Pub Date : 2026-04-08DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00281-y
Bofeng Zhu, Hanyu Liu, Qian Wang, Y. D. Chong, Qi Jie Wang
In electrically pumped semiconductor lasers, microfabricated structures, including photonic crystals, are used to reduce device footprints; however, this miniaturization can come at the cost of reduced robustness of lasing performance against external perturbations. Topological concepts have been integrated into the design of photonic crystals to improve robustness and achieve other functionalities. This Review surveys a range of emerging design toolkits, including Chern and valley Hall lattices, which host robust edge modes; topological crystalline insulator lattices, which host symmetry-protected corner states; Dirac-vortex cavities, which isolate a single lasing mode in an ultrawide free spectral range; and bound states in the continuum, which aim to boost quality factors without enlarging the footprint. We outline how topological modes can be used in compact laser sources, as well as future directions of research, including the exploitation of non-Hermitian band topology, non-linear gain dynamics and quasiperiodic order. This Review summarizes the use of topological modes to enable compact laser architectures, alongside emerging research directions involving non-Hermitian band topology, non-linear gain dynamics and quasiperiodic ordering.
{"title":"Topology in electrically pumped photonic-crystal lasers","authors":"Bofeng Zhu, Hanyu Liu, Qian Wang, Y. D. Chong, Qi Jie Wang","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00281-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00281-y","url":null,"abstract":"In electrically pumped semiconductor lasers, microfabricated structures, including photonic crystals, are used to reduce device footprints; however, this miniaturization can come at the cost of reduced robustness of lasing performance against external perturbations. Topological concepts have been integrated into the design of photonic crystals to improve robustness and achieve other functionalities. This Review surveys a range of emerging design toolkits, including Chern and valley Hall lattices, which host robust edge modes; topological crystalline insulator lattices, which host symmetry-protected corner states; Dirac-vortex cavities, which isolate a single lasing mode in an ultrawide free spectral range; and bound states in the continuum, which aim to boost quality factors without enlarging the footprint. We outline how topological modes can be used in compact laser sources, as well as future directions of research, including the exploitation of non-Hermitian band topology, non-linear gain dynamics and quasiperiodic order. This Review summarizes the use of topological modes to enable compact laser architectures, alongside emerging research directions involving non-Hermitian band topology, non-linear gain dynamics and quasiperiodic ordering.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 5","pages":"288-299"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147968215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-07DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00285-8
Rachel Won
Photonics West 2026 highlighted how photonics research and innovations rapidly translate into commercial technologies, aligning with SPIE’s vision of photonics as a driver of economic opportunity.
{"title":"Photonics West 2026","authors":"Rachel Won","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00285-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00285-8","url":null,"abstract":"Photonics West 2026 highlighted how photonics research and innovations rapidly translate into commercial technologies, aligning with SPIE’s vision of photonics as a driver of economic opportunity.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 4","pages":"209-209"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00278-7
Han Li, Dong Wang, Mingqing Zuo, Xiaodong Duan, Dechao Zhang, Shan Cao, Yuqian Zhang, Jiachen Li, Jiang Sun, Dawei Ge
Coherent 400G technology can enhance the capacity and reduce the power consumption per bit in long-haul optical networks with transmission distances of over 1,500 km. Advances in optical components, chips and optical-layer infrastructure will enable 1,500 km transmission with about 0.08 nJ b−1 efficiency per optical module, allowing optical fibre networks to become a backbone of everyday communications. In this Review, we describe the key technologies necessary for long-haul large-capacity 400G optical transmission. First, we determine that the quadrature phase-shift keying format is appropriate to implement such an optical network. Accordingly, optical components, chips and optical-layer infrastructure are required to support 130 GBd symbol rate and 12-THz-wide optical bandwidth. Next, we summarize the benchmarking experimental demonstrations of long-haul large-capacity optical transmission with coherent 400G signals. Finally, we outline the remaining challenges such as unified C + L-band optics and provide guidance for future researchers to bring higher-bandwidth and longer-range communications beyond 400G to telecom networks. Long-haul large-capacity 400G optical transmission over 1,500 km is possible through advanced fibre-optic systems. This Review provides a holistic view of the signal modulation, spectrum plans, optical components and optical-layer infrastructure necessary to achieve those networks.
