chiroptical spectroscopy and imaging methods are complex, requiring multiple optical components.
• There is a need for simpler, more efficient methods to analyze chiral compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel planar lens with an engineered dispersive response for chiroptical imaging.
• To demonstrate a simplified approach for probing chiroptical properties across the visible spectrum.
• To showcase the potential of metasurfaces in creating compact, multifunctional optical devices.

Main Methods:

• Development of a planar lens with a specifically engineered dispersive response.
• Simultaneous imaging of an object's two helicity states within a single field-of-view.
• Application of the lens to map the circular dichroism of a chiral beetle's exoskeleton.

Main Results:

• The planar lens successfully formed two images with opposite helicity from a single object.
• Chiroptical properties were probed using only the lens and a camera, eliminating polarizers and dispersive devices.
• High-resolution circular dichroism mapping of the chiral beetle exoskeleton was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The developed planar lens offers a compact and versatile platform for chiroptical analysis.
• Metasurface technology enables unprecedented imaging capabilities for chiral materials.
• This approach significantly simplifies the detection and quantification of enantio-specific concentrations.