Researcher Song Yanlin works at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) — A joint research team has recently achieved a breakthrough in the field of optical metamaterials, creating new avenues for multi-scale optical metamaterial research and micro-nano photonics applications.
The team, jointly led by the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National University of Singapore, has proposed a new paradigm for the scalable fabrication of optical metamaterials, achieving synergistic optimization of optical properties and structural design. The related findings were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
They independently developed a roll-to-roll additive nano-printing device — a first-of-its-kind manufacturing solution that overcomes the long-standing trade-off among low cost, large-scale production, and personalized customization of optical metamaterials.
This innovation enables large-scale controllable preparation and precise integration of multi-scale optical metamaterials, making production “as simple as printing newspapers,” said Song Yanlin, a researcher at the institute.
“The achievement represents a deep convergence of materials science, micro-nano optics, and advanced manufacturing,” Song said, “The roll-to-roll technology not only dismantles high-cost barriers and boosts mass-production efficiency, but also allows on-demand printing to tailor optical properties for each metamaterial pixel unit — an unprecedented capability that opens up new pathways for customized micro-nano optics research.”
The team aims to develop next-generation high-sensitivity optical sensing chips based on this technology in the future, while continuing to harness the synergy between intrinsic material properties and artificial structural design, Song said.
“The technology is expected to demonstrate substantial application potential and industrial value in key areas including photonic information, anti-counterfeiting imaging, precision medical sensing and green photonic energy,” he said. ■
Researcher Song Yanlin (1st R) communicates with students at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Associate researcher Li Huizeng shows a product at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Researcher Song Yanlin shows products at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Researcher Song Yanlin (C), associate researcher Li Huizeng (L) and Doctor Li Kaixuan communicate at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
A researcher works at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Researcher Song Yanlin (5th L), associate researcher Li Huizeng (1st R), Doctor Li Kaixuan (2nd L) and other team members pose for photos at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Researcher Song Yanlin (C), associate researcher Li Huizeng (R) and Doctor Li Kaixuan pose for photos at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Researcher Song Yanlin works at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Researcher Song Yanlin poses for photos at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Researcher Song Yanlin works at the laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
