Multidimensional Jones Matrix Multiplexing with Diffraction-Order-Decoupled Metasurfaces

Metasurfaces enable full degrees of freedom (DOFs) of Jones matrix control on a 2D planar platform, but even when all four complex elements are accessible, the number of independently addressable channels remains insufficient for high-dimensional multiplexing. Here, a diffraction-order-decoupled metasurface framework is proposed to effectively exploit the DOFs of the Jones matrix across multiple diffraction orders, enabling independent multi-DOF control for each order. In the orthogonal linear polarization bases, independent six DOFs of Jones matrix control are achieved for the first- and second-order diffraction channels, and three near-field nanoprinting images together with three far-field vectorial holographic images are experimentally reconstructed in each diffraction order. Moreover, the Jones description is extended to an orthogonal elliptical polarization base, which breaks the numerical equivalence of the off-diagonal elements imposed in the linear polarization bases and thereby unlocks full control over all Jones elements for each diffraction order, enabling full-DOF Jones matrix multiplexing across multiple diffraction orders. Furthermore, diffraction-order decoupling is extended to two orthogonal in-plane directions, enabling four diffraction channels with distinct polarization responses. The proposed approach establishes a general route to high-capacity multiplexing of polarization and diffraction and supports applications in optical encryption, multidimensional vectorial encoding, and high-density optical information processing.