Spatial light modulation (SLM) is a fundamental enabling technology in modern photonics, capable of dynamically manipulating the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light. It plays a crucial role in adaptive imaging, dynamic holography, and optical information processing. Recently, Prof. Nicholas X. Fang from The University of Hong Kong, Prof. Liu Zhiguang from University of Science and Technology of China, and Prof. Li Xinhao from Westlake University were invited to publish a review article entitled "Advancing Spatial Light Modulation with Transformational Photonics" in Photonics Insights, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2026. (Zhiguang Liu, Boyu Luo, Pan Wang, Xinhao Li, Nicholas X. Fang, "Advancing spatial light modulation with transformational photonics," Photon. Insights 5, R05 (2026))

The rapid development of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things has led to an exponential growth in global data generation. Conventional storage technologies are facing increasing challenges in terms of capacity scalability, data lifetime, and energy consumption. Therefore, developing storage technologies capable of providing ultra-large capacity, long-term stability, and low energy consumption has become a critical scientific and technological challenge. Ultrafast laser-enabled optical data storage (UL-ODS) has emerged as a promising approach to overcome the physical limitations of conventional storage technologies.

At the invitation of Photonics Insights' founding co-editors-in-chief, Prof. Hongxing Xu and Prof. Shunping Zhang from Wuhan University's Nano-Optics Research Team, together with Researcher Quanbing Guo from the Wuhan Institute of Quantum Technology, Prof. Zhenchao Dong and Prof. Yang zhang from the University of Science and Technology of China, Prof. Tao Ding from Wuhan University, and Prof. Alexander O. Govorov from Ohio University, jointly authored a comprehensive review article entitled "Enhanced light–matter interaction in plasmonic nanocavities: Principle, challenge, and perspective", which was published in the first issue of Photonics Insights in 2026. (Dudu Song, Zhengyi Lu, Quanbing Guo, Tianzhu Zhang, Jiamin Ji, Yang Zhang, Tao Ding, Alexander O. Govorov, Zhenchao Dong, Shunping Zhang, and Hongxing Xu. Enhanced light-matter interaction in plasmonic nanocavities: Principle, challenge, and perspective[J]. Photonics Insights, 2026, 5(1): R01)

"Soft Mattonics" is emerging as a critical frontier in liquid crystal (LC) photonics, structured light field manipulation, and novel information optics. By leveraging programmable soft materials, it offers a new paradigm to overcome the limitations of traditional rigid optical platforms in terms of reconfigurability, low power consumption, and multifunctional integration, enabling the flexible modulation of multiple degrees of freedom of light. Recently, Prof. Yan-Qing Lu's group at Nanjing University authored a comprehensive review titled "Soft Mattonics: harnessing light with liquid crystals," published in Photonics Insights. (Wei Chen, Ze-Yu Wang, Xiao Yu, Jin-Tao Pan, Yang Wei, An-Zhuo Yu, Shen-Yi Yan, Ling-Ling Ma, Yan-Qing Lu, "Soft Mattonics: harnessing light with liquid crystals," Photon. Insights 5, R03 (2026))