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    Vol. 12 , Issue 6 , 2023

      News & Views

    • Long Chen,Chao He
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 933-934(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01154-x
      Abstract:Correlative light electron microscopy prefers single probes with stable performance in both optical and electron microscopy. Now researchers have shown how to harness gold nanoparticles featuring exceptional photostability and four-wave-mixing nonlinearity to realize a new correlation imaging approach.  
        
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    • Jiazheng Qin,Mengjia Wang,Cheng-Wei Qiu
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 935-937(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01159-6
      Abstract:Exceptional points pose exceptional difficulties to access and encircle. By simply gating graphene, it is now easier to hit the exceptional point.  
        
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    • Xiujian Li,Wenke Xie
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 938-940(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01161-y
      Abstract:Appropriate polarization utilization makes the electric field vector direction and the statistically oriented localized states suitable for enhancing light-matter interactions so as to improve the efficiency of ultrafast laser writing, which will remarkably reduce the pulse energy and increase the processing speed for high density optical data storage, as well as manufacturing three-dimensional integrated optics and geometric phase optical elements.  
        
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    • Shuai Wang,Yuanmu Yang
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 941-942(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01155-w
      Abstract:A new method for designing metasurfaces has been proposed and demonstrated, which allows for the generation of precise quantitative field distributions. This unique approach involves combining a tandem neural network with an iterative algorithm to optimize the metasurface design, enabling accurate control over the intensity and polarization of the resulting field. This strategy is both efficient and robust and has the potential to accelerate the development of metasurface devices with complex functionalities.  
        
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    • Walker Peterson,Kotaro Hiramatsu,Keisuke Goda
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 943-945(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01160-z
      Abstract:Coherent Raman scattering microscopy can provide high-contrast tissue and single-cell images based on the inherent molecular vibrations of the sample. However, conventional techniques face a three-way trade-off between Raman spectral bandwidth, imaging speed, and image fidelity. Although currently challenging to address via optical design, this trade-off can be overcome via emerging computational tools such as compressive sensing and machine learning.  
        
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    • Jiawei Sun,Juergen W. Czarske
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 946-948(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01145-y
      Abstract:Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) has emerged as method for investigating biological specimen and technical objects. However, conventional methods often suffer from shortcomings in image quality, such as the twin image artifact. A novel computational framework for QPI is presented with high quality inline holographic imaging from a single intensity image. This paradigm shift is promising for advanced QPI of cells and tissues.  
        
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    • Qian Sun,Minghui Hong
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 949-950(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01165-8
      Abstract:Electrically programmed metasurfaces provide large modulation depth, high modulation rate, and solid-state component, breaking the limitations of existing modulation methods.  
        
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    • Dong Li,Anlian Pan
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 951-952(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01187-2
      Abstract:A new type of perovskite sensitized programmable WSe2 photodiode is constructed based on MAPbI3/WSe2 heterojunction, presenting flexible reconfigurable characteristics and prominent optoelectronic performances.  
        
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      Light People

    • Hui Wang,Rongjun Zhang,Cun Yu
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 955-964(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01147-w
      Abstract:The industrial revolutions of steam power, electric power and digital power have been three key steps in the development of science and technology. Now, the fourth industrial revolution has quietly begun, a revolution which will combine the powers of modern technologies such as the Internet, industrial digitalization and virtual reality to trigger a major change of science and technology, and sensor technology is of vital importance to this process.A famous physicist specialized in infrared and semiconductors, our featured guest not only discovered the intrinsic absorption spectra of the optical transition between narrow gap semiconductor mercury cadmium telluride bands, but also developed the theory of the band structure of mercury cadmium telluride and the theory of optical transition, put forward a series of expressions such as the gap width of mercury cadmium telluride bands, making outstanding contributions.Born into a scholarly family, he inherited a love for knowledge, especially physics and enjoyed all the challenges it presented. In research, he believes that technological development should be guided by the laws of physics. As a teacher, he asks his students to focus on the depth and breadth of learning. In life, he is famed for being easygoing, modest, well-mannered and meticulous.He is Academician Junhao Chu of the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics (SITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Please follow Light People and discover what challenges Prof. Chu had to overcome in the study of mercury cadmium telluride.  
        
