Optical Skyrmions with Tunable or Reconfigurable Topology Using Spin-Decoupled Metaoptics

In analogy to their solid-state counterparts, optical beams endowed with skyrmionic textures of the Stokes vector have recently garnered increasing attention due to their inherent topological protection and unique polarization structure. Despite significant advancements in research and applications, optical skyrmions still lack compact optical solutions for their versatile generation and control. This study presents the design, fabrication, and experimental validation of dual-functional metaoptics for the customized generation and reconfigurability of skyrmionic patterns of light. By leveraging complex light manipulation at the nanoscale, dielectric metasurfaces composed of anisotropic meta-atoms enable the simultaneous and asymmetric shaping of orthogonal polarization states using a single optical element, thereby achieving the generation of full Poincaré beams with skyrmionic topology of the Stokes vector. Furthermore, we demonstrate the dynamic tuning and reconfigurability of the skyrmionic state and order through precise wavefront engineering and polarization control. This research introduces a novel framework for flexible reconfiguration and manipulation of Stokes skyrmions, establishing the foundation for their practical integration across a diverse range of emerging information and communication technologies, potentially revolutionizing the exploitation of information resilience in photonics and optoelectronics.