High-fidelity image scanning microscopy via programmable line scanning with self-calibration
Wenxue Chu, Han Luo, Zaixing Wen, Yuang Liu, and Donglin Ma
Image scanning microscopy (ISM) is widely used in the field of super-resolution bioimaging. Compared with confocal microscopy, ISM employs an array detector for signal acquisition, which significantly improves photon utilization efficiency while reducing the complexity of system alignment. However, conventional ISM still suffers from limitations such as slow imaging speed, anisotropic resolution, and low reconstruction fidelity. To address these issues, this study proposes and develops high-fidelity image scanning microscopy (HF-ISM) via programmable line scanning with self-calibration. To comprehensively validate the superior performance of the proposed system, systematic evaluations are conducted through both simulations and experiments. The results demonstrate that, compared with conventional line-scanning ISM, HF-ISM achieves stable sub-diffraction-limited resolution imaging with less sampling data through multi-line synchronous scanning. With orthogonal scanning, it achieves isotropic resolution. By performing self-calibration on the raw data, it attains higher reconstruction fidelity and more uniform quantitative imaging performance across the entire field of view, effectively overcoming the shortcomings of conventional approaches in imaging speed, resolution uniformity, and data fidelity. The proposed HF-ISM framework provides a practical approach for high-speed and high-fidelity fluorescence imaging and may facilitate future developments of ISM-based super-resolution microscopy.
  • Sep. 11, 2026
  • Photonics Research
  • Vol. 14, Issue 10, 4210 (2026)
  • DOI:10.1364/PRJ.601343
Perovskite metasurfaces for high-performance chiral photodetection
Xiong Jiang, Huachun Deng, Hao Li, Yue Cui, Shuhan Yan, Xianyu Deng, Qinghai Song, and Shumin Xiao
On-chip integrated chirality-sensitive photodetectors play a vital role in next-generation imaging, sensing, and navigation. Traditional approaches are either relatively inefficient or must be used in conjunction with separate photodetectors, strongly restricting their device performance. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate a new type of high-performance chiral photodetector by directly patterning a metasurface into a perovskite film. We reveal that local transformations of the perovskite metasurface within each unit cell precisely tune the out-of-plane asymmetry of the electromagnetic field, thereby producing high-Q chiral resonances with near-maximal circular dichroism (CD). The corresponding perovskite photodetector therefore responds almost exclusively to one circular polarization at the resonant wavelength. Experimentally, the chiral photodetector was realized by etching a (p-F-PEA)2MA3Pb4I13 perovskite film between two Au electrodes. The perovskite metasurface significantly enhanced chiral selectivity while preserving monolithic integration, enabling chiral photodetection with a record-breaking photocurrent dissymmetry factor (gph).
  • Sep. 10, 2026
  • Photonics Research
  • Vol. 14, Issue 10, 4263 (2026)
  • DOI:10.1364/PRJ.607968
Terahertz wavelength-division multiplexing sensor based on a multi-channel waveguide leaky-wave antenna
Fan Yang, Yiming Wang, Ruishu Zuo, Liang Ma, Yunyun Ji, Xianghui Wang, Shengjiang Chang, and Fei Fan
Although terahertz waveguide sensors have the potential for high sensitivity, their single-channel architecture severely limits detection throughput and multi-parameter parallel analysis capabilities. This paper proposes and implements a terahertz wavelength-division multiplexing sensor based on spatial–spectral mapping, centered on a parallel-plate waveguide leaky-wave antenna integrated with a gradient slit array. By optimizing the waveguide structural parameters, we achieved low crosstalk and frequency tuning for multi-channel signals. The research system verified the sensor’s parallel detection capability and channel independence. When the samples are applied to the slit region of the output plate, the sensor’s individual channels exhibited an intensity modulation sensitivity of 1.2%/(mg/mL) and a frequency sensing sensitivity of 0.57 GHz/(mg/mL). When the sample is placed between the waveguide plates, the sensitivities are 1.6%/(mg/mL) and 0.2 GHz/(mg/mL). Moreover, only the slit channels corresponding to the sample-covered areas showed characteristic frequency shifts, while signals from uncovered channels remained stable, demonstrating the spatial independence of each sensing channel. This work provides practical support for developing the next generation of high-throughput, chip-integrated terahertz sensing systems, which establishes a new pathway toward multi-target analysis and real-time monitoring for biomedical, environmental, and industrial applications.