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    • Tingting Sun
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 965-971(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01194-3
      Abstract:Holography utilizes the principles of wave interference and diffraction to record and reconstruct images, which can highly restore the three-dimensional features of objects and provide an immersive visual experience. Dennis Gabor proposed the concept of holography in 1947 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. Holography has gradually developed into two major research directions: digital holography (DH) and computer-generated holography (CGH). Holography has empowered the development of fields such as 6G communication, intelligent healthcare, and commercial MR headsets. In recent years, the general solution to optical inverse problems contained in holography also provides theoretical support for its wide integration with computational lithography, optical metamaterials, optical neural networks, orbital angular momentum (OAM), and other areas. This demonstrates its enormous potential for research and application. We are delighted to invite Professor Liangcai Cao from Tsinghua University, a leading scientist in the field of holography, to give us a profound interpretation of the opportunities and challenges of holography. In the interview, Prof. Cao will take us on a journey through the history of holography, share fascinating stories from his academic visits and exchanges, and shed light on the mentor and tutor culture in teaching. Through this episode of “Light People,” we will have the privilege of getting to know Prof. Cao on a deeper level.  
        
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      Original Articles

    • He Wang,Yuan Zhang,Chifeng Zhou,Xiao Wang,Huili Ma,Jun Yin,Huifang Shi,Zhongfu An,Wei Huang
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 972-981(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01132-3
      Abstract:Purely organic phosphorescent materials with dynamically tunable optical properties and persistent luminescent characteristics enable more novel applications in intelligent optoelectronics. Herein, we reported a concise and universal strategy to achieve photoactivated ultralong phosphorescence at room temperature through stereo-hindrance engineering. Such dynamically photoactivated phosphorescence behavior was ascribed to the suppression of non-radiative transitions and improvement of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) as the variation of the distorted molecular conformation by the synergistic effect of electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance. This “trainable” phosphorescent behavior was first proposed to mimic biological synaptic plasticity, especially for unique experience-dependent plasticity, by the manipulation of pulse intensity and numbers. This study not only outlines a principle to design newly dynamic phosphorescent materials, but also broadens their utility in intelligent sensors and robotics.  
        
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    • Chaoquan Hu,Zijian Zhou,Xiaoyu Zhang,Kaiyu Guo,Can Cui,Yuankai Li,Zhiqing Gu,Wei Zhang,Liang Shen,Jiaqi Zhu
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 982-993(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01139-w
      Abstract:The long-standing challenge in designing far-infrared transparent conductors (FIRTC) is the combination of high plasma absorption edge (λp) and high conductivity (σ). These competing requirements are commonly met by tuning carrier concentration or/and effective carrier mass in a metal oxide/oxonate with low optical dielectric constant (εopt = 2–7). However, despite the high σ, the transparent band is limited to mid-infrared (λp < 5 μm). In this paper, we break the trade-off between high σ and λp by increasing the “so-called constant” εopt that has been neglected, and successfully develop the material family of FIRTC with εopt > 15 and λp > 15 μm. These FIRTC crystals are mainly octahedrally-coordinated heavy-metal chalcogenides and their solid solutions with shallow-level defects. Their high εopt relies on the formation of electron-deficiency multicenter bonds resulting in the great electron-polarization effect. The new FIRTC enables us to develop the first “continuous film” type far-infrared electromagnetic shielder that is unattainable using traditional materials. Therefore, this study may inaugurate a new era in far-infrared optoelectronics.  
        
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    • Chang-Hwan Yi,Hee Chul Park,Moon Jip Park
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 994-1000(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01156-9
      Abstract:Universality class of wave chaos emerges in many areas of science, such as molecular dynamics, optics, and network theory. In this work, we generalize the wave chaos theory to cavity lattice systems by discovering the intrinsic coupling of the crystal momentum to the internal cavity dynamics. The cavity-momentum locking substitutes the role of the deformed boundary shape in the ordinary single microcavity problem, providing a new platform for the in situ study of microcavity light dynamics. The transmutation of wave chaos in periodic lattices leads to a phase space reconfiguration that induces a dynamical localization transition. The degenerate scar-mode spinors hybridize and non-trivially localize around regular islands in phase space. In addition, we find that the momentum coupling becomes maximal at the Brillouin zone boundary, so the intercavity chaotic modes coupling and wave confinement are significantly altered. Our work pioneers the study of intertwining wave chaos in periodic systems and provide useful applications in light dynamics control.  
        
