Snap-Shot Hyperspectral Imaging Enabled by Metasurface

Hyperspectral imaging provides detailed spectral information beyond the capabilities of traditional color imaging, with a far-reaching impact in precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and medical imaging. However, most existing systems based on tunable filters, line-scan spectrometry, and multiapertures are limited by stringent trade-offs between imaging speeds, spectral and spatial resolutions, and low light efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a snapshot hyperspectral imaging system featuring a metasurface code mask and compressed sensing reconstruction. Our proof-of-concept system achieves a spatial resolution of 200 × 140 pixels and 21 spectral bands that span the 480-680 nm wavelength range with a photon efficiency of 39%. This work highlights the potential of metasurface-enabled hyperspectral imaging systems, paving the way for ultracompact, high-performance hyperspectral cameras.