Chip-scale metalens microscope for wide-field and depth-of-field imaging

Microscopy is very important in research and industry, yet traditional optical microscopy suffers from the limited field-of-view (FOV) and depth-of-field (DOF) in high-resolution imaging. We demonstrate a simultaneous large FOV and DOF microscope imaging technology based on a chip-scale metalens device that is implemented by a SiNx metalens array with a co- and cross-polarization multiplexed dual-phase design and dispersive spectrum zoom effect. A 4-mm x 4-mm FOV is obtained with a resolution of 1.74 mu m and DOF of 200 mu m within a wavelength range of 450 to 510 nm, which definitely exceeds the performance of traditional microscopes with the same resolution. Moreover, it is realized in a miniaturized compact prototype, showing an overall advantage for portable and convenient microscope technology.

Automated summary

This study presents a microscopy imaging technology that combines a chip-scale metalens device to achieve simultaneous large field-of-view and depth-of-field. The technology utilizes a SiNx metalens array with a dual-phase design and dispersive spectrum zoom effect. The resulting imaging system achieves a 4-mm x 4-mm field-of-view, 1.74 μm resolution, and 200 μm depth-of-field within a wavelength range of 450 to 510 nm, surpassing the performance of traditional microscopes. Additionally, it is implemented in a miniaturized compact prototype, offering the advantage of portability and convenience.