Simultaneous Control of Light Polarization and Phase Distributions Using Plasmonic Metasurfaces

Abstract

Harnessing light for modern photonic applications often involves the control and manipulation of light polarization and phase. Traditional methods require a combination of multiple discrete optical components, each of which contributes to a specific functionality. Here, plasmonic metasurfaces are proposed that accomplish the simultaneous manipulation of polarization and phase of the transmitted light. Arbitrary spatial field distribution of the optical phase and polarization direction can be obtained. The multifunctional metasurfaces are validated by demonstrating a broadband near‐perfect anomalous refraction with controllable linear polarization through introducing a constant phase gradient along the interface. Furthermore, the power of the proposed metasurfaces is demonstrated by generating a radially polarized beam. The new degrees of freedom of metasurfaces facilitate arbitrary manipulation of light and will profoundly affect a wide range of photonic applications.