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    • Si Shen,Chenzhi Yuan,Zichang Zhang,Hao Yu,Ruiming Zhang,Chuanrong Yang,Hao Li,Zhen Wang,You Wang,Guangwei Deng,Haizhi Song,Lixing You,Yunru Fan,Guangcan Guo,Qiang Zhou
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1001-1009(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01158-7
      Abstract:Quantum teleportation can transfer an unknown quantum state between distant quantum nodes, which holds great promise in enabling large-scale quantum networks. To advance the full potential of quantum teleportation, quantum states must be faithfully transferred at a high rate over long distance. Despite recent impressive advances, a high-rate quantum teleportation system across metropolitan fiber networks is extremely desired. Here, we demonstrate a quantum teleportation system which transfers quantum states carried by independent photons at a rate of 7.1 ± 0.4 Hz over 64-km-long fiber channel. An average single-photon fidelity of ≥90.6 ± 2.6% is achieved, which exceeds the maximum fidelity of 2/3 in classical regime. Our result marks an important milestone towards quantum networks and opens the door to exploring quantum entanglement based informatic applications for the future quantum internet.  
        
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    • Yang Wan,Sheroy Tata,Omri Seemann,Eitan Y. Levine,Slava Smartsev,Eyal Kroupp,Victor Malka
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1010-1019(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01142-1
      Abstract:The development of plasma-based accelerators has enabled the generation of very high brightness electron bunches of femtosecond duration, micrometer size and ultralow emittance, crucial for emerging applications including ultrafast detection in material science, laboratory-scale free-electron lasers and compact colliders for high-energy physics. The precise characterization of the initial bunch parameters is critical to the ability to manipulate the beam properties for downstream applications. Proper diagnostic of such ultra-short and high charge density laser-plasma accelerated bunches, however, remains very challenging. Here we address this challenge with a novel technique we name as femtosecond ultrarelativistic electron microscopy, which utilizes an electron bunch from another laser-plasma accelerator as a probe. In contrast to conventional microscopy of using very low-energy electrons, the femtosecond duration and high electron energy of such a probe beam enable it to capture the ultra-intense space-charge fields of the investigated bunch and to reconstruct the charge distribution with very high spatiotemporal resolution, all in a single shot. In the experiment presented here we have used this technique to study the shape of a laser-plasma accelerated electron beam, its asymmetry due to the drive laser polarization, and its beam evolution as it exits the plasma. We anticipate that this method will significantly advance the understanding of complex beam-plasma dynamics and will also provide a powerful new tool for real-time optimization of plasma accelerators.  
        
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    • Haihong Zheng,Biao Wu,Shaofei Li,Junnan Ding,Jun He,Zongwen Liu,Chang-Tian Wang,Jian-Tao Wang,Anlian Pan,Yanping Liu
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1020-1028(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01171-w
      Abstract:The stacking of twisted two-dimensional (2D) layered materials has led to the creation of moiré superlattices, which have become a new platform for the study of quantum optics. The strong coupling of moiré superlattices can result in flat minibands that boost electronic interactions and generate interesting strongly correlated states, including unconventional superconductivity, Mott insulating states, and moiré excitons. However, the impact of adjusting and localizing moiré excitons in Van der Waals heterostructures has yet to be explored experimentally. Here, we present experimental evidence of the localization-enhanced moiré excitons in the twisted WSe2/WS2/WSe2 heterotrilayer with type-Ⅱ band alignments. At low temperatures, we observed multiple excitons splitting in the twisted WSe2/WS2/WSe2 heterotrilayer, which is manifested as multiple sharp emission lines, in stark contrast to the moiré excitonic behavior of the twisted WSe2/WS2 heterobilayer (which has a linewidth 4 times wider). This is due to the enhancement of the two moiré potentials in the twisted heterotrilayer, enabling highly localized moiré excitons at the interface. The confinement effect of moiré potential on moiré excitons is further demonstrated by changes in temperature, laser power, and valley polarization. Our findings offer a new approach for localizing moiré excitons in twist-angle heterostructures, which has the potential for the development of coherent quantum light emitters.  
        
