  The traditional wisdom for achieving transparency is to minimize disordered
scattering within and on the surface of materials, so as to avoid translucency.
However, the lack of disordered scattering also deprives the possibility of
achieving a matte surface, resulting in the specular reflection and glare on
transparent materials as a severe light pollution issue. In this work, we
propose a solution utilizing optical metasurfaces1-2 to overcome this
long-existing dilemma. Our approach leverages an asymmetric background in
metasurface design to achieve highly asymmetric diffusion of white light,
maximizing diffusion in reflection while minimizing it in transmission across
the entire visible spectrum. Using industrial lithography, we have created
macroscale transparent matte surfaces with both strong matte appearance and
clear transparency, defying the conventional belief that these two optical
features are incompatible. These surfaces provide a remarkable phenomenon of
switching between transparent or matte appearances via the brightness contrast
between the front and rear ambient lights. They also support a unique
application in transparent displays and augmented reality, offering perfectly
preserved clarity, wide viewing angles, full color, and one-sided displays
capabilities. Our findings usher in a new era of optical materials where the
desirable properties of both transparent and matte appearances can be
seamlessly merged.