  • Sep. 10, 2026
  • Photonics Research
  • Vol. 14, Issue 10, 4252 (2026)
  • DOI:10.1364/PRJ.591541
Coherent reconstruction of turbulence-distorted spatial modes for free-space optical communication
Zepeng Wei, Wang Wei, Qiqi Yuan, Weihan Xu, Chang Li, Linjie Zhou, Ting Lei, and Xiaocong Yuan
Atmospheric turbulence severely degrades direct single-mode-fiber reception in free-space optical communication by redistributing optical power among spatial modes and inducing deep fades. We propose and experimentally demonstrate a coherent-reconstruction receiver that combines few-mode-fiber collection, multi-plane-light-conversion demultiplexing, and silicon-photonic coherent reconstruction. In laboratory turbulence emulation, both the demultiplexed four-mode power sum and the practical coherent-reconstruction output exhibit lower scintillation than direct single-mode reception. In a 10-Gb/s communication test, the receiver reduces interruption probability and extends uninterrupted communication time by up to 3.02 times. These results establish coherent reconstruction of turbulence-distorted spatial modes as a practical route for mitigating turbulence-induced fading in free-space optical communication receivers.
  • Sep. 10, 2026
  • Photonics Research
  • Vol. 14, Issue 10, 4239 (2026)
  • DOI:10.1364/PRJ.604434
Model-discrimination-based super-resolution OTDR with resolution-limit analysis
Yi Qin, Ruijiang Wang, Jishen Hou, and Guijun Hu
Spatial resolution is a key performance metric of optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR), but it is typically constrained by hardware factors such as the launched pulse width and receiver bandwidth. To overcome this limitation, this work proposes a model-discrimination-based super-resolution method for OTDR, which reformulates the conventional hardware-limited spatial-resolution problem as one of model selection and parameter inversion in single-fault and two-fault scenarios. Specifically, theoretical backscattering models are established for single-fault and adjacent two-fault cases, and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) is employed to select the model that best fits the observed signal. When the two-fault model is preferred, the fault spacing, namely, the spatial resolution, is further retrieved through inversion. On this basis, a quantitative relationship is established between the spatial-resolution limit and system parameters such as pulse width, bandwidth, and noise. Furthermore, a BIC-based dense multi-fault region detection mechanism is developed to assess the adequacy of the two-fault model in explaining the observed signal, thereby preventing multi-fault cases from being misclassified as two-fault cases. Numerical simulations show that, for the typical parameter settings considered in this work, the adopted engineering criterion for stable two-fault discrimination corresponds to a spatial resolution of approximately 1/25 of the conventional pulse-width-limited resolution. Experimental results demonstrate that, under the tested system configuration, a spatial resolution of 0.5 m can be achieved over a 10 km fiber link.
  • Sep. 10, 2026
  • Photonics Research
  • Vol. 14, Issue 10, 4223 (2026)
  • DOI:10.1364/PRJ.603722
Integrated ultra-compact polarization converter and electro-absorption modulator using an ENZ-TCO-based hybrid plasmonic waveguide
Yijing Xu, Liuzhen Peng, Zhenyuan Huang, Jinjing Zhang, and Qilong Wang
The inherent incompatibility between transverse-magnetic (TM) polarized surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and the transverse-electric (TE) mode dominant in silicon photonic waveguides poses a significant challenge for developing ultra-compact active devices. Typically, separate polarization converters are required, increasing device footprint and complexity. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a monolithic device that seamlessly integrates polarization conversion and electro-absorption modulation within an ultra-compact footprint. The design leverages a rib-shaped indium tin oxide (ITO)/Au hybrid plasmonic waveguide to efficiently convert the fundamental TE mode in the silicon waveguide into a TM-polarized hybrid plasmonic mode, while simultaneously utilizing the strong field enhancement in the ITO layer under the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) condition for efficient modulation. The fabricated device, with an active region of only 6 μm in length, achieves an extinction ratio of 6.77 dB under a low voltage swing of 2 V, corresponding to a high modulation efficiency of 1.13 dB/μm and an energy consumption of 0.44 pJ/bit. Broadband operation is demonstrated over the C-band (1530–1565 nm). This integrated approach provides an innovative strategy for developing high-efficiency, ultra-compact photonic components critical for future chip-scale optoelectronic systems.
