Cover story: Xu DY, Xu WH, Yang Q, Zhang WS, Wen SC et al. All-optical object identification and three-dimensional reconstruction based on optical computing metasurface. Opto-Electron Adv 6, 230120 (2023)

As object identification and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques become essential in various reverse engineering, artificial intelligence, medical diagnosis, and industrial production fields, there is an increasing focus on seeking vastly higher efficiency, faster speed, and more integrated optical methods that can simplify processing. Optical computing metasurface, as a two-dimensional artificially designed component, has displayed the supernormal characteristics in controlling phase, amplitude, polarization, and frequency distributions of the light beam, capable of performing mathematical operations on the input light field. Recently, the research group of Professor Hailu Luo at the School of Physics and Electronics of Hunan University in China proposed an all-optical object identification and 3D reconstruction technique based on optical computing metasurfaces. By designing and fabricating an optical computing metasurface, all-optical object identification and 3D reconstruction are demonstrated. Unlike traditional mechanisms, this scheme reduces memory consumption in the processing of the contour surface extraction. The identification and reconstruction of experimental results from high-contrast and low-contrast objects agree well with the real objects, which may provide a unique application of metasurface-based optical analog computing. The exploration of the all-optical object identification and 3D reconstruction techniques provides potential applications of imaging processing and industrial inspection areas, as well as drives innovation across a wide range of 3D reconstruction industries.