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    • Fan Yang,Qingsen Zeng,Wei Dong,Chunyuan Kang,Zexing Qu,Yue Zhao,Haotong Wei,Weitao Zheng,Xiaoyu Zhang,Bai Yang
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1029-1039(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01150-1
      Abstract:Film uniformity of solution-processed layers is the cornerstone of large-area perovskite light-emitting diodes, which is often determined by the 'coffee-ring effect'. Here we demonstrate a second factor that cannot be ignored is the solid-liquid interface interaction between substrate and precursor and can be optimized to eliminate rings. A perovskite film with rings can be formed when cations dominate the solid-liquid interface interaction; whereas smooth and homogeneous perovskite emitting layers are generated when anions and anion groups dominate the interaction. This is due to the fact that the type of ions anchored to the substrate can determine how the subsequent film grows. This interfacial interaction is adjusted using carbonized polymer dots, who also orient the perovskite crystals and passivate their buried traps, enabling a 225 mm2 large-area perovskite light-emitting diode with a high efficiency of 20.2%.  
        
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    • Hoo-Cheol Lee,Jungkil Kim,Ha-Reem Kim,Kyoung-Ho Kim,Kyung-Jun Park,Jae-Pil So,Jung Min Lee,Min-Soo Hwang,Hong-Gyu Park
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1040-1050(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01168-5
      Abstract:The development of memory devices with functions that simultaneously process and store data is required for efficient computation. To achieve this, artificial synaptic devices have been proposed because they can construct hybrid networks with biological neurons and perform neuromorphic computation. However, irreversible aging of these electrical devices causes unavoidable performance degradation. Although several photonic approaches to controlling currents have been suggested, suppression of current levels and switching of analog conductance in a simple photonic manner remain challenging. Here, we demonstrated a nanograin network memory using reconfigurable percolation paths in a single Si nanowire with solid core/porous shell and pure solid core segments. The electrical and photonic control of current percolation paths enabled the analog and reversible adjustment of the persistent current level, exhibiting memory behavior and current suppression in this single nanowire device. In addition, the synaptic behaviors of memory and erasure were demonstrated through potentiation and habituation processes. Photonic habituation was achieved using laser illumination on the porous nanowire shell, with a linear decrease in the postsynaptic current. Furthermore, synaptic elimination was emulated using two adjacent devices interconnected on a single nanowire. Therefore, electrical and photonic reconfiguration of the conductive paths in Si nanograin networks will pave the way for next-generation nanodevice technologies.  
        
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    • Kai Gu,Haizheng Zhong
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1051-1060(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01167-6
      Abstract:Light-to-heat conversion has been intensively investigated due to the potential applications including photothermal therapy and solar energy harvesting. As a fundamental property of materials, accurate measurement of light-to-heat conversion efficiency (LHCE) is of vital importance in developing advanced materials for photothermal applications. Herein, we report a photothermal and electrothermal equivalence (PEE) method to measure the LHCE of solid materials by simulating the laser heating process with electric heating process. The temperature evolution of samples during electric heating process was firstly measured, enabling us to derive the heat dissipation coefficient by performing a linear fitting at thermal equilibrium. The LHCE of samples can be calculated under laser heating with the consideration of heat dissipation coefficient. We further discussed the effectiveness of assumptions by combining the theoretical analysis and experimental measurements, supporting the obtained small error within 5% and excellent reproducibility. This method is versatile to measure the LHCE of inorganic nanocrystals, carbon-based materials and organic materials, indicating the applicability of a variety of materials.  
        
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    • Yusong Liu,Siyun Huang,Zilong Li,Haoguang Liu,Yixiang Sun,Ran Xia,Lisong Yan,Yiyang Luo,Huanhuan Liu,Gang Xu,Qizhen Sun,Xiahui Tang,Perry Ping Shum
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1061-1070(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01170-x
      Abstract:Self-assembly of particle-like dissipative solitons, in the presence of mutual interactions, emphasizes the vibrant concept of soliton molecules in varieties of laser resonators. Controllable manipulation of the molecular patterns, held by the degrees of freedom of internal motions, still remains challenging to explore more efficient and subtle tailoring approaches for the increasing demands. Here, we report a new phase-tailored quaternary encoding format based on the controllable internal assembly of dissipative soliton molecules. Artificial manipulation of the energy exchange of soliton-molecular elements stimulates the deterministic harnessing of the assemblies of internal dynamics. Self-assembled soliton molecules are tailored into four phase-defined regimes, thus constituting the phase-tailored quaternary encoding format. Such phase-tailored streams are endowed with great robustness and are resistant to significant timing jitter. All these results experimentally demonstrate the programmable phase tailoring and exemplify the application of the phase-tailored quaternary encoding, prospectively promoting high-capacity all-optical storage.  
        
