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2026

Full-Color Polarization-Edge Imaging Based on Inverse-Design Photonic Crystals

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The team of Chinhua Wang and Ti Sun at Soochow University has proposed a broadband, full-color polarization‑spatial differentiation method based on inverse design for one-dimensional photonic crystals. This approach can cover the entire visible spectrum under incoherent natural illumination. By leveraging the polarization‑dependent response of alternating SiO₂/TiO₂ layered photonic crystals, a specific polarization‑dependent response in k‑space can be achieved. Consequently, the difference between the optical transfer functions of any linearly polarized light and its orthogonal counterpart exhibits a linear dependence on the angle of incidence across the entire visible spectrum, even under incoherent illumination. Experimental results from both microscopic imaging systems and telescope‑based imaging systems demonstrate that, under natural light, this method yields superior color and spectral‑edge images, whereas conventional narrow‑band approaches produce only black‑and‑white images. Moreover, this technique not only enables spectral‑edge and polarization‑edge imaging but also effectively overcomes longstanding limitations in bandwidth, efficiency, and coherence that have long plagued edge‑imaging applications, paving the way for the development of broadband analog optical processors suitable for large apertures and practical use.

The research findings were published on June 15, 2026, in Laser & Photonics Reviews, under the title “Optically Programmable GST Metasurface for Coded Terahertz Wavefront Control.”