High performance imaging system using a dielectric metasurface

An imaging system for imaging a scene, the imaging system including:

• a light source for generating an input light beam and projecting the input light beam along a path towards the scene;
• a dielectric metasurface positioned within the path of the input light beam, the metasurface having a two dimensional array of surface elements configured to circularly polarize the input light beam to generate an output light beam having a circular polarization state for illuminating the scene;
• a polarization filter configured to receive reflected light from the scene and to direct the reflected light having the circular polarization state to the image sensor and to reject light having all other polarization states;
• and
• an image sensor configured to image the reflected light to obtain images of the scene.

An imaging system for imaging a scene, the imaging system including:

• a light source for generating an input light beam and projecting the input light beam along a path towards the scene;
• a dielectric metasurface positioned within the path of the input light beam, the metasurface having a two dimensional array of surface elements configured to produce a two dimensional structured light pattern including a plurality of structural features disposed at known locations across the beam to generate a structured output light beam for illuminating the scene, wherein the structural features are defined as regions of lower contrast than the surrounding output light beam;
• an image sensor configured to capture images of returned light being light from the structured output light beam that is reflected or backscattered from the scene;
• and
• a processor configured to process the captured images to estimate depth information about the scene from changes in the two dimensional structured light pattern.