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    • Seungri Song,Jeongsoo Kim,Taegyun Moon,Baekcheon Seong,Woovin Kim,Chang-Hyuk Yoo,Jun-Kyu Choi,Chulmin Joo
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1071-1083(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01151-0
      Abstract:Optical anisotropy, which is an intrinsic property of many materials, originates from the structural arrangement of molecular structures, and to date, various polarization-sensitive imaging (PSI) methods have been developed to investigate the nature of anisotropic materials. In particular, the recently developed tomographic PSI technologies enable the investigation of anisotropic materials through volumetric mappings of the anisotropy distribution of these materials. However, these reported methods mostly operate on a single scattering model, and are thus not suitable for three-dimensional (3D) PSI imaging of multiple scattering samples. Here, we present a novel reference-free 3D polarization-sensitive computational imaging technique—polarization-sensitive intensity diffraction tomography (PS-IDT)—that enables the reconstruction of 3D anisotropy distribution of both weakly and multiple scattering specimens from multiple intensity-only measurements. A 3D anisotropic object is illuminated by circularly polarized plane waves at various illumination angles to encode the isotropic and anisotropic structural information into 2D intensity information. These information are then recorded separately through two orthogonal analyzer states, and a 3D Jones matrix is iteratively reconstructed based on the vectorial multi-slice beam propagation model and gradient descent method. We demonstrate the 3D anisotropy imaging capabilities of PS-IDT by presenting 3D anisotropy maps of various samples, including potato starch granules and tardigrade.  
        
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    • Seth Lovett,Paul M. Walker,Alexey Osipov,Alexey Yulin,Pooja Uday Naik,Charles E. Whittaker,Ivan A. Shelykh,Maurice S. Skolnick,Dmitry N. Krizhanovskii
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1084-1090(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01162-x
      Abstract:We present and experimentally study the effects of the photonic spin–orbit coupling on the real space propagation of polariton wavepackets in planar semiconductor microcavities and polaritonic analogues of graphene. In particular, we demonstrate the appearance of an analogue Zitterbewegung effect, a term which translates as 'trembling motion' in English, which was originally proposed for relativistic Dirac electrons and consisted of the oscillations of the centre of mass of a wavepacket in the direction perpendicular to its propagation. For a planar microcavity, we observe regular Zitterbewegung oscillations whose amplitude and period depend on the wavevector of the polaritons. We then extend these results to a honeycomb lattice of coupled microcavity resonators. Compared to the planar cavity, such lattices are inherently more tuneable and versatile, allowing simulation of the Hamiltonians of a wide range of important physical systems. We observe an oscillation pattern related to the presence of the spin-split Dirac cones in the dispersion. In both cases, the experimentally observed oscillations are in good agreement with theoretical modelling and independently measured bandstructure parameters, providing strong evidence for the observation of Zitterbewegung.  
        
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    • Xiaowen Hu,Jian Zhao,Jose Enrique Antonio-Lopez,Rodrigo Amezcua Correa,Axel Schülzgen
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1091-1102(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01183-6
      Abstract:Recent years have witnessed the tremendous development of fusing fiber-optic imaging with supervised deep learning to enable high-quality imaging of hard-to-reach areas. Nevertheless, the supervised deep learning method imposes strict constraints on fiber-optic imaging systems, where the input objects and the fiber outputs have to be collected in pairs. To unleash the full potential of fiber-optic imaging, unsupervised image reconstruction is in demand. Unfortunately, neither optical fiber bundles nor multimode fibers can achieve a point-to-point transmission of the object with a high sampling density, as is a prerequisite for unsupervised image reconstruction. The recently proposed disordered fibers offer a new solution based on the transverse Anderson localization. Here, we demonstrate unsupervised full-color imaging with a cellular resolution through a meter-long disordered fiber in both transmission and reflection modes. The unsupervised image reconstruction consists of two stages. In the first stage, we perform a pixel-wise standardization on the fiber outputs using the statistics of the objects. In the second stage, we recover the fine details of the reconstructions through a generative adversarial network. Unsupervised image reconstruction does not need paired images, enabling a much more flexible calibration under various conditions. Our new solution achieves full-color high-fidelity cell imaging within a working distance of at least 4 mm by only collecting the fiber outputs after an initial calibration. High imaging robustness is also demonstrated when the disordered fiber is bent with a central angle of 60°. Moreover, the cross-domain generality on unseen objects is shown to be enhanced with a diversified object set.  
        
