A team led by Yao Xuri and Zhao Qing at the Quantum Technology Research Center School of Physics, Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), has recently made significant progress in compact single-pixel imaging.

The team innovatively utilized meta-optics to achieve microscopic single-pixel imaging at the single-photon level. Their findings titled Miniaturized Single-Photon Level Computational Complex Field Imaging System via Meta-Optics were published in Advanced Optical Materials (Adv. Optical Mater. 2025, Volume 13, Issue 32) and featured as the journal's cover article.

This research received strong support from the Young Scholars Research Fund of BIT and the Helmholtz Association of Germany (Solar Technology Acceleration Platform), among other projects.

Meta-optics, based on sub-wavelength micro-nano structures, can flexibly and precisely control parameters such as amplitude, phase, and polarization of a light field. Compared to traditional optics, meta-optics are lightweight, thin, and easy to integrate, making them a key focus in optical research. Despite wide exploration, further research is needed to combine them with single-pixel imaging technology for developing compact low-light imaging systems.

The study proposed and implemented a compact single-pixel microscopy imaging system using meta-optics, efficiently integrating them with active illumination single-pixel imaging. Compared to traditional microscopy imaging systems and other single-pixel microscopy systems, this system has a distance of approximately 4 centimeters from the DMD to the PMT.

This research demonstrates a highly compact microscopy imaging platform with single-photon sensitivity, showing great potential for applications in low-light imaging of live cells and the development of future portable microscopy devices.