Angle-insensitive spectral imaging based on topology-optimized plasmonic metasurfaces

On-chip spectral imaging based on engineered spectral modulation and computational spectral reconstruction provides a promising scheme for portable spectral cameras. However, the angle dependence of modulation units results in the angle sensitivity of spectral imaging, which limits its practical applications. Here, we proposed a design for angle-robust spectral recovery based on a group of topology-optimized plasmonic metasurface units under a 30° field-of-view, and demonstrate angle-insensitive on-chip spectral imaging in the wavelength range of 450 to 750 nm for average polarization. Furthermore, we experimentally verified the angle-insensitive spectral filtering effects of the fabricated metasurface units, and demonstrated angle-robust spectral reconstruction with a fidelity of 98%. Our approach expands the application scale of spectral imaging, and provides a guidance for designing other angle-robust devices.