Metasurface-assisted spatial light modulation with a large field of view

Spatial light modulators have a wide range of applications in beam generation, wavefront shaping, and holographic display. Due to the finite pixel size, spatial light modulators struggle to achieve a large field of view and high-efficiency modulation in compact optical systems. Metasurfaces have ultrathin profiles and subwavelength spatial sampling capabilities, offering a novel pathway to overcome this problem. This work proposes a hybrid control architecture that enhances scanning range and viewing angle without increasing system volume, where the metasurface is integrated inside a spatial light modulator. The static metasurface performs fine spatial encoding to extend the maximum spatial frequency while the spatial light modulator dynamically refreshes the phase of low-frequency components. By jointly designing the metasurface and the phase retrieval algorithm, single-order diffraction with high fidelity can be achieved. This strategy offers a compact solution for real-time and large field of view modulation, with potential applications in wide-field imaging, glasses-free 3D displays, and human-machine interaction.