Search

Abstract Parity-time (PT) symmetry has enabled the demonstration of fascinating wave phenomena in non-Hermitian systems characterized by precisely balanced gain and loss. Until now, the exploration and observation of PT symmetry in scattering settings have largely been limited to propagating waves. Here, we demonstrate a versatile coupled-resonator acoustic waveguide (CRAW) system that enables the observation of PT-symmetric scattering responses for evanescent waves within a bandgap. By examining the generalized scattering matrix in the evanescent wave regime, we observe hallmark PT-symmetric phenomena—including phase transitions at an exceptional point, anisotropic transmission resonances, and laser-absorber modes—in systems that do not require balanced distributions of gain and loss. Owing to the peculiar energy transfer features of evanescent waves, our results not only demonstrate a distinct pathway for observing PT symmetry, but also enable strategies for exotic energy tunneling mechanisms, paving fresh directions for wave engineering grounded in non-Hermitian physics.

Abstract Simultaneous manipulation of multiple degrees of freedom of light lies at the heart of photonics. Nonlinear wavefront shaping offers an exceptional way to achieve this goal by converting incident light into beams of new frequencies with spatially varied phase, amplitude, and angular momenta. Nevertheless, the reconfigurable control over structured light fields for advanced multimode nonlinear photonics remains a grand challenge. Here, we propose the concept of nonlinear geometric phase in an emerging ferroelectric nematic fluid, of which the second-order nonlinear susceptibility carries spin-dependent nonlinearity phase. A case study with photopatterned q-plates demonstrates the generation of second-harmonic optical vortices with spin-locked topological charges by using cascaded linear and nonlinear optical spin-orbit interactions. Furthermore, we present the dynamic tunability of second-harmonic structured light through temperature, electric field, and twisted elastic force. The proposed strategy opens new avenues for reconfigurable nonlinear photonics, with potential applications in optical communications, quantum computing, high-resolution imaging, etc.

Abstract Conventional hyperspectral cameras cascade lenses and spectrometers to acquire the spectral datacube, which forms the fundamental framework for hyperspectral imaging. However, this cascading framework involves tradeoffs among spectral and imaging performances when the system is driven toward miniaturization. Here, we propose a spectral singlet lens that unifies optical imaging and computational spectrometry functions, enabling the creation of minimalist, miniaturized and high-performance hyperspectral cameras. As a paradigm, we capitalize on planar liquid crystal optics to implement the proposed framework, with each liquid-crystal unit cell acting as both phase modulator and electrically tunable spectral filter. Experiments with various targets show that the resulting millimeter-scale hyperspectral camera exhibits both high spectral fidelity ( > 95%) and high spatial resolutions ( ~1.7 times the diffraction limit). The proposed “two-in-one” framework can resolve the conflicts between spectral and imaging resolutions, which paves a practical pathway for advancing hyperspectral imaging systems toward miniaturization and portable applications.

Abstract Wavefront control is the fundamental requirement in optical informatics. Planar optics have drawn intensive attention due to the merits of compactness and light weight. However, it remains a challenge to freely manipulate the dispersion, hindering practical applications, especially in imaging. Here, we propose the concept of frequency-synthesized phase engineering to solve this problem. A phasefront-frequency matrix is properly designed to encode different spatial phases to separate frequencies, thus makes arbitrary dispersion tailoring and even frequency-separated functionalization possible. The periodically rotated director endows cholesteric liquid crystal with a spin and frequency selective reflection. Moreover, via presetting the local initial orientation of liquid crystal, geometric phase is encoded to the reflected light. We verify the proposed strategy by cascading the chiral anisotropic optical media of specifically designed helical pitches and initial director orientations. By this means, planar lenses with RGB achromatic, enhanced chromatic aberration and color routing properties are demonstrated. Inch-sized and high-efficient lenses are fabricated with low crosstalk among colors. It releases the freedom of dispersion control of planar optics, and even enables frequency decoupled phase modulations. This work brings new insights to functional planar optics and may upgrade the performance of existing optical apparatuses.

