Pub Date : 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-01992-x
Sandeep Kumar Kalva, Cagla Özsoy, Daniil Nozdriukhin, Savannah Tiemann, Lin Tang, Xosé Luís Deán-Ben, Daniel Razansky
High-speed volumetric optoacoustic tomography (VOT) offers powerful means for noninvasive, detailed visualization of rapid cardiac dynamics in mice. However, current implementations suffer from non-uniform light delivery into the thoracic area, which results in diminished penetration depth, limited field-of-view, and compromised quantification abilities. In this work, we devised a new VOT approach featuring hexagonally-shaped light delivery optimized for whole-heart imaging and an expedited imaging speed of 200 volumes per second using a custom-made spherical array transducer. The enhanced imaging performance was confirmed with calibration phantoms and noninvasive imaging of the murine heart. We capitalized on the reduced hemoglobin absorption in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) spectral window to mitigate the strong light attenuation by whole blood within the cardiac chambers while further employing copper sulfide nanoparticles featuring a strong NIR-II absorption to quantify cardiac functional parameters across the entire heart in vivo. The new approach can thus facilitate the monitoring of cardiac abnormalities and assessment of therapeutic interventions.
{"title":"Toward noninvasive optoacoustic imaging of whole-heart dynamics in mice","authors":"Sandeep Kumar Kalva, Cagla Özsoy, Daniil Nozdriukhin, Savannah Tiemann, Lin Tang, Xosé Luís Deán-Ben, Daniel Razansky","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-01992-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-01992-x","url":null,"abstract":"High-speed volumetric optoacoustic tomography (VOT) offers powerful means for noninvasive, detailed visualization of rapid cardiac dynamics in mice. However, current implementations suffer from non-uniform light delivery into the thoracic area, which results in diminished penetration depth, limited field-of-view, and compromised quantification abilities. In this work, we devised a new VOT approach featuring hexagonally-shaped light delivery optimized for whole-heart imaging and an expedited imaging speed of 200 volumes per second using a custom-made spherical array transducer. The enhanced imaging performance was confirmed with calibration phantoms and noninvasive imaging of the murine heart. We capitalized on the reduced hemoglobin absorption in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) spectral window to mitigate the strong light attenuation by whole blood within the cardiac chambers while further employing copper sulfide nanoparticles featuring a strong NIR-II absorption to quantify cardiac functional parameters across the entire heart in vivo. The new approach can thus facilitate the monitoring of cardiac abnormalities and assessment of therapeutic interventions.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145608808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-01989-6
Danheng Gao, Jiahao Liu, Xiao Liu, Kang He, Zhanyu Ma, Huan Liu, Jihou Wang, Qihan Zhang, Zhaonan Huang, Meng Luo, Haoran Meng, Rui Du, Juntao Gao, Qing Wu, Xinghua Yang
Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) integrated with optical waveguide sensing offers a transformative approach to overcoming the limitations of conventional SERS techniques, such as complex alignment requirements and limited signal collection efficiency. By leveraging the unique properties of optical waveguides, this integration significantly enhances detection sensitivity, simplifies sensor design, and enables the analysis of ultra-low concentration analytes in trace-volume samples. This review explores the latest advancements in combining diverse optical waveguide architectures with SERS technology, focusing on strategies to optimize the sensing interface and SERS substrate design for maximal Raman signal enhancement. By enabling efficient analyte excitation and enhanced scattered signal collection through waveguide-mediated light-matter interactions, this approach unlocks new possibilities for high-sensitivity Raman detection. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of this integration to drive breakthroughs in fields such as biomedical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and chemical sensing, paving the way for next-generation, portable and ultra-sensitive sensing platforms.
{"title":"Emerging frontiers in SERS-integrated optical waveguides: advancing portable and ultra-sensitive detection for trace liquid analysis","authors":"Danheng Gao, Jiahao Liu, Xiao Liu, Kang He, Zhanyu Ma, Huan Liu, Jihou Wang, Qihan Zhang, Zhaonan Huang, Meng Luo, Haoran Meng, Rui Du, Juntao Gao, Qing Wu, Xinghua Yang","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-01989-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-01989-6","url":null,"abstract":"Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) integrated with optical waveguide sensing offers a transformative approach to overcoming the limitations of conventional SERS techniques, such as complex alignment requirements and limited signal collection efficiency. By leveraging the unique properties of optical waveguides, this integration significantly enhances detection sensitivity, simplifies sensor design, and enables the analysis of ultra-low concentration analytes in trace-volume samples. This review explores the latest advancements in combining diverse optical waveguide architectures with SERS technology, focusing on strategies to optimize the sensing interface and SERS substrate design for maximal Raman signal enhancement. By enabling efficient analyte excitation and enhanced scattered signal collection through waveguide-mediated light-matter interactions, this approach unlocks new possibilities for high-sensitivity Raman detection. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of this integration to drive breakthroughs in fields such as biomedical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and chemical sensing, paving the way for next-generation, portable and ultra-sensitive sensing platforms.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145599382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A new ratiometric Boltzmann thermometry approach is presented for the narrow-line red-emitting bright phosphor Al 0.993 Cr 0.007 B 4 O 6 N. It relies on thermalization between the two excited states 2Eg ( 2 G) and 2T 1 g ( 2 G) of Cr 3+ with an energy gap of 620 cm −1 for optimized thermometry at room temperature. It is shown that nonradiative coupling between these excited states is very fast, with rates in the order of several µs −1 . Due to the comparably slow radiative decay ( kr = 0.033 ms −1 ) of the lowest excited 2Eg ( 2 G) state, the dynamic working range of this Boltzmann thermometer for the deep red spectral range is exceptionally wide, between <77 K and >873 K, even outperforming the classic workhorse example of Er 3+ . At temperatures above 340 K, also spectrally well-resolved broad-band emission due to the spin-allowed 4T 2 g ( 4 F) → 4A 2 g ( 4 F) transition is detectable, which simultaneously offers a possibility of very sensitive ( Sr (500 K) > 2% K −1 ) ratiometric Boltzmann-type crossover thermometry for higher temperatures. These findings imply that Al 0.993 Cr 0.007 B 4 O 6 N is a particularly robust and bright red luminescent thermometer with a record-breaking dynamic working range for a luminescent transition metal ion.
{"title":"Ratiometric Boltzmann thermometry with Cr3+ in strong ligand fields: Efficient nonradiative coupling for record dynamic working ranges","authors":"Gülsüm Kinik, Ingo Widmann, Benedikt Bendel, Hubert Huppertz, Andries Meijerink, Markus Suta","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-02082-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02082-8","url":null,"abstract":"A new ratiometric Boltzmann thermometry approach is presented for the narrow-line red-emitting bright phosphor Al <jats:sub>0.993</jats:sub> Cr <jats:sub>0.007</jats:sub> B <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> O <jats:sub>6</jats:sub> N. It relies on thermalization between the two excited states <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> <jats:italic>E</jats:italic> <jats:sub> <jats:italic>g</jats:italic> </jats:sub> ( <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> G) and <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> <jats:italic>T</jats:italic> <jats:sub> 1 <jats:italic>g</jats:italic> </jats:sub> ( <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> G) of Cr <jats:sup>3+</jats:sup> with an energy gap of 620 cm <jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> for optimized thermometry at room temperature. It is shown that nonradiative coupling between these excited states is very fast, with rates in the order of several µs <jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> . Due to the comparably slow radiative decay ( <jats:italic>k</jats:italic> <jats:sub>r</jats:sub> = 0.033 ms <jats:sup>−</jats:sup> <jats:sup>1</jats:sup> ) of the lowest excited <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> <jats:italic>E</jats:italic> <jats:sub> <jats:italic>g</jats:italic> </jats:sub> ( <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> G) state, the dynamic working range of this Boltzmann thermometer for the deep red spectral range is exceptionally wide, between <77 K and >873 K, even outperforming the classic workhorse example of Er <jats:sup>3+</jats:sup> . At temperatures above 340 K, also spectrally well-resolved broad-band emission due to the spin-allowed <jats:sup>4</jats:sup> <jats:italic>T</jats:italic> <jats:sub> 2 <jats:italic>g</jats:italic> </jats:sub> ( <jats:sup>4</jats:sup> F) → <jats:sup>4</jats:sup> <jats:italic>A</jats:italic> <jats:sub> 2 <jats:italic>g</jats:italic> </jats:sub> ( <jats:sup>4</jats:sup> F) transition is detectable, which simultaneously offers a possibility of very sensitive ( <jats:italic>S</jats:italic> <jats:sub>r</jats:sub> (500 K) > 2% K <jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> ) ratiometric Boltzmann-type crossover thermometry for higher temperatures. These findings imply that Al <jats:sub>0.993</jats:sub> Cr <jats:sub>0.007</jats:sub> B <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> O <jats:sub>6</jats:sub> N is a particularly robust and bright red luminescent thermometer with a record-breaking dynamic working range for a luminescent transition metal ion.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"185 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145593412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-24DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02072-w
Mohammad Mohammadiaria, Shashi Bhushan Srivastava
Wireless cellular stimulation has been widely applied for bioengineering and bidirectional communication with the brain. Different technologies, such as photoelectrical stimulation as an alternative to optogenetics, have emerged for a wide range of remote therapeutic applications using light. Metasurfaces enable pixel-wise control of electric field distribution by engineering absorption and wavefront shaping, with responses tuned to incident light polarization, frequency, and phase, offering precise stimulation and wireless control in retinal, cochlear, and cardiac implants. Moreover, by leveraging terahertz (THz) band patches, reconfigurable metasurfaces controlled via FPGA and holography, and virtual reality-assisted designs, these interfaces can revolutionize bioelectronic medicine.
{"title":"Metasurface-assisted bioelectronics: bridging photonic innovation with biomedical implants","authors":"Mohammad Mohammadiaria, Shashi Bhushan Srivastava","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-02072-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02072-w","url":null,"abstract":"Wireless cellular stimulation has been widely applied for bioengineering and bidirectional communication with the brain. Different technologies, such as photoelectrical stimulation as an alternative to optogenetics, have emerged for a wide range of remote therapeutic applications using light. Metasurfaces enable pixel-wise control of electric field distribution by engineering absorption and wavefront shaping, with responses tuned to incident light polarization, frequency, and phase, offering precise stimulation and wireless control in retinal, cochlear, and cardiac implants. Moreover, by leveraging terahertz (THz) band patches, reconfigurable metasurfaces controlled via FPGA and holography, and virtual reality-assisted designs, these interfaces can revolutionize bioelectronic medicine.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-24DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02076-6
Izzatjon Allayarov, Vittorio Aita, Diane J. Roth, Boaz van Casteren, Anton Yu. Bykov, Andrey B. Evlyukhin, Anatoly V. Zayats, Antonio Calà Lesina
Dielectric metasurfaces can achieve strong light-matter interaction based on several types of collective (nonlocal) resonances, such as surface lattice resonances (SLRs) and quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BICs). Spectral selectivity, field enhancement, and high and controllable Q-factors make these resonances appealing for technological applications in lasing, sensing, nonlinear optics, and quantum photon sources. An emerging challenge focuses on tailoring light-matter interaction via mode coupling and hybridisation between the fundamental resonances of a metasurface. While strong coupling phenomena have been demonstrated between various resonant modes, the interplay between collective resonances of different natures has not been observed to date. Here, we theoretically, numerically, and experimentally demonstrate the onset of coupling and hybridisation between symmetry-protected quasi-BICs and SLRs in a dielectric metasurface. We show the emergence of anticrossing (or Rabi splitting) in the strong coupling regime with suppression of reflection, observed under TE-polarised excitation, and the manifestation of an accidental BIC under TM-polarised illumination as a result of energy exchange between the participating collective resonances in the weak coupling regime. The first effect is accompanied by hybridised near fields of the modes. The observed coupling mechanisms can be controlled by modifying the angle of incidence, polarisation, and the surrounding environment. This foundational study on the coupling and hybridisation of collective resonances offers insights that can be leveraged for the design of metasurfaces with targeted quasi-aBIC and collective hybridised resonances. It could also open new possibilities to control the near fields associated with such resonances, with promising applications in tunable nanophotonics and light manipulation.
