Light-Science & Applications最新文献

{"title":"Electrically switchable continuous phase liquid crystal Fresnel zone plate.","authors":"Zhiyu Xu,Camron Nourshargh,Tianxin Wang,Alec Xu,Nathan Spiller,Urban Mur,Martin J Booth,Steve J Elston,Stephen M Morris","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02251-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02251-3","url":null,"abstract":"We present the design, fabrication, and characterization of continuous phase Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) using two-photon polymerization direct laser writing in a polymerizable nematic liquid crystal (LC) confined between glass substrates. Unlike conventional binary LC diffractive elements, our devices exhibit a smooth, continuous three-dimensional phase profile. Two devices were demonstrated with wrapped phase profiles of 2π and 4π radians, respectively. Polarized optical microscopy and digital holographic microscopy confirm that the polymerized regions follow the intended spatially varying phase distribution. Far field measurements show that the 2π rad FZP generates a strong focal spot at 0 Vpp and switches off at higher voltages. In contrast, the 4π rad FZP exhibits varifocal behavior, switching between two focal lengths: 24 mm at 0 Vpp and 48 mm at an intermediate voltage of 2.1 Vpp. At higher voltages, the focus disappears entirely. Compared to a binary FZP of equal size and focal length, the continuous phase design nearly doubles the focusing efficiency and enables switchable, compact, vari-focal, and energy-efficient optical components. This approach offers new opportunities for advanced applications such as augmented and virtual reality, adaptive optics, and other next-generation photonic systems.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695034","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}

{"title":"Minimalist optical system for achromatic imaging within extended field of view based on monolithic integrated meta-axicon cluster.","authors":"Jianli Wang,Chengmiao Wang,Bin Wang,Yongting Deng,Yu Lin,Yeming Han,Lu Yao,Long Zhang,Dayu Li,Dejia Meng,Xiufeng Liu,Xiyu Li,Jan G Korvink,Yongbo Deng","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02272-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02272-y","url":null,"abstract":"Achromatic metalenses face stringent aperture and numerical aperture (NA) constraints, which have become a key bottleneck in metasurface imaging. To this end, a novel achromatic imaging method was first proposed, utilizing the unique wideband consistency of diffracted Bessel spots combined with non-blind image restoration techniques. To address the off-axis aberration issue, off-axis achromatic meta-axicons with eccentric conical phases were further designed to convert oblique plane waves into wideband uniform off-axis Bessel beams. Ultimately, a single metasurface integrating 9 meta-axicons with different design field angles was developed, and a meta-camera was constructed accordingly. After image restoration, the meta-camera achieves achromatic imaging within a 10° stitched field of view (FOV), and an angular resolution close to that of near-diffraction-limit lens with the same aperture throughout the entire FOV. The core idea of achieving achromatic imaging based on natural dispersion laws in this study enables the wideband minimalist optical system based on metasurface to completely circumvent the aperture limitation, providing a highly valuable solution for large-aperture meta-camera design that can simultaneously accommodate wideband and off-axis FOV.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695191","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}

{"title":"Self-recoverable mechanoluminescence in simple oxides: Al2O3:Cr.","authors":"Ziyi Fang,Xiaofeng Pan,Qi'an Zhang,Mingzhi Wu,Yang Liu,Qidong Ma,Biyun Ren,Yanze Wang,Shengqiang Liu,Maryam Zulfiqar,Ming-Gang Ju,Jiulin Gan,Leipeng Li,Feng Wang,Dengfeng Peng","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02274-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02274-w","url":null,"abstract":"Materials exhibiting mechanoluminescence (ML) that directly convert mechanical stimuli into light hold significant potential for real-time stress sensing and intelligent photonic systems. However, most high-performance ML systems rely on complex multicomponent compounds that often suffer from limited intensity, stability, and scalability, largely due to poorly understood mechanisms. Herein, we report a simple Al2O3:Cr3+ oxide that exhibits unprecedented ML intensity, enabled by a well-defined mechanical-to-optical energy conversion process. The self-recoverable ML arises from stress-induced ionization of electrons from luminescence centers, followed by their recapture upon stress release. By precisely tuning the doping levels, annealing conditions, and heterojunction interfaces, Al2O3:Cr3+ phosphors achieved intense, reproducible, and thermally stable near-infrared emission. Notably, high-temperature annealing dramatically enhanced the ML intensity, with thermodynamic and kinetic analyses revealing increases in the carrier and defect concentrations by several orders of magnitude, accounting for the exceptional brightness. By leveraging the chemical robustness, abundance, and low cost of alumina, we demonstrated the flexible ML paper for stress visualization and multi-level anti-counterfeiting, as well as in-situ grown Al2O3:Cr3+ luminescent layers on Cr-Al alloys for passive, real-time stress monitoring. This study establishes Al2O3 as a durable and scalable oxide platform for next-generation self-recoverable ML materials, bridging fundamental research and practical sensing technologies.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"441 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147684981","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}

{"title":"Large dynamic range Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing based on a graph-theoretic computational model.","authors":"Lintong Du,Rui Xu,Shuxin Liu,Rongjun Shao,Lin Li,Yuhang Zhang,Ziqiang Li,Yuan Qu,Dapeng Tian,Jiamiao Yang","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02273-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02273-x","url":null,"abstract":"The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWS) is a widely used non-interferometric wavefront measurement technique. However, for high-slope wavefronts, spot crosstalk and asymmetric distortion cause severe matching ambiguity and centroiding errors. This creates an inherent conflict between dynamic range and reconstruction accuracy. To address this, a graph-theoretic computational model named G-SHWS is proposed. By minimizing the global pairing cost of a bipartite graph constructed between fitted and actual spots, G-SHWS drives the fitted distribution to approximate the true distribution and maps the subaperture attribution of the fitted spots to the actual spots, achieving precise spot-subaperture matching under severe aliasing. Furthermore, incorporating a Graph Attention Network (GAT) embedded with SHWS matching topology, the model utilizes a graph structure to explicitly encode the matching relationships obtained from the matching process, and combines the spatial features and intensity morphology of spots to achieve high-precision reconstruction of strongly distorted wavefronts, effectively circumventing the inherent centroiding errors under large aberrations. Experimental results demonstrate that G-SHWS extends the measurable range of SHWS to 21 times the conventional limit while maintaining a reconstruction error of less than 0.05 λ , and remains robust under severe spot loss. These advancements significantly enhance the SHWS's ability to measure complex aberrations, providing a reliable computational framework for large dynamic range wavefront sensing.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"309 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147680574","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}

{"title":"Ultra-wide-field, deep, adaptive two-photon microscopy for multi-scale neuronal imaging.","authors":"Mengke Yang,Zhen-Qiao Zhou,Song Lang,Hanqing Zheng,Shuai Chen,Tong Li,Eline Stas,Jess Yu,Long Zhang,Zhi Zhang,Volkan Uzungil,Qinying Liu,Yu Huang,Jing Lyu,Yimei Li,Hongbo Jia,Min Li,Xiaojing Li,Jingwei Li,Yuguo Tang,Yan Gong,Simon R Schultz","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02252-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02252-2","url":null,"abstract":"Observing the activity patterns of large neural populations throughout the brain is essential for understanding brain function. However, capturing neural interactions across widely distributed brain regions from both superficial and deep cortical layers remains challenging with existing microscopy technologies. Here, we introduce a state-of-the-art two-photon microscopy system, ULTRA, capable of single-cell resolution imaging across an ultra-large field of view (FOV) exceeding 50 mm², enabling deep and wide field in vivo imaging. To demonstrate its capabilities, we conducted a series of experiments under multiple imaging conditions, successfully visualizing brain structures and neuronal activities spanning a spatial range of over 7 mm from superficial layers to depths of up to 900 μm, while covering a volume of 45.24 mm3 in the mouse brain. This versatile imaging platform overcomes traditional spatial constraints, providing a powerful tool for comprehensive exploration of neuronal circuitry over extensive spatial scales with cellular resolution.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147666472","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}

{"title":"Generalized Doppler effect for high-accuracy frequency shift measurement.","authors":"Yanxiang Zhang,Dexin Ba,Yang Yang,Yongkang Dong","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02259-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02259-9","url":null,"abstract":"Laser Doppler effect enables a wide range of precision measurements. However, its traditional implementations, including linear, rotational, and vectorial forms, have historically been treated as isolated phenomena, and meanwhile, their accuracy is fundamentally limited by the achievable frequency shift magnitude due to single controllable parameter. Here, we report a generalized Doppler effect that overcomes these limitations and enhances metrological accuracy. Such effect arises when tailored vectorially polarized dual-vortex fields derived from spin-orbit coupling interact with moving scatterers. In doing so, we observe four simultaneous spectral signatures in a single measurement, including conventional Doppler signal (DS), Doppler polarization signal (DPS), and two novel Doppler polarization-vortex signals (DPVSs). Crucially, the advanced DPVSs with coupled polarization (m) and orbital angular momentum (ℓ), produce amplified frequency shifts that enhance relative measurement accuracy by factors scaling as κ1(1 + |m|/ℓ) and κ2(1 + ℓ/|m|), compared with conventional DS and DPS schemes. Furthermore, directional ambiguity inherent to these shifts can be resolved via phase analysis of either initial polarization offset or analyzer angle difference. Our generalized framework not merely unifies previous Doppler formulations but offers a potential pathway to substantially improved Doppler metrology, enabling unprecedented accuracy in high-resolution fluid vorticity mapping, quantitative hemodynamic monitoring, and next-generation LiDAR systems.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147666471","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}

{"title":"Ultra-broadband single-stack mid-infrared semiconductor lasers grown by MOCVD.","authors":"Peng Liu,Lequan Zhang,Yujin Wu,Huanyu Lu,Sicong Tian,Bo Meng,Qi Jie Wang,Cunzhu Tong,Lijun Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02268-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02268-8","url":null,"abstract":"Quantum cascade lasers are highly desirable for chemical, physical, and biological research scenarios. Among the applications, mid-infrared frequency combs based on quantum cascade lasers have sparked increasing interest due to their unique advantages in small footprint, high power, and flexible designability. Despite significant performance improvement over a decade, the lasing spectrum bandwidths of the quantum cascade laser frequency combs are still limited to ~100 cm-1, limiting their applications in multi-gas spectroscopy and posing severe challenges in tracking their carrier-envelope offset frequency. To achieve a broad-gain spectrum, heterogeneous active regions consisting of multiple stacks of different wavelengths have been implemented. For example, stacking active regions of four different wavelengths results in a full width at half maximum of approximately 0.92 μm (110 cm-1) at 290 K, and of ~2.7 μm (360 cm-1) at 80 K. However, as more stages are stacked, ensuring a homogeneous and flat gain profile from both design and growth perspectives becomes very challenging. In this work, we present a demonstration of ultra-broadband quantum cascade lasers with a diagonal multi-state-to-continuum active region design. The proposed active region design exhibits a surprisingly wide electroluminescence with a full width at half maximum of ~600 cm-1 at 298 K. Devices, with a total peak output power of 2.72 W and a slope efficiency of 1.3 W/A, have shown a lasing spectrum of ~1 μm over 43% of the current dynamic range, with a maximum bandwidth of 1.2 μm around the rollover current. Moreover, a much broader lasing bandwidth of 1.93 μm is obtained from the same device at 80 K, accounting for 22% of the center wavelength. This work represents substantial progress on the single-stack ultra-broadband mid-infrared semiconductor lasers and may provide a novel platform for mid-infrared frequency combs, which are of paramount importance to broadband high-precision spectroscopy, imaging, and free-space communication systems.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"147 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147649126","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}

{"title":"Stress-driven photo-reconfiguration of surface microstructures via vectorial field-guided lithography.","authors":"I Komang Januariyasa,Francesco Reda,Nikolai Liubimtsev,Pawan Patel,Cody Pedersen,Fabio Borbone,Marcella Salvatore,Marina Saphiannikova,David J McGee,Stefano Luigi Oscurato","doi":"10.1038/s41377-025-02174-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02174-5","url":null,"abstract":"Pattern formation driven by mechanical stress plays a fundamental role in shaping structural organization in both natural and human-made systems. Using light as a vectorial stimulus may offer a powerful route to control stress-induced pattern formation in materials. However, achieving localized, programmable, and predictable control of individual microstructures via structured polarization fields has remained a major challenge. Here, we introduce vectorial field-guided lithography, a novel approach that leverages fully structured polarization fields as lithographic tools to enable the stress-driven reconfiguration of pre-patterned azopolymer microstructures with an unprecedented degree of flexibility, complexity, and diversity. By building on the Viscoplastic PhotoAlignment model, which describes the azopolymer deformation as a stress response to structured light, we quantitatively demonstrate and predict complex surface architectures generated by programmable light-induced stress pathways using a digital polarization rotator implemented via a spatial light modulator. We model and experimentally achieve single-step formation of anisotropic, bent, and chiral microstructures from a single pre-patterned geometry. Our results reveal an exceptional control over local microstructure morphology and establish, for the first time, a comprehensive theoretical framework capable of quantitatively designing and fabricating target morphologies on azopolymers. This work moves beyond conventional intensity-based photopatterning and demonstrates that the full vectorial nature of light can dictate the mechanical reshaping of functional polymer surfaces, providing a new platform for the programmable design of complex microarchitectures with applications in photonics, microfluidics, and biology.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147649124","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}

{"title":"Deep learning-enhanced dual-mode multiplexed optical sensor for point-of-care diagnostics of cardiovascular diseases","authors":"Gyeo-Re Han, Merve Eryilmaz, Artem Goncharov, Yuzhu Li, Shun Ye, Aoi Tomoeda, Emily Ngo, Margherita Scussat, Xiao Wang, Zixiang Ji, Max Zhang, Jeffrey J. Hsu, Omai B. Garner, Dino Di Carlo, Aydogan Ozcan","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02275-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02275-9","url":null,"abstract":"Rapid and accessible cardiac biomarker testing is essential for the timely diagnosis and risk assessment of myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure (HF), two interrelated conditions that frequently coexist and drive recurrent hospitalizations with high mortality. However, current laboratory and point-of-care testing systems are limited by long turnaround times, narrow dynamic ranges for the tested biomarkers, and single-analyte formats that fail to capture the complexity of cardiovascular disease. Here, we present a deep learning-enhanced dual-mode multiplexed vertical flow assay (xVFA) with a portable optical reader and a neural network-based quantification pipeline. This optical sensor integrates colorimetric and chemiluminescent detection within a single paper-based cartridge to complementarily cover a large dynamic range (spanning ~6 orders of magnitude) for both low- and high-abundance biomarkers, while maintaining quantitative accuracy. Using 50 µL of serum, the optical sensor simultaneously quantifies cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) within 23 min. The xVFA achieves sub-pg/mL sensitivity for cTnI and sub-ng/mL sensitivity for CK-MB and NT-proBNP, spanning the clinically relevant ranges for these biomarkers. Neural network models trained and blindly tested on 92 patient serum samples yielded a robust quantification performance (Pearson’s r > 0.96 vs. reference assays). By combining high sensitivity, multiplexing, and automation in a compact and cost-effective optical sensor format, the dual-mode xVFA enables rapid and quantitative cardiovascular diagnostics at the point of care.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147631175","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}

{"title":"Red OLED with efficiency of 25.6% at 10,000 cd m−2 based on selenium embedding multiple resonance framework","authors":"Yexuan Pu, Xinliang Cai, Chenglong Li, Baoyan Liang, Hai Bi, Yue Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02220-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02220-w","url":null,"abstract":"Multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) materials featuring narrowband emission and high luminescence efficiency hold great promise for ultra-high-definition displays. However, red MR emitter-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) commonly suffer from pronounced efficiency roll-off due to intrinsically slow reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), which severely hinders their practical application. Herein, we present efficient OLEDs based on a selenium-embedded red MR framework featuring fast RISC, which not only serves as a high-performance emitter but also functions as a sensitizer. The emitter (tFSeBN) shows red emission at 607 nm and achieves a record-high RISC rate of 7.5 × 105 s–1. The corresponding OLED delivers a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 34.7% and maintains high EQE values of 31.0% and 25.6% at luminance levels of 1000 and 10,000 cd m−2, highlighting its ultra-low efficiency roll-off. Owing to its high tolerance to doping concentration and accelerated RISC, tFSeBN further serves as an efficient sensitizer in hyperfluorescent OLEDs, enabling pure-red emission with CIE coordinates of (0.70, 0.30), high EQE and suppressed efficiency roll-off. This work provides a viable pathway to address the long-standing efficiency roll-off issue in red MR-OLEDs, serving as an alternative to conventional noble-metal-sensitized architectures for the red OLED industry.","PeriodicalId":18069,"journal":{"name":"Light-Science & Applications","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147631180","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}