Single-layer multitasking vortex-metalens for ultra-compact two-photon excitation STED endomicroscopy imaging

With the novel capabilities of engineering the optical wavefront at the nanoscale, the dielectric metalens has been utilized for fluorescence microscopy imaging system. However, the main technical difficulty is how to realize the achromatic focusing and light modulation simultaneously by a single-layer metalens in the two-photon excitation STED (TPE-STED) endomicroscopy imaging system. Herein, by combining the spatial multiplexing technology and vortex phase modulation, a single-layer multitasking vortex-metalens as a miniature microscopy objective on the end of fiber was proposed. The multitasking vortex-metalens with 36-sectors interleaving (diameter of 100 μm) could focus the excitation beam (1050 nm) and depletion beam (599 nm) to the same focal distance, modulate a doughnut-shaped depletion spot with vortex phase and reshape the focal spots to further make improvement in the quality and symmetry. According to the TPE-STED theory, a symmetrical effective fluorescent spot with the lateral resolution of 30 nm was obtained by the proposed metalens. Thus, with the advantage of ultra-compact and lightweight, we prospect that the subminiature multitasking metalens will help guide future developments in high-performance metalenses toward high-resolution and real-time images for deep biological tissue in vivo and enable scientific high-end miniature endomicroscopy imaging system.