{"title":"Strong coupling of collective optical resonances in dielectric metasurfaces","authors":"Izzatjon Allayarov, Vittorio Aita, Diane J. Roth, Boaz van Casteren, Anton Yu. Bykov, Andrey B. Evlyukhin, Anatoly V. Zayats, Antonio Calà Lesina","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-02076-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02076-6","url":null,"abstract":"Dielectric metasurfaces can achieve strong light-matter interaction based on several types of collective (nonlocal) resonances, such as surface lattice resonances (SLRs) and quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BICs). Spectral selectivity, field enhancement, and high and controllable Q-factors make these resonances appealing for technological applications in lasing, sensing, nonlinear optics, and quantum photon sources. An emerging challenge focuses on tailoring light-matter interaction via mode coupling and hybridisation between the fundamental resonances of a metasurface. While strong coupling phenomena have been demonstrated between various resonant modes, the interplay between collective resonances of different natures has not been observed to date. Here, we theoretically, numerically, and experimentally demonstrate the onset of coupling and hybridisation between symmetry-protected quasi-BICs and SLRs in a dielectric metasurface. We show the emergence of anticrossing (or Rabi splitting) in the strong coupling regime with suppression of reflection, observed under TE-polarised excitation, and the manifestation of an accidental BIC under TM-polarised illumination as a result of energy exchange between the participating collective resonances in the weak coupling regime. The first effect is accompanied by hybridised near fields of the modes. The observed coupling mechanisms can be controlled by modifying the angle of incidence, polarisation, and the surrounding environment. This foundational study on the coupling and hybridisation of collective resonances offers insights that can be leveraged for the design of metasurfaces with targeted quasi-aBIC and collective hybridised resonances. It could also open new possibilities to control the near fields associated with such resonances, with promising applications in tunable nanophotonics and light manipulation.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-20DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02022-6
Florencia Edorna, Florencia D. Choque, Giovanni Ferrari, Luciano A. Masullo, Piotr Zdańkowski, Guillermo P. Acuna, Philip Tinnefeld, Alan M. Szalai, Lucía F. Lopez, Andrés Zelcer, Fernando D. Stefani
Recent advances in fluorescence nanoscopy have pushed resolution to the 1–10 nm range, enabling the direct visualization of individual molecules even in crowded biological environments. Achieving this level of precision requires rigorous sample drift control. Techniques such as MINFLUX and RASTMIN, which rely on keeping the sample fixed within an excitation pattern, demand active drift correction to achieve their theoretical nanometer-scale resolution limits. Here, we present an active stabilization system for super-resolution microscopy that delivers sub-nm precision for hours. Featuring a simple optical design, the system can be added as a separate module to any fluorescence microscope. We also provide an open-source control software including a user-friendly graphical interface readily adaptable to different setups. We demonstrate the adaptability and performance of the stabilization system with p-MINFLUX and RASTMIN measurements performed in two different setups, reaching the theoretical Cramér-Rao Bound and resolving ~10 nm distances within DNA origami structures.