An electron vortex beam (EVB) carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) plays a key role in a series of fundamental scientific researches, such as chiral energy-loss spectroscopy and magnetic dichroism spectroscopy. So far, almost all the experimentally created EVBs manifest isotropic doughnut intensity patterns. Here, based on the correlation between local divergence angle of electron beam and phase gradient along azimuthal direction, we show that free electrons can be tailored to EVBs with customizable intensity patterns independent of the carried OAM. As proof-of-concept, by using computer generated hologram and designing phase masks to shape the incident free electrons in the transmission electron microscope, three structured EVBs carrying identical OAM are tailored to exhibit completely different intensity patterns. Furthermore, through the modal decomposition, we quantitatively investigate their OAM spectral distributions and reveal that structured EVBs present a superposition of a series of different eigenstates induced by the locally varied geometries. These results not only generalize the concept of EVB, but also demonstrate an extra highly controllable degree of freedom for electron beam manipulation in addition to OAM.

Abstract The next generation of high-capacity, multi-task optical informatics requires sophisticated manipulation of multiple degrees of freedom (DoFs) of light, especially when they are coupled in a non-separable way. Vector beam, as a typical non-separable state between the spin and orbital angular momentum DoFs, mathematically akin to entangled qubits, has inspired multifarious theories and applications in both quantum and classical regimes. Although qubit rotation is a vital and ubiquitous operation in quantum informatics, its classical analogue is rarely studied. Here, we demonstrate the logical rotation of vectorial non-separable states via the uniform self-assembled chiral superstructures, with favorable controllability, high compactness and exemption from formidable alignment. Photonic band engineering of such 1D chiral photonic crystal renders the incident-angle-dependent evolution of the spatially-variant polarizations. The logical rotation angle of a non-separable state can be tuned in a wide range over 4π by this single homogeneous device, flexibly providing a set of distinguished logic gates. Potential applications, including angular motion tracking and proof-of-principle logic network, are demonstrated by specific configuration. This work brings important insight into soft matter photonics and present an elegant strategy to harness high-dimensional photonic states.

Abstract For classical waves, phase matching is vital for enabling efficient energy transfer in many scenarios, such as waveguide coupling and nonlinear optical frequency conversion. Here, we propose a temporal quasi-phase matching method and realize robust and complete acoustical energy transfer between arbitrarily detuned cavities. In a set of three cavities, A, B, and C, the time-varying coupling is established between adjacent elements. Analogy to the concept of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage, amplitudes of the two couplings are modulated as time-delayed Gaussian functions, and the couplings’ signs are periodically flipped to eliminate temporal phase mismatching. As a result, robust and complete acoustic energy transfer from A to C is achieved. The non-reciprocal frequency conversion properties of our design are demonstrated. Our research takes a pivotal step towards expanding wave steering through time-dependent modulations and is promising to extend the frequency conversion based on state evolution in various linear Hermitian systems to nonlinear and non-Hermitian regimes.

Abstract Endowing flexible and adaptable fiber devices with light-emitting capabilities has the potential to revolutionize the current design philosophy of intelligent, wearable interactive devices. However, significant challenges remain in developing fiber devices when it comes to achieving uniform and customizable light effects while utilizing lightweight hardware. Here, we introduce a mass-produced, wearable, and interactive photochromic fiber that provides uniform multicolored light control. We designed independent waveguides inside the fiber to maintain total internal reflection of light as it traverses the fiber. The impact of excessive light leakage on the overall illuminance can be reduced by utilizing the saturable absorption effect of fluorescent materials to ensure light emission uniformity along the transmission direction. In addition, we coupled various fluorescent composite materials inside the fiber to achieve artificially controllable spectral radiation of multiple color systems in a single fiber. We prepared fibers on mass-produced kilometer-long using the thermal drawing method. The fibers can be directly integrated into daily wearable devices or clothing in various patterns and combined with other signal input components to control and display patterns as needed. This work provides a new perspective and inspiration to the existing field of fiber display interaction, paving the way for future human–machine integration.

Abstract Branched flows occur ubiquitously in various wave systems, when the propagating waves encounter weak correlated scattering potentials. Here we report the experimental realization of electrical tuning of the branched flow of light using a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) system. We create the physical realization of the weakly correlated disordered potentials of light via the inhomogeneous orientations of the NLC. We demonstrate that the branched flow of light can be switched on and off as well as tuned continuously through the electro-optical properties of NLC film. We further show that the branched flow can be manipulated by the polarization of the incident light due to the optical anisotropy of the NLC film. The nature of the branched flow of light is revealed via the unconventional intensity statistics and the rapid fidelity decay along the light propagation. Our study unveils an excellent platform for the tuning of the branched flow of light which creates a testbed for fundamental physics and offers a new way for steering light.

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) with exceptionally high quality factors ($Q$ factors) have become focal points in photonic device research, finding applications in nonlinear enhancement, laser generation, sensing, and beyond. In this study, we systematically investigate the intricate relationship between the in-plane symmetry groups of photonic crystals and symmetry-protected BICs (SP-BICs) using a rigorous group theory approach. By modifying the spatial distribution of refractive indices to perturb the $C_{2}$ and $C_{3}$ symmetries within a $C_{6v}$ photonic crystal slab, we introduce a novel method to enable precise tuning of BIC resonances, including the BIC frequency, $Q$ factor, and polarization state. The proposed group theory approach and tuning mechanism establish a pioneering pathway for the design and tunability of BICs, opening avenues for the development of advanced photonic devices with tailored functionalities such as tunable lasers and optical sensors with enhanced performance.

Abstract Liquid crystals are a vital component of modern photonics, and recent studies have demonstrated the exceptional sensing properties of stimuli-responsive cholesteric liquid crystals. However, existing cholesteric liquid crystal-based sensors often rely on the naked eye perceptibility of structural color or the measurement of wavelength changes by spectrometric tools, which limits their practical applications. Therefore, developing a platform that produces recognizable sensing signals is critical. In this study, we present a visual sensing platform based on geometric phase encoding of stimuli-responsive cholesteric liquid crystal polymers that generates real-time visual patterns, rather than frequency changes. To demonstrate this platform’s effectiveness, we used a humidity-responsive cholesteric liquid crystal polymer film encoded with a q-plate pattern, which revealed that humidity causes a shape change in the vortex beam reflected from the encoded cholesteric liquid crystal polymers. Moreover, we developed a prototype platform towards remote humidity monitoring benefiting from the high directionality and long-range transmission properties of laser beams carrying orbital angular momentum. Our approach provides a novel sensing platform for cholesteric liquid crystals-based sensors that offers promising practical applications. The ability to generate recognizable sensing signals through visual patterns offers a new level of practicality in the sensing field with stimuli-responsive cholesteric liquid crystals. This platform might have significant implications for a broad readership and will be of interest to researchers working in the field of photonics and sensing technology.

Abstract The motional consensus of self-propelled particles is studied in both noise-free cases and cases with noise by the standard Vicsek model. In the absence of noise, we propose a simple method, using grid-based technique and defining the normalized variance of the ratio of the number of particles locally to globally, to quantitatively study the movement pattern of the system by the spatial distribution of the particles and the degree of aggregation of particles. It is found that the weaker correlation of velocity leads to larger degree of aggregation of the particles. In the cases with noise, we quantify the competition between velocity alignment and noise by considering the difference of the variety of order parameter result from the velocity alignment and noise. The variation of the effect of noise on motional consensus is non-monotonic for the change of the probability distribution of noise from uniform to non-uniform. Our results may be useful and encourage further efforts in exploring the basic principles of collective motion.

Abstract The increasing demand for the multidimensional and dynamic control of light has spurred the development of stimuli‐responsive, reconfigurable, and programmable optical systems. Liquid crystals (LCs), which combine liquid‐like stimuli‐responsiveness and crystal‐like orientational ordering, have emerged as highly appealing soft materials. Owing to their exceptional optical performance and programmable functionalities, they are becoming incredibly important materials in active planar optics and photonics. Additionally, silk proteins, luminescent materials, and metasurfaces exhibit dynamic optical properties, enabling remarkable multifunctional applications. This review focuses on the advancements in stimuli‐responsive materials, including LCs, silk proteins, luminescent materials, and active metasurfaces as well as some of these materials paired with LCs. Their attractive tunable applications in optics and photonics, along with the great potential for the future development of active optical systems, are also emphasized.

Abstract Circularly polarized luminescent (CPL) materials have received significant attention in the field of fundamental science recently. These materials offer substantial advancement of technological applications, such as optical data storage, displays, and quantum communication. Various strategies have been proposed in self‐assembled materials consisting of inorganic, organic, and hybrid systems, particularly in the chiral orientationally ordered soft matter systems (e.g., chiral liquid crystals (LCs) and LC polymers). However, developing scientific approaches to achieve the pronounced and steerable circularly polarized light emission remains challenging. Herein, we present a comprehensive review on the recent development of CPL materials based on chiral LCs, including thermotropic LCs (cholesteric LCs and bent‐core LCs), lyotropic LCs (nanocellulose LCs and polyacetylene‐based LCs), and LC polymers (cholesteric LC‐based polymers, helical nanofibers, and helical network). In addition, the fundamental mechanisms, design principles, and potential applications based on these chiral LCs and LC polymers in soft matter systems are systematically reviewed. This review summarizes with a prospect on the latent challenges, which can strengthen our understanding of the basic principles of CPL in chiral orientationally ordered soft matter systems and provide a new insight into the progress in several fields, such as chemistry, materials science, optics, electronics, and biology.

This paper reviews recent advances in self-assembled liquid crystalline architectures in terms of their fabrications, manipulations, as well as emerging applications.

It remains unclear whether transverse orbital angular momentum beams can maintain OAM values above 1. Here the authors demonstrate the generation of beams with transverse OAM up to 100 by the inverse design of phase and find an intrinsic dispersion factor to describe the nontrivial evolution of such beams.

The intrinsic limitation of single spin-selective Pancharatnam-Berry phase in common chiral anisotropic media has been broken by a refilled polymer network with opposite chirality and delicate photo-patterned superstructures.

Abstract Wavefront control lies at the heart of modern optics. Metasurfaces with specifically tailored resonators can encode different phases to two orthogonal polarization components, but suffer from wavelength‐dependent efficiency, sophisticated fabrication, and limited size. Liquid crystals, another excellent candidate for planar optics, are restricted to spin‐coupled conjugated phase modulations. Planar optics with spin‐decoupled functions is expected to release the multifunctionality of modern optics. Here, a spin‐decoupled transflective spatial light modulator is presented with a piecewise‐twisted anisotropic monolayer. The phases of reflected and transmitted light can be independently customized by preprogramming the initial orientations of the periodic helix and mirror‐symmetric dual‐twist configuration, respectively. A transflective orbital angular momentum encoder and decoder is demonstrated, which is simultaneously compatible with different multiplexing techniques. This work releases the multifunctionality of advanced planar optics and may upgrade existing devices in optical informatics.

Abstract In recent years, the integration of graphene and related two-dimensional (2D) materials in optical fibers have stimulated significant advances in all-fiber photonics and optoelectronics. The conventional passive silica fiber devices with 2D materials are empowered for enhancing light-matter interactions and are applied for manipulating light beams in respect of their polarization, phase, intensity and frequency, and even realizing the active photo-electric conversion and electro-optic modulation, which paves a new route to the integrated multifunctional all-fiber optoelectronic system. This article reviews the fast-progress field of hybrid 2D-materials-optical-fiber for the opto-electro-mechanical devices. The challenges and opportunities in this field for future development are discussed.

Abstract As a promising candidate for next-generation mobile platforms, virtual reality and augmented reality have the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive and interact with various types of digital information. In the meantime, ultrathin planar liquid crystal polarization optics are enabling a new evolutionary trend in near-eye displays. A recent invited review paper published in eLight provides an insightful review on liquid crystal optical elements and their applications toward AR and VR.

In nonlinear optical systems, the optical superposition principle breaks down. The system’s response (including electric polarization, current density, etc) is not proportional to the stimulus it receives. Over the past half century, nonlinear optics has grown from an individual frequency doubling experiment into a broad academic field. The nonlinear optics has not only brought new physics and phenomena, but also has become an enabling technology for numerous areas that are vital to our lives, such as communications, health, advanced manufacturing, et al . This Roadmap surveys some of the recent emerging fields of the nonlinear optics, with a special attention to studies in China. Each section provides an overview of the current and future challenges within a part of the field, highlighting the most exciting opportunities for future research and developments.

Optically reconfigurable elements are in demand for future applications. The authors report on the use of chirality-invertible cholesteric liquid crystals to actively manipulate geometric phase and create switchable planar optics elements that perform a variety of functions.

Abstract We propose and numerically demonstrate a conversion and multicasting scheme of orbital angular momentum (OAM) states by using N-core supermode fiber (NCSF), where the topological charges of converted OAM states mainly depend on the injected OAM state and the number of fiber cores. The conversion efficiency (CE) of the converted OAM states could be optimized by properly designing the fiber structure. Take N = 6 as an example, ~37% CE could be achieved at telecom bands. Moreover, even for a fabricated NCSF, the CE could be dynamically changed by stretching the fiber or by adjusting the refractive index of the fiber cores through external control of the environmental conditions. Meanwhile, OAM multicasting could also be realized in the designed NCSF. The crosstalk between the multicasted OAM channels and their neighboring ones are assessed to be less than −30 dB. The proposed fiber-based OAM conversion and multicasting system is compatible with the existing optical fiber communication systems, showing potential applications in the future.

Photonics: light-matter interaction acts as magnetic field Liquid crystal based materials demonstrate spin-like phenomena (presumably in solid state systems), driven by light-matter interactions. A team led by Wei Hu and Yangqing Lu at Nanjing University and collaborators in Taiwan designed and made liquid crystal based twisting materials by controlling the directors of the liquid crystal molecules. The twisting structures with different transverse distributions are introduced into the liquid crystal plates so that the light-matter interactions behave analogous to spin-orbit interactions in an electronic solid state system. Acting as a magnetic field, the light-matter interaction enables the spin-Hall effect of photon in such twisting mediums. Due to a flexible designability of the liquid crystal system, the study provides a platform for complex interactions which may be useful in photonic quantum simulations.

We demonstrate a state variable fiber pulse laser based on a graphene-integrated microfiber device. A 3-D microfiber coil integrated with graphene acts as a polarization-sensitive saturable absorber. By adjusting the polarization controllers, stable Q-switched pulses and mode-locked rectangular pulses are observed. To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted to achieve switching between rectangular pulses and Q-switched pulses while keeping the pump power constant. The rectangular pulses have a pulsewidth and repetition rate of ~10 ns and ~940 kHz, respectively, and the Q-switched pulses have a pulsewidth and repetition rate of ~40 μs and ~4.8 kHz, respectively.

A flexible wireless dielectric sensor is presented here for noninvasively monitoring the permittivity and conductivity of fluids, based on resistor−inductor−capacitor (RLC) resonant circuit and capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) technique. The RLC sensor consists of one single-turn inductor and one interdigital capacitor. The resonant frequency of the device is sensitive to the surrounding environment, thanks to the electric field leaked out between the interdigital capacitor electrodes. Through the high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) simulation, and experiments on ethanol/water solutions and NaCl solutions, it was confirmed that a fluid’s permittivity and conductivity could be detected by the return loss curve (S11). With great repeatability and stability, the proposed sensor has potential for broad applications, especially in wearable low-cost smart devices.

Three types of ent-kaurane diterpenoids were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon excisoides, including three new diterpenoids, 1α,7α,14β-trihydroxy-20-acetoxy-ent-kaur-15-one (1); 1α,7α,14β,18-tetrahydroxy-20-acetoxy-ent-kaur-15-one (2); and 1α-acetoxy-14β-hydroxy-7α,20-epoxy-ent-kaur-16-en-15-one (3); together with six known diterpenes henryin (4); kamebanin (5); reniformin C (6); kamebacetal A (7); kamebacetal B (8); and oridonin (9). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry in conjunction with published data for their analogs, as well as their fragmentation patterns. Compounds 5 and 9 were isolated from Isodon excisoides for the first time. To explore the structure-activity relationships of the isolated compounds, they were tested for their cytotoxic effects against five human cancer cell lines: HCT-116, HepG2, A2780, NCI-H1650, and BGC-823. Most of the isolated compounds showed certain cytotoxic activity against the five cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 1.09–8.53 µM. Among the tested compounds, compound 4 exhibited the strongest cytotoxic activity in the tested cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 1.31–2.07 µM. Compounds 1, 6, and 7 exhibited selective cytotoxic activity.

A tunable dual-wavelength filter is experimentally demonstrated in domain-engineered lithium niobate. Application of an electric field on the y-surfaces of the sample results in the optical axes rotating clockwise and anticlockwise, which makes selective polarization rