A Nanophotonic Breakthrough to Cancel Light Loss and Revolutionise Chips, Sensors, and Imaging

Researchers // Professor Shuang ZHANG, Interim Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Physics; Postdoctoral Fellows Dr Fuxin GUAN, Dr Xiangdong GUO, Dr Yue HU; and PhD students Kebo ZENG and Shaobo ZHOU
 

In the world of nanophotonics – the study of light at incredibly small scales – even the tiniest problems can have a huge impact. One major challenge is ohmic loss, where a small amount of energy is wasted as heat when light interacts with materials. At the nanoscale, this small loss can drastically reduce the efficiency of devices like sensors, imaging systems, and computer chips.

Scientists have now found an innovative solution called the complex frequency wave (CFW) approach. This method uses specially designed light waves to ‘cancel out’ energy loss, similar to how noise-cancelling headphones block unwanted sounds. This breakthrough could transform everyday technology, enabling faster and smaller computer chips, more accurate sensors, and better imaging systems. By solving this tiny but critical problem, researchers are paving the way for a future where light-based technologies are more efficient, reliable, and powerful.

 

 

在研究光於極小尺度行為的納米光子學領域，即使是微小的問題也可能帶來巨大影響。其中一個主要挑戰是歐姆損耗——當光與材料相互作用時，部分能量會以熱的形式流失。科學家提出創新的合成複頻率波（CFW），有效抵銷光在納米尺度上的能量損耗。這項突破可推動更快、更小、更精準的芯片、傳感器和成像技術發展，讓光基科技更高效可靠。