{"title":"Open-source sub-nanometer stabilization system for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy","authors":"Florencia Edorna, Florencia D. Choque, Giovanni Ferrari, Luciano A. Masullo, Piotr Zdańkowski, Guillermo P. Acuna, Philip Tinnefeld, Alan M. Szalai, Lucía F. Lopez, Andrés Zelcer, Fernando D. Stefani","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-02022-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02022-6","url":null,"abstract":"Recent advances in fluorescence nanoscopy have pushed resolution to the 1–10 nm range, enabling the direct visualization of individual molecules even in crowded biological environments. Achieving this level of precision requires rigorous sample drift control. Techniques such as MINFLUX and RASTMIN, which rely on keeping the sample fixed within an excitation pattern, demand active drift correction to achieve their theoretical nanometer-scale resolution limits. Here, we present an active stabilization system for super-resolution microscopy that delivers sub-nm precision for hours. Featuring a simple optical design, the system can be added as a separate module to any fluorescence microscope. We also provide an open-source control software including a user-friendly graphical interface readily adaptable to different setups. We demonstrate the adaptability and performance of the stabilization system with p-MINFLUX and RASTMIN measurements performed in two different setups, reaching the theoretical Cramér-Rao Bound and resolving ~10 nm distances within DNA origami structures.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145554232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02042-2
Benjamin T Dewes,Tim Klee,Nathan D Cottam,Joseph J Broughton,Mustaqeem Shiffa,Tin S Cheng,Sergei V Novikov,Oleg Makarovsky,John W G Tisch,Amalia Patané
Photonic devices operating in the ultraviolet UV-C range (100-280 nm) have diverse applications from super-resolution microscopy to optical communications, and their advances promise to unlock new opportunities across science and technology. However, generating and detecting ultrafast light signals in this spectral range remains a major challenge. Here, we report an integrated UV-C source-sensor platform that combines phase-matched second-order processes in nonlinear optical crystals for the efficient generation of femtosecond UV-C laser pulses with a new class of room temperature photodetectors based on two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. Unexpectedly, these 2D sensors exhibit a linear to super-linear photocurrent response to pulse energy, a highly desirable property, laying the foundation for UV-C-based photonics operating on femtosecond timescales over a wide range of pulse energies and repetition rates. As proof of concept, we demonstrate a free-space communication system.
{"title":"Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales.","authors":"Benjamin T Dewes,Tim Klee,Nathan D Cottam,Joseph J Broughton,Mustaqeem Shiffa,Tin S Cheng,Sergei V Novikov,Oleg Makarovsky,John W G Tisch,Amalia Patané","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-02042-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02042-2","url":null,"abstract":"Photonic devices operating in the ultraviolet UV-C range (100-280 nm) have diverse applications from super-resolution microscopy to optical communications, and their advances promise to unlock new opportunities across science and technology. However, generating and detecting ultrafast light signals in this spectral range remains a major challenge. Here, we report an integrated UV-C source-sensor platform that combines phase-matched second-order processes in nonlinear optical crystals for the efficient generation of femtosecond UV-C laser pulses with a new class of room temperature photodetectors based on two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. Unexpectedly, these 2D sensors exhibit a linear to super-linear photocurrent response to pulse energy, a highly desirable property, laying the foundation for UV-C-based photonics operating on femtosecond timescales over a wide range of pulse energies and repetition rates. As proof of concept, we demonstrate a free-space communication system.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"41 1","pages":"384"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145545296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Asymmetric mode/state switching and omni-polarizer action have demonstrated application potential and can be realized in non-Hermitian systems, which required a slow encircling process in the non-Hermitian parameter space in general. Is it possible to achieve the above functions only at an exceptional point (EP) without the encircling process? Here, we propose constructing a non-Hermitian system using three-dimensional (3D) chiral materials to realize the above functions at an EP instead of through the encircling process. Our results show that the 3D chiral non-Hermitian system exhibits properties that are quite different from those of traditional non-Hermitian optical systems. In our system, the eigenstates are different when propagating forward and backward, thus enabling asymmetric state switching. At the EP, the degenerate eigenstates of forward and backward propagations of the system become mutually orthogonal, which enables the system to act as an omni-polarizer. Crucially, to validate our claims, we propose a straightforward and widely applicable method to adjust a 3D chiral non-Hermitian system from a state far from an EP to near an EP. Based on this, we construct a free-space optical 3D chiral non-Hermitian system experimentally to directly observe the evolution of light polarization states near the EP. The experimental results prove that the proposed optical systems can achieve asymmetric state switching and omni polarizers at the EP, which is consistent with our theoretical expectations. Our work holds promise for various 3D chiral non-Hermitian optical applications, such as highly sensitive chirality measurements and polarization manipulation.
