MetaHDR: single shot high-dynamic range imaging and sensing using a multifunctional metasurface.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Computational Imaging
• Metamaterials Science

Background:

• Traditional high-dynamic range (HDR) imaging often requires multiple exposures, leading to motion artifacts and increased complexity.
• Metasurfaces offer unique light manipulation capabilities, but their integration into HDR systems is challenging.
• Existing HDR sensing methods lack the speed and versatility for real-time applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single-shot high-dynamic range (HDR) imaging and sensing system using a multifunctional metasurface.
• To demonstrate the system's capability for both HDR photography/videography and specialized sensing tasks.
• To address limitations of conventional HDR techniques, such as motion artifacts and computational overhead.

Main Methods:

• A multifunctional metasurface was designed to split incident light into multiple beams with varying power.
• Multiple low-dynamic range (LDR) images with distinct irradiances were simultaneously captured on a single photosensor.
• A gradient-based HDR fusion algorithm was employed to combine LDR images and mitigate artifacts.

Main Results:

• The MetaHDR system achieved single-shot HDR photography and videography, increasing dynamic range by at least 50 dB.
• Effective attenuation of residual light artifacts and lens flare was demonstrated through the fusion algorithm.
• Single-shot HDR sensing capabilities, including reflectance calibration and surface curvature estimation, were successfully performed.

Conclusions:

• MetaHDR presents a significant advancement in single-shot HDR imaging and sensing technology.
• The system's ability to capture HDR data in a single shot opens possibilities for real-time applications.
• Potential applications span surveillance, microscopy, and advanced manufacturing, leveraging enhanced dynamic range and sensing capabilities.