Three-fold information encryption based on polarization- and wavelength-multiplexed metasurfaces

Metasurface has garnered significant attention in the field of optical encryption as it allows the integration and occultation of multiple grayscale nanoprinting images on a single platform. However, in most cases, polarization serves as the only key for encryption/decryption, and the risk of being cracked is relatively high. In this study, we propose a three-fold information encryption strategy based on a dielectric metasurface, in which a colorful nanoprinting image and two grayscale images are integrated on such a single platform. Unlike previous works based on the orientation-angle degenerated light intensity, the proposed image encryptions are realized by customizing nanobricks with polarization-mediated similar/different transmission characteristics in either broadband or at discrete wavelengths. Different combinations of polarization and monochromatic wavelengths can form three keys with different levels of decryption complexity as compared to the previous counterpart based merely on polarization. Once illuminated by non-designed wavelengths or polarized light, messy images with false information will be witnessed. Most importantly, all images are safely secured by the designated incidence polarization and cannot be decrypted via an additional analyzer as commonly happens in conventional metasurface-based nanoprinting. The proposed metasurface provides an easy-to-design and easy-to-disguise scheme for multi-channel display and optical information encryption.