Revolutionary Optical Imaging Enabled by Vectorial and Flat Optics

ABSTRACT Revolutionary optical imaging enabled by vectorial and flat optics marks a transformative paradigm that unites subwavelength photonic engineering, full‐vector light‐field control (amplitude, phase, and polarization), and planar optical architectures. Conventional imaging systems, constrained by curved‐optics geometry and scalar diffraction theory, face intrinsic trade‐offs among spatial resolution, field of view (FOV), and system compactness. By harnessing flat optical elements such as metasurfaces and catenary‐phase devices together with vectorial manipulation, this emerging field transcends those limitations. The review highlights three fundamental breakthroughs: (1) Abrupt phase shifts in subwavelength scale enabling ultrathin, wide‐FOV planar imaging; (2) Evanescent–propagating wave conversion under appropriate near‐field coupling conditions, and vectorial optical synthetic apertures achieving far‐field super‐resolution beyond the diffraction limit; (3) Computational optics that integrates sensing and computing in a unified physical platform. These advances enable intelligent, programmable imaging systems that transcend the limitations of traditional optics, with applications spanning biomedical nanoscopy, remote sensing, and quantum information.