{"title":"Making long-haul large-capacity 400G optical network a reality","authors":"Han Li, Dong Wang, Mingqing Zuo, Xiaodong Duan, Dechao Zhang, Shan Cao, Yuqian Zhang, Jiachen Li, Jiang Sun, Dawei Ge","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00278-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00278-7","url":null,"abstract":"Coherent 400G technology can enhance the capacity and reduce the power consumption per bit in long-haul optical networks with transmission distances of over 1,500 km. Advances in optical components, chips and optical-layer infrastructure will enable 1,500 km transmission with about 0.08 nJ b−1 efficiency per optical module, allowing optical fibre networks to become a backbone of everyday communications. In this Review, we describe the key technologies necessary for long-haul large-capacity 400G optical transmission. First, we determine that the quadrature phase-shift keying format is appropriate to implement such an optical network. Accordingly, optical components, chips and optical-layer infrastructure are required to support 130 GBd symbol rate and 12-THz-wide optical bandwidth. Next, we summarize the benchmarking experimental demonstrations of long-haul large-capacity optical transmission with coherent 400G signals. Finally, we outline the remaining challenges such as unified C + L-band optics and provide guidance for future researchers to bring higher-bandwidth and longer-range communications beyond 400G to telecom networks. Long-haul large-capacity 400G optical transmission over 1,500 km is possible through advanced fibre-optic systems. This Review provides a holistic view of the signal modulation, spectrum plans, optical components and optical-layer infrastructure necessary to achieve those networks.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 4","pages":"226-237"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00286-7
Miranda L. Vinay
Microsoft Research has developed a long-term data storage technique using borosilicate glass that leverages phase modifications to achieve unprecedented write speeds for glasslaser storage. They suggest data integrity for a lifetime of 10,000 years.
{"title":"Sustainable glass-based data storage","authors":"Miranda L. Vinay","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00286-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00286-7","url":null,"abstract":"Microsoft Research has developed a long-term data storage technique using borosilicate glass that leverages phase modifications to achieve unprecedented write speeds for glasslaser storage. They suggest data integrity for a lifetime of 10,000 years.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 4","pages":"210-210"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-31DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00276-9
Rong Lin, Junxiao Zhou, Chen Chen, Din Ping Tsai
Metalenses are poised to redefine optical design, but their path from laboratory innovation to real-world application remains fraught with both remarkable promise and persistent challenge. Enabled by subwavelength nanostructures, these flat optical components promise to revolutionize photonics by replacing bulky conventional optics with compact, multifunctional devices. However, persistent trade-offs among numerical aperture, focusing efficiency, spectral bandwidth, field of view and device size continue to constrain their versatility. Overcoming these bottlenecks will rely on the convergence of design innovation, material breakthroughs and scalable manufacturing. Recent advances in large-area nanofabrication, high-aspect-ratio patterning and advanced material integration are beginning to alleviate these limitations, signalling a path toward scalable, high-performance and multifunctional metalenses. As advances in nanofabrication and design accelerate worldwide, stronger synergy between academic research and industrial development has become essential to transform current challenges into opportunities for the widespread adoption of metalenses in real-world optical systems. Metalenses face both remarkable opportunities and challenges as they evolve from laboratory prototypes to practical devices. This Review highlights how advances in advanced materials, scalable manufacturing and academic–industrial synergy can transform these challenges into opportunities for the widespread implementation of metalens technologies.
{"title":"Challenges and opportunities of metalenses","authors":"Rong Lin, Junxiao Zhou, Chen Chen, Din Ping Tsai","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00276-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00276-9","url":null,"abstract":"Metalenses are poised to redefine optical design, but their path from laboratory innovation to real-world application remains fraught with both remarkable promise and persistent challenge. Enabled by subwavelength nanostructures, these flat optical components promise to revolutionize photonics by replacing bulky conventional optics with compact, multifunctional devices. However, persistent trade-offs among numerical aperture, focusing efficiency, spectral bandwidth, field of view and device size continue to constrain their versatility. Overcoming these bottlenecks will rely on the convergence of design innovation, material breakthroughs and scalable manufacturing. Recent advances in large-area nanofabrication, high-aspect-ratio patterning and advanced material integration are beginning to alleviate these limitations, signalling a path toward scalable, high-performance and multifunctional metalenses. As advances in nanofabrication and design accelerate worldwide, stronger synergy between academic research and industrial development has become essential to transform current challenges into opportunities for the widespread adoption of metalenses in real-world optical systems. Metalenses face both remarkable opportunities and challenges as they evolve from laboratory prototypes to practical devices. This Review highlights how advances in advanced materials, scalable manufacturing and academic–industrial synergy can transform these challenges into opportunities for the widespread implementation of metalens technologies.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 4","pages":"214-225"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-30DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00270-1
Ravi V. Mahajan, William Chen, Patrick Thompson, Wilmer Bottoms, Amr S. Helmy, Benson Chan, Madhavan Swaminathan, John Shalf, Christopher Bailey, Jose Schutt-Aine, Ganesh Subbarayan, Timothy Lee, Subramanian S. Iyer, Sreekant Narumanchi, Rajiv Mongia
Heterogeneous integration (HI) of electronics components is broadly recognized as a powerful and crucial enabler for the continued growth of computing and communication. From 2010 onwards, the value of HI is increasingly visible in the advanced packaging used in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, smartphones and communications product implementations. In this Perspective, we argue that HI is crucial to semiconductors and more broadly to the continued evolution of computing and communications. We use leading-edge advanced packaging examples to represent the value, advancements and opportunities for HI. To succeed, it is critical to develop comprehensive HI roadmaps that inform collaborations across the design, manufacturing and reliability spectrum between systems architects, packaging and semiconductor technologists to common goals. Although this article does not provide a full roadmap, we instead detail additional parameters for artificial intelligence, smartphone and other cellular communication devices, and their constituent building blocks including interconnects, power electronics, photonics, thermal management, reliability, modelling and co-design, to foster greater collaboration opportunities among academia, research laboratories and industry. Heterogeneous integration is essential to advances in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and mobile technologies. This Perspective outlines the emerging technology and challenges necessary to revise the technology roadmap to shape the future evolution of semiconductor systems and computing architectures.
