Applications of electromagnetic metasurfaces in Three-Dimensional Imaging: A review

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology has demonstrated its ability to capture spatial information beyond the capabilities of two-dimensional (2D) imaging, drawing significant attention in fields such as consumer electronics, autonomous driving, and machine vision. However, conventional 3D imaging devices often struggle with complexity, miniaturization, integration, and optical diffraction limitations, which affect their field of view and depth of field. Electromagnetic metasurfaces, a novel nanophotonic material, allow for versatile light manipulation by controlling phase, amplitude, and polarization. Metalenses, in particular, have emerged as a promising solution to overcome the diffraction limit, offering multifunctionality, integration, and lightweight design. These advances are paving the way for next-generation, miniaturized 3D imaging devices. This paper reviews recent progress in 3D imaging technology based on electromagnetic metasurfaces, explores their fundamental principles, and discusses challenges and future directions in the field.

Keywords

• Electromagnetic metasurfaces
• 3D imaging
• Miniaturization
• Light field manipulation