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Polarization-Encoded Lenticular Nano-Printing with Single-Layer Metasurfaces

Apr 2, 2026

Lenticular printing can create printed images that appear to change or move at different viewing angles. Metasurface-based nano-printing has enabled ultrahigh-resolution displays. However, the maximum number of independent nano-printing images achieved with one single-layer metasurface remains limited. This work substantially pushes the multiplexing capacity of nano-printing by mapping images observed at distinct viewing angles to different regions in Fourier space, while simultaneously controlling the complex electric field across multiple polarization channels. The proposed Polarization-Encoded Lenticular Nano-Printing (POLLEN) approach, aided by a modified evolutionary algorithm, enables the display of multiple images based on the viewing angles, similar to traditional lenticular printing but without requiring a lenticular layer. These results present the highest number of recorded images with ultrahigh resolution to date, opening new opportunities in modern optical applications,  including but not limited to optical encryption, optical data storage, lightweight displays, augmented reality, and virtual reality.

U.S. National Science Foundation and NSF DMREF, Materials for Our Future

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Award No. 2015237. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation. This site is maintained collaboratively by principal investigators with NSF DMREF awards, independent of the NSF.