A liquid crystal based non-Hermitian metasurface for broadband full-Stokes polarization detection

Abstract

Abstract The ability to detect the polarization information of light is often crucial for various applications in optical systems. However, conventional polarization-sensitive photodetectors struggle to simultaneously achieve a wide band coverage and high-precision detection, severely hindering the development of polarization detectors. In this study, a reflective metasurface with full-Stokes detection capabilities over a wide range is proposed. It integrates four linear polarization filters and two circular polarization filters operating in the near-infrared region. By dynamically adjusting the refractive index of the liquid crystal covering the detector surface, high performance full-Stokes parameter detection can be achieved between 730–770 nm with detection error below 0.07. Therefore, this study provides a design approach for the potential application of Stokes polarization detection over a broadband spectrum.