In the modern technological ecosystem, “light” is no longer merely a medium for lighting, display, and imaging, but is increasingly evolving into a carrier of information, a medium for computation, a sensing tool, and a device for material manipulation. Starting from 2025, a number of emerging research directions are integrating interdisciplinary technologies such as AI, nanostructures, and quantum effects, opening up new frontiers for optics. The following six directions deserve close attention from high-tech companies, R&D teams, and the industrial community.
1. Nanoscale Optical Vortices
Research on photons carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) is no longer confined to the macroscopic and quasi-parallel beam levels. According to the latest reviews, when a light beam is focused to the nanoscale or enters a strongly scattering/near-field environment, its electromagnetic field structure exhibits complex characteristics that far exceed those predicted by traditional models.
This “nanoscale optical vortex” holds potential for the following applications:
- Enabling more precise control of light-matter interactions in complex media (e.g., biological tissues, liquid samples);
- Providing high-dimensional degrees of freedom for information encoding and optical communications (each vortex state can serve as an independent channel);
- Facilitating the development of nanoscale optical tweezers and optical manipulation devices (e.g., torque-driven nanoparticles).
Companies engaged in micro-nano photonic devices, optical communications, or optical manipulation may consider deploying nanoscale vortex-related modules or establishing collaborations with universities/research institutions.
2. AI-Driven Design of Freeform Optical Devices
With the advancement of computing power and machine learning methods, a growing body of research is integrating AI/deep learning into the design of freeform lenses, aspherical surfaces, and metasurfaces. A recent review indicates that AI can accelerate the design process, expand the design space, and in some cases, achieve better structural performance than traditional optimization methods.
The potential industrial value includes:
- Enhancing optical design efficiency and shortening product iteration cycles;
- Exploring the optical performance of unconventional curved surfaces and counterintuitive structures (which may lead to new functionalities);
- Integrating with manufacturing processes (3D printing, nano-etching) to form a closed-loop optimization system covering “design-manufacturing-testing”.
Enterprises, when conducting independent R&D or procuring design tools, should pay attention to features such as AI-driven design support, interpretable models, and hybrid optimization methods.
3. Integration of Flat Optics and Quantum Light Sources
Most traditional optical devices (e.g., lenses, waveplates, beam splitters) rely on substantial thickness and volume. In contrast, flat optics/metasurface technology aims to control phase, polarization, and frequency spectra at an ultra-thin scale (sub-wavelength thickness). Recent studies have applied flat optical devices to generate quantum light sources (e.g., for entangled photon pairs and single-photon emission), enabling quantum devices to be more compact and easier to integrate.
The integration of these two technologies opens up possibilities such as:
- Developing customized microscale quantum light sources that can be directly integrated into chips or photonic integrated circuits (PICs);
- Reducing the size and improving the stability of systems in quantum communications, quantum sensors, and quantum imaging;
- Taking a crucial step toward the development of “commercial quantum devices”.
For companies with existing R&D backgrounds in quantum technology or photonics, this could become a competitive edge for next-generation products.
4. Integrated Microcombs Technology and Its Multi-Domain Applications
Microcombs (also known as on-chip coherent frequency combs) represent a major breakthrough in the miniaturization of optical frequency technology in recent years. Integrated microcombs can generate dense, stable spectral lines on silicon-based or other chip platforms, and their applications are rapidly expanding to include precision measurement, optical communications, optical sensing, astronomical detection, and neuromorphic computing.
Key areas for enterprises to focus on include:
- Utilizing microcombs in high-speed communication systems for wavelength division multiplexing, frequency referencing, and ultra-broadband signal processing;
- Employing microcombs as stable spectral sources and reference scales in optical sensing/imaging;
- Promoting the development of optoelectronic integrated devices through synergy with electronics, mechanics, and AI.
5. Photonic-Temporal Structures (Temporal Metamaterials / Spatio-Temporal Optical Control)
Beyond spatial structural manipulation (e.g., metasurfaces), the latest research is also exploring the “temporal” dimension to tailor the interaction between light and materials. For instance, a team from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland used transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin films to modulate the material’s refractive index via ultrafast optical pulses, enabling simultaneous control of light energy and propagation direction in both spatial and temporal dimensions.
This opens up new degrees of freedom for modulation, with potential applications in:
- Optical computing (time-weighted operations, real-time modulation devices);
- Ultrafast optical switching, optical pulse shaping, and transient spectral control;
- Coupling with quantum devices to dynamically regulate photonic states.
Enterprises should explore the feasibility of transforming this technology into mass-producible devices and stable control modules.
6. “Squeezed Light” in Thin Films
Recent research has successfully “squeezed” infrared light within thin-film structures, advancing practical applications with stronger confinement effects and lower losses. A study by North Carolina State University showed that oxide thin films (e.g., strontium titanate films) can extend the propagation distance of squeezed infrared light by at least 4 times, and such films can be integrated on various substrates.
The application prospects of this “squeezed light” technology include:
- High-sensitivity infrared imaging and infrared sensor arrays;
- Micro-nano infrared waveguides, infrared filters, and modulation devices;
- Integrated modules for mid-to-far infrared communications and infrared photonic systems.
