System and method for analyte detection

A method of determining the presence or absence of a selected analyte in a test sample, the method comprising:

• exposing an all-dielectric, metasurface sensor to the test sample, wherein the all-dielectric sensor comprises a local metasurface substrate and at least one dot positioned on the local metasurface substrate, the at least one dot comprising anisotropic, subwavelength nanopillars and being functionalized with binders configured to bind selectively with the analyte;
• optically probing the all-dielectric metasurface sensor with light having a polarization state pi;
• receiving at an output analyzer, light reflected or transmitted by the at least one dot, wherein the output analyzer is configured to block light having a baseline polarization state, wherein the polarization axis of the output analyzer is oriented by at least ±5° relative to the baseline polarization state;
• passing light having a polarization state different from the baseline polarization state to a focal plane array;
• detecting light received at the focal plane array;
• and,
• determining the presence or absence of the selected analyte in the test sample based on detection of light by the focal plane array.