Robust Classical and Quantum Polarimetry with a Single Nanostructured Metagrating

We formulate a new conceptual approach for one-shot complete polarization state measurement with nanostructured metasurfaces applicable to classical light and multi-photon quantum states, by drawing on the principles of generalized quantum measurements based on positive operator-valued measures (POVMs). Accurate polarization reconstruction from a combination of photon counts or correlations from several diffraction orders is robust with respect to even strong fabrication inaccuracies, requiring only a single classical calibration of metasurface transmission. Furthermore, this approach operates with a single metagrating without interleaving, allowing for the metasurface size reduction while preserving the high transmission efficiency and output beam quality. We theoretically obtained original metasurface designs, fabricated the metasurface from amorphous silicon nanostructures deposited on glass, and experimentally confirmed accurate polarization reconstruction for laser beams. We also anticipate robust operation under changes in environmental conditions, opening new possibilities for space-based imaging and satellite optics.