  • Sep. 10, 2026
  • Photonics Research
  • Vol. 14, Issue 10, 4202 (2026)
  • DOI:10.1364/PRJ.586152
Subwavelength-engineered silicon-on-sapphire photonics for broadband interferometric mid-infrared spectroscopy and sensing
Zezhao Ju, Yalan Si, Kai Xia, Zequn Chen, Qingyan Deng, Shouyan Zhang, Renjie Tang, Shuo Lin, Jingyu Chang, Mengxue Qi, Hui Ma, Seyyed Moinalden Mostaan, Lan Li, Qijie Wang, Peilong Yang, and Hongtao Lin
Mid-infrared integrated photonics offers a promising route toward compact spectroscopy and sensing, yet system-level implementation remains limited by the lack of a platform-consistent set of broadband and tunable photonic devices. We address this challenge on a silicon-on-sapphire platform using subwavelength-grating engineering. We develop and connect the key functions required by a spectroscopy-driven sensing architecture, including broadband optical splitting/recombination, thermo-optic phase control, resonant wavelength-selective interaction, and interferometric spectral reconstruction. A subwavelength-grating 1 × 2 3-dB multimode-interference splitter is designed for 2.5 to 4.5 μm operation with simulated per-output excess loss below 0.15 dB, whereas a subwavelength-grating 2 × 2 3-dB multimode-interference coupler is designed for 2.75 to 3.55 μm with simulated per-output excess loss below 0.25 dB and low output imbalance. Experimentally, their operation is verified within the accessible source-limited windows of 3.1 to 3.2 μm and 3.68 to 3.78 μm, rather than across the full simulated design bands. We further demonstrate thermo-optic modulation based on a Mach–Zehnder interferometer and resonance tuning based on uniform strip-waveguide and subwavelength-grating (SWG) micro-ring resonators. Finally, we apply a thermo-optic/dispersion-corrected Mach–Zehnder interferometer Fourier-transform spectrometer framework and numerically validate spectral reconstruction. These results show that subwavelength-grating-engineered silicon-on-sapphire photonics can provide the broadband routing, active interferometric control, and resonant interaction functions required for future on-chip mid-infrared spectroscopy and sensing systems.
  • Sep. 10, 2026
  • Advanced Photonics Nexus
  • Vol. 5, Issue 6, 066006 (2026)
  • DOI:10.1117/1.APN.5.6.066006
Metasurface biosensing: from spatiotemporal precision to in situ and multi-dimensional insight
Zeyan Zhang, Jing Zhang, Boyan Liang, Jiangang Liang, Jing Lou, and Chao Chang
Metasurface biosensors are emerging as a powerful platform for label-free, highly sensitive biological detection. By enabling precise control of electromagnetic fields within compact devices, metasurfaces offer new opportunities for biosensing with enhanced performance and functionality. This review summarizes recent advances in metasurface-based biosensors and their applications in practical biological and biomedical settings. We first outline the fundamental sensor design strategies based on local electromagnetic field enhancement and phase engineering. We then highlight advances in time- and spatially resolved biosensing, multidimensional sensing, and in situ and portable monitoring, emphasizing their significance for biological research, real-world deployment, and system-level integration. Finally, we discuss future directions for the field, including the use of artificial intelligence, increased interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of simpler, more integrated sensing systems.
  • Sep. 08, 2026
  • Photonics Insights
  • Vol. 5, Issue 3, R11 (2026)
  • DOI:10.3788/PI.2026.R11
Spatiotemporal dynamics of plasma isothermal expansion and its temporal constraints on EMP excitation in high-power laser-target interactions
Wenhao Liu, Cui Meng, Maoxing Zhang, Difei Liu, and Hongbo Zhu
In inertial confinement fusion (ICF), high-power laser-solid interactions generate strong transient electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). We develop a three-dimensional anisotropic isothermal expansion model for nanosecond laser-aluminum target interactions that incorporates electron thermal wave ablation damping. The results show that the normal expansion velocity remains nearly constant at approximately 1.98 × 105 m/s, while the plasma scale length reaches approximately 397 μm at 2.0 ns. This linear expansion satisfies the phase-matching conditions for laser-plasma instabilities, thereby explaining the sub-nanosecond delay observed in suprathermal electron emission. In the transverse direction, a kinetic transition occurs at 0.75 ns, marking a shift from acceleration to deceleration dominated by geometric dilution. This transition provides a hydrodynamic basis for understanding the nonlinear decay of radiation. The model is validated against experimental data from the SG-II and XG-III facilities, showing excellent agreement in signal delay and spatiotemporal anisotropy. This work establishes a fluid-dynamic foundation for assessing plasma-induced modulation of EMP excitation and propagation.
  • Sep. 07, 2026
  • Laser and Particle Beams
  • Vol. 44, Issue 4, 20008 (2026)
  • DOI:10.3788/LPB.2026.20008
NIR laser-assisted super-resolution imaging of a color center in diamond
Suxin Chen, Yi Long, Shaochun Zhang, Xiangdong Chen, and Fangwen Sun
The nitrogen vacancy (NV) color center in diamond has shown great potential for microscale quantum sensing and biological imaging. The optical detection relies on fluorescence microscopy, the spatial resolution of which is usually limited by optical diffraction. Here, we study the near-infrared (NIR) light-enhanced charge state conversion to realize super-resolution microscopy. By optimizing the wavelength and pulse setting of the NIR laser, the charge state conversion of the NV center under visible laser pumping is substantially accelerated. The effect is subsequently utilized to enhance the spatial resolution and reduce the depletion laser power for super-resolution microscopy by 7.4 times. A highest resolution of approximately 10 nm is obtained. The result will increase understanding of the photodynamics of the NV center and extend the application of quantum sensing at the microscale.
  • Sep. 03, 2026
  • Chinese Optics Letters
  • Vol. 24, Issue 11, 111102 (2026)
  • DOI:10.3788/COL202624.111102