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    • Marcello Meneghetti,Jaspreet Kaur,Kunyang Sui,Jakob F. Sørensen,Rune W. Berg,Christos Markos
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1103-1116(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01164-9
      Abstract:Controlling neuronal activity using implantable neural interfaces constitutes an important tool to understand and develop novel strategies against brain diseases. Infrared neurostimulation is a promising alternative to optogenetics for controlling the neuronal circuitry with high spatial resolution. However, bi-directional interfaces capable of simultaneously delivering infrared light and recording electrical signals from the brain with minimal inflammation have not yet been reported. Here, we have developed a soft fibre-based device using high-performance polymers which are > 100-fold softer than conventional silica glass used in standard optical fibres. The developed implant is capable of stimulating the brain activity in localized cortical domains by delivering laser pulses in the 2 μm spectral region while recording electrophysiological signals. Action and local field potentials were recorded in vivo from the motor cortex and hippocampus in acute and chronic settings, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis of the brain tissue indicated insignificant inflammatory response to the infrared pulses while the signal-to-noise ratio of recordings still remained high. Our neural interface constitutes a step forward in expanding infrared neurostimulation as a versatile approach for fundamental research and clinically translatable therapies.  
        
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    • Lirong Qiu,Yunhao Su,Ke-Mi Xu,Han Cui,Dezhi Zheng,Yuanmin Zhu,Lin Li,Fang Li,Weiqian Zhao
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1117-1126(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01153-y
      Abstract:Raman and Brillouin scattering are sensitive approaches to detect chemical composition and mechanical elasticity pathology of cells in cancer development and their medical treatment researches. The application is, however, suffering from the lack of ability to synchronously acquire the scattering signals following three-dimensional (3D) cell morphology with reasonable spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Herein, we propose a divided-aperture laser differential confocal 3D Geometry-Raman-Brillouin microscopic detection technology, by which reflection, Raman, and Brillouin scattering signals are simultaneously in situ collected in real time with an axial focusing accuracy up to 1 nm, in the height range of 200 μm. The divided aperture improves the anti-noise capability of the system, and the noise influence depth of Raman detection reduces by 35.4%, and the Brillouin extinction ratio increases by 22 dB. A high-precision multichannel microspectroscopic system containing these functions is developed, which is utilized to study gastric cancer tissue. As a result, a 25% reduction of collagen concentration, 42% increase of DNA substances, 17% and 9% decrease in viscosity and elasticity are finely resolved from the 3D mappings. These findings indicate that our system can be a powerful tool to study cancer development new therapies at the sub-cell level.  
        
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      Published:2024-04-28
    • Iksung Kang,Ziling Wu,Yi Jiang,Yudong Yao,Junjing Deng,Jeffrey Klug,Stefan Vogt,George Barbastathis
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1127-1140(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01181-8
      Abstract:Noninvasive X-ray imaging of nanoscale three-dimensional objects, such as integrated circuits (ICs), generally requires two types of scanning: ptychographic, which is translational and returns estimates of the complex electromagnetic field through the IC; combined with a tomographic scan, which collects these complex field projections from multiple angles. Here, we present Attentional Ptycho-Tomography (APT), an approach to drastically reduce the amount of angular scanning, and thus the total acquisition time. APT is machine learning-based, utilizing axial self-Attention for Ptycho-Tomographic reconstruction. APT is trained to obtain accurate reconstructions of the ICs, despite the incompleteness of the measurements. The training process includes regularizing priors in the form of typical patterns found in IC interiors, and the physics of X-ray propagation through the IC. We show that APT with ×12 reduced angles achieves fidelity comparable to the gold standard Simultaneous Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (SART) with the original set of angles. When using the same set of reduced angles, then APT also outperforms Filtered Back Projection (FBP), Simultaneous Iterative Reconstruction Technique (SIRT) and SART. The time needed to compute the reconstruction is also reduced, because the trained neural network is a forward operation, unlike the iterative nature of these alternatives. Our experiments show that, without loss in quality, for a 4.48 × 93.2 × 3.92 µm3 IC ($\simeq $6 × 108 voxels), APT reduces the total data acquisition and computation time from 67.96 h to 38 min. We expect our physics-assisted and attention-utilizing machine learning framework to be applicable to other branches of nanoscale imaging, including materials science and biological imaging.  
        
