Polarization imaging
is an important branch of the microscopy technique
that can provide additional information and enhanced contrast. The
illumination system of a polarization microscope enables many different
polarizations but makes the setup bulky, complicated, and slow. Here,
we design and fabricate an ultrathin planar axicon metalens that also
enables parallel illumination with different polarizations. Our results
reveal a diffraction-limited size and high degree of linear polarization.
To verify our approach, we accurately map the polarization angle of
an aluminum grating, which is used as a polarizer. Furthermore, we
demonstrate that elliptical polarization can be generated without
additional design. A single metalens has the same capabilities as
a conventional illumination module containing a polarizer, compensator,
and rotation-stage/optical modulator. In addition, our device has
the potential to enable rapid super-resolution polarization imaging.
The new method could be useful in many applications and areas, including,
e.g., materials research and biomedicine.
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