We showed that a 2D depth map representing an incoherent 3D opaque scene is directly encoded in the response function of an imaging optics. As a result, the optics creates an image that depends nonlinearly on the depth map. Furthermore, strong spatio-spectral dispersions in volume metaoptics can be engineered to create a complex image in response to a depth map. We hypothesize that this complexity will allow the linear volume metaoptics to nonlinearly sense and process 3D opaque scenes.
@article{arxiv.2508.19436,
title = {Exploiting nonlinear incoherent image formation through linear volume metaoptics for inference},
author = {Nan Zhang and Arvin Keshvari and Ata Shakeri and Zin Lin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.19436},
year = {2025}
}