{"title":"The heterogeneous integration of electronic components","authors":"Ravi V. Mahajan, William Chen, Patrick Thompson, Wilmer Bottoms, Amr S. Helmy, Benson Chan, Madhavan Swaminathan, John Shalf, Christopher Bailey, Jose Schutt-Aine, Ganesh Subbarayan, Timothy Lee, Subramanian S. Iyer, Sreekant Narumanchi, Rajiv Mongia","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00270-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00270-1","url":null,"abstract":"Heterogeneous integration (HI) of electronics components is broadly recognized as a powerful and crucial enabler for the continued growth of computing and communication. From 2010 onwards, the value of HI is increasingly visible in the advanced packaging used in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, smartphones and communications product implementations. In this Perspective, we argue that HI is crucial to semiconductors and more broadly to the continued evolution of computing and communications. We use leading-edge advanced packaging examples to represent the value, advancements and opportunities for HI. To succeed, it is critical to develop comprehensive HI roadmaps that inform collaborations across the design, manufacturing and reliability spectrum between systems architects, packaging and semiconductor technologists to common goals. Although this article does not provide a full roadmap, we instead detail additional parameters for artificial intelligence, smartphone and other cellular communication devices, and their constituent building blocks including interconnects, power electronics, photonics, thermal management, reliability, modelling and co-design, to foster greater collaboration opportunities among academia, research laboratories and industry. Heterogeneous integration is essential to advances in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and mobile technologies. This Perspective outlines the emerging technology and challenges necessary to revise the technology roadmap to shape the future evolution of semiconductor systems and computing architectures.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 4","pages":"254-263"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00282-x
Xinyu Zhang, Huaping Liu
Flying cars integrate ground-vehicle mobility with aircraft capabilities, making them candidates for deployment in the low-altitude economy and emergency rescue. We have advanced three enabling technologies — morphology design, multi-modal fusion perception, and active safety — across four generations of flying-car platforms.
{"title":"Flying cars from design to commercialization","authors":"Xinyu Zhang, Huaping Liu","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00282-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00282-x","url":null,"abstract":"Flying cars integrate ground-vehicle mobility with aircraft capabilities, making them candidates for deployment in the low-altitude economy and emergency rescue. We have advanced three enabling technologies — morphology design, multi-modal fusion perception, and active safety — across four generations of flying-car platforms.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"335-336"},"PeriodicalIF":34.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148262038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-18DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00280-z
Rachel Won
NANOMETA 2026 revealed that the frontiers of nanophotonics and metamaterials are advancing faster than ever, driven by bold ideas and a deepening understanding of how light and information intertwine.
{"title":"The 10th International Topical Meeting on Nanophotonics and Metamaterials (NANOMETA 2026)","authors":"Rachel Won","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00280-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00280-z","url":null,"abstract":"NANOMETA 2026 revealed that the frontiers of nanophotonics and metamaterials are advancing faster than ever, driven by bold ideas and a deepening understanding of how light and information intertwine.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 4","pages":"208-208"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-18DOI: 10.1038/s44287-026-00277-8
Sustainable electronics must pair high performance with markedly lower energy consumption, material waste and environmental impact across the full lifecycle of electronic systems. Sustainable electronics must achieve high performance while dramatically cutting energy consumption, material waste and environmental impact across the entire lifecycle of electronic systems.
{"title":"Sustainable electronics for a sustainable future","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44287-026-00277-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44287-026-00277-8","url":null,"abstract":"Sustainable electronics must pair high performance with markedly lower energy consumption, material waste and environmental impact across the full lifecycle of electronic systems. Sustainable electronics must achieve high performance while dramatically cutting energy consumption, material waste and environmental impact across the entire lifecycle of electronic systems.","PeriodicalId":501701,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering","volume":"3 3","pages":"135-136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44287-026-00277-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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