30 major optical advances in the world in 2022
The Future Optics Laboratory led by Academician Zhuang Songlin of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology has once again made significant progress in the field of space-time light field regulation. The nanophotonics team led by Professor Zhan Qiwen published the cover article "Toroidal vortices of light" in the top international photonics journal "Nature Photonics", realizing the topological state of the vortex ring in the light field for the first time. Recently, this series of research results was selected by the Optical Society of America (OPTICA, formerly OSA) as one of the 30 major research advances in global optics and optoelectronics in 2022 (Optics in 2022, Optics & Photonics News).
Optical vortex ring, Nature Photonics Issue 7, 2022 cover article
The study theoretically proved that the photon vortex ring is a new solution to Maxwell's equations and verified it experimentally. The preparation of photonic vortex rings is of great significance for the study of ring electrodynamics, light-matter interaction, photon symmetry and topology. This concept and conformal mapping method can be easily extended to other spectral bands, such as electron beams, X-rays, and even other mechanical waves such as acoustics, fluid mechanics, and aerodynamics, opening up new possibilities for studying vortex rings and their applications in a wider range of disciplines.
Optical vortex rings were named by the Optical Society of America as 30 major advances in optics in 2022
The theoretical and experimental methods based on optical transformation provide a new idea for the generation and characterization of three-dimensional complex space-time light fields. The birth of optical vortex rings will have important and far-reaching significance for theoretical research such as ring-symmetric electrodynamics, ring-symmetric plasma physics, optical symmetry and topology, quantum physics, astrophysics, as well as applied research such as optical sensing, optical manipulation, optical information and energy transfer. The research work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC92050202).
Paper link:
1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-022-01013-y
2. https://www.optica-opn.org/home/articles/volume_33/december_2022/extras/toroidal_vortices_of_light/
3. https://www.optica-opn.org/home/articles/volume_33/december_2022/features/optics_in_2022/
