All-optical implementation of multiple optical transformations through a polarization-encoded diffractive network

A method of performing a plurality of optical transformations of a vectorized input optical field using a polarization-encoded diffractive network comprising:

• providing a polarization-encoded diffractive network comprising one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective substrate layer(s) arranged in an optical path having one or more polarizer arrays interposed between the one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective substrate layer(s) along the optical path, each of the optically transmissive and/or reflective substrate layer(s) comprising a plurality of physical features formed on or within the one or more optically transmissive or reflective substrate layer(s) and having different transmission and/or reflection properties as a function of the lateral coordinates across each substrate layer, wherein the one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective substrate layer(s) and the one or more polarizer arrays collectively define or approximate a plurality of distinct optical transformations between the vectorized input optical field input to the polarization-encoded diffractive network and a vectorized output optical field output from the polarization-encoded diffractive network, wherein the one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective substrate layer(s) are designed during a training phase with the one or more polarizer arrays to define the plurality of physical features formed on or within the one or more optically transmissive or reflective substrate layer(s) to perform or approximate the plurality of distinct optical transformations;
• inputting the vectorized input optical field to the polarization-encoded diffractive network;
• and
• capturing the vectorized output optical field from the polarization-encoded diffractive network with one or more image sensors or detector arrays.