Realizing Colorful Holographic Mimicry by Metasurfaces

Mimicry is a biological camouflage phenomenon whereby an organism can change its shape and color to resemble another object. Herein, the idea of biological mimicry and rich degrees of freedom in metasurface designs are combined to realize holographic mimicry devices. A general mathematical method, called phase matrix transformation, to accomplish the holographic mimicry process is proposed. Based on this method, a dynamic metasurface hologram is designed, which shows an image of a bird in the air, and a distinct image of a fish when the environment is changed to oil. Furthermore, to make the mimicry behavior more generic, holographic mimicry operating at dual wavelengths is also designed and experimentally demonstrated. Moreover, the fully independent phase modulation realized by phase matrix transformation makes the working efficiency of the device relatively higher than the conventional multiwavelength holographic devices with off-axis illumination or interleaved subarrays. The work potentially opens a new research paradigm interfacing bionics with nanophotonics, which may produce novel applications for optical information encryption, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR), and military camouflage systems.

Automated summary

The combination of biological mimicry and metasurface designs has led to the development of holographic mimicry devices. A general mathematical method called phase matrix transformation is used to achieve the holographic mimicry process. Dynamic metasurface holograms have been designed to display different images in varying environments, and holographic mimicry operating at dual wavelengths has been experimentally demonstrated. The fully independent phase modulation realized by phase matrix transformation enhances the working efficiency of the devices, potentially opening up new research avenues for applications such as optical information encryption, VR/AR, and military camouflage systems.