{"title":"Non-Hermitian systems based on 3D chirality enabled asymmetrical polarization switching and omni-polarizer action at an EP","authors":"Xianhui Fu, Hao Hu, Jiawei Zhang, Jiwei Qi, Sihao Zhang, Qiang Wu, Yao Lu, Zongqiang Chen, Jing Chen, Xuanyi Yu, Qian Sun, Jingjun Xu","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-01960-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-01960-5","url":null,"abstract":"Asymmetric mode/state switching and omni-polarizer action have demonstrated application potential and can be realized in non-Hermitian systems, which required a slow encircling process in the non-Hermitian parameter space in general. Is it possible to achieve the above functions only at an exceptional point (EP) without the encircling process? Here, we propose constructing a non-Hermitian system using three-dimensional (3D) chiral materials to realize the above functions at an EP instead of through the encircling process. Our results show that the 3D chiral non-Hermitian system exhibits properties that are quite different from those of traditional non-Hermitian optical systems. In our system, the eigenstates are different when propagating forward and backward, thus enabling asymmetric state switching. At the EP, the degenerate eigenstates of forward and backward propagations of the system become mutually orthogonal, which enables the system to act as an omni-polarizer. Crucially, to validate our claims, we propose a straightforward and widely applicable method to adjust a 3D chiral non-Hermitian system from a state far from an EP to near an EP. Based on this, we construct a free-space optical 3D chiral non-Hermitian system experimentally to directly observe the evolution of light polarization states near the EP. The experimental results prove that the proposed optical systems can achieve asymmetric state switching and omni polarizers at the EP, which is consistent with our theoretical expectations. Our work holds promise for various 3D chiral non-Hermitian optical applications, such as highly sensitive chirality measurements and polarization manipulation.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"155 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145536099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-13DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02078-4
Jacob B. Khurgin
A novel dispersion-compensation scheme based on double-chirped Bragg mirrors is implemented in a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser. As a result, stable and broadband frequency combs are generated, which are indispensable for high-precision applications in spectroscopy and metrology.
{"title":"Double-chirped mirrors expand the bandwidth of infrared frequency combs","authors":"Jacob B. Khurgin","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-02078-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02078-4","url":null,"abstract":"A novel dispersion-compensation scheme based on double-chirped Bragg mirrors is implemented in a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser. As a result, stable and broadband frequency combs are generated, which are indispensable for high-precision applications in spectroscopy and metrology.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145498173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-12DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02004-8
Evgenii Menshikov, Paolo Franceschini, Kristina Frizyuk, Ivan Fernandez-Corbaton, Andrea Tognazzi, Alfonso Carmelo Cino, Denis Garoli, Mihail Petrov, Domenico de Ceglia, Costantino De Angelis
Shaping the structure of light with flat optical devices has driven significant advancements in our fundamental understanding of light and light-matter interactions, and enabled a broad range of applications, from image processing and microscopy to optical communication, quantum information processing, and the manipulation of microparticles. Yet, pushing the boundaries of structured light beyond the linear optical regime remains an open challenge. Nonlinear optical interactions, such as wave mixing in nonlinear flat optics, offer a powerful platform to unlock new degrees of freedom and functionalities for generating and detecting structured light. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate the non-trivial structuring of third-harmonic light enabled by the addition of total angular momentum projection in a nonlinear, isotropic flat optics element—a single thin film of amorphous silicon. We identify the total angular momentum projection and helicity as the most critical properties for analyzing the experimental results. The theoretical approach we propose, supported by numerical simulations, offers quantitative predictions for light structuring through nonlinear wave mixing under various pumping conditions, including vectorial and non-paraxial pump light. Notably, we reveal that the shape of third-harmonic light is highly sensitive to the polarization state of the pump. Our findings demonstrate that harnessing the addition of total angular momentum projection in nonlinear wave mixing can be a powerful strategy for generating and detecting precisely controlled structured light.
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