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      Published:2024-04-28
    • Tang Li,J. Lukas Dresselhaus,Nikolay Ivanov,Mauro Prasciolu,Holger Fleckenstein,Oleksandr Yefanov,Wenhui Zhang,David Pennicard,Ann-Christin Dippel,Olof Gutowski,Pablo Villanueva-Perez,Henry N. Chapman,Saša Bajt
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1141-1152(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01176-5
      Abstract:The highest resolution of images of soft matter and biological materials is ultimately limited by modification of the structure, induced by the necessarily high energy of short-wavelength radiation. Imaging the inelastically scattered X-rays at a photon energy of 60 keV (0.02 nm wavelength) offers greater signal per energy transferred to the sample than coherent-scattering techniques such as phase-contrast microscopy and projection holography. We present images of dried, unstained, and unfixed biological objects obtained by scanning Compton X-ray microscopy, at a resolution of about 70 nm. This microscope was realised using novel wedged multilayer Laue lenses that were fabricated to sub-ångström precision, a new wavefront measurement scheme for hard X rays, and efficient pixel-array detectors. The doses required to form these images were as little as 0.02% of the tolerable dose and 0.05% of that needed for phase-contrast imaging at similar resolution using 17 keV photon energy. The images obtained provide a quantitative map of the projected mass density in the sample, as confirmed by imaging a silicon wedge. Based on these results, we find that it should be possible to obtain radiation damage-free images of biological samples at a resolution below 10 nm.  
        
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      Published:2024-04-28
    • Md Faiyaz Kabir,Md Borhan Mia,Ishtiaque Ahmed,Nafiz Jaidye,Syed Z. Ahmed,Sangsik Kim
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1153-1161(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01184-5
      Abstract:Electromagnetic coupling via an evanescent field or radiative wave is a primary characteristic of light, allowing optical signal/power transfer in a photonic circuit but limiting integration density. A leaky mode, which combines both evanescent field and radiative wave, causes stronger coupling and is thus considered not ideal for dense integration. Here we show that a leaky oscillation with anisotropic perturbation rather can achieve completely zero crosstalk realized by subwavelength grating (SWG) metamaterials. The oscillating fields in the SWGs enable coupling coefficients in each direction to counteract each other, resulting in completely zero crosstalk. We experimentally demonstrate such an extraordinarily low coupling between closely spaced identical leaky SWG waveguides, suppressing the crosstalk by ≈40 dB compared to conventional strip waveguides, corresponding to ≈100 times longer coupling length. This leaky-SWG suppresses the crosstalk of transverse–magnetic (TM) mode, which is challenging due to its low confinement, and marks a novel approach in electromagnetic coupling applicable to other spectral regimes and generic devices.  
        
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      Published:2024-04-28
    • Benwen Chen,Shengxin Yang,Jian Chen,Jingbo Wu,Ke Chen,Weili Li,Yihui Tan,Zhaosong Wang,Hongsong Qiu,Kebin Fan,Caihong Zhang,Huabing Wang,Yijun Feng,Yunbin He,Biaobing Jin,Xinglong Wu,Jian Chen,Peiheng Wu
      Vol. 12, Issue 6, Pages: 1162-1171(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01177-4
      Abstract:Dynamic manipulation of electromagnetic (EM) waves with multiple degrees of freedom plays an essential role in enhancing information processing. Currently, an enormous challenge is to realize directional terahertz (THz) holography. Recently, it was demonstrated that Janus metasurfaces could produce distinct responses to EM waves from two opposite incident directions, making multiplexed dynamic manipulation of THz waves possible. Herein, we show that thermally activated THz Janus metasurfaces integrating with phase change materials on the meta-atoms can produce asymmetric transmission with the designed phase delays. Such reconfigurable Janus metasurfaces can achieve asymmetric focusing of THz wave and directional THz holography with free-space image projections, and particularly the information can be manipulated via temperature and incident THz wave direction. This work not only offers a common strategy for realizing the reconfigurability of Janus metasurfaces, but also shows possible applications in THz optical information encryption, data storage, and smart windows.  
        
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      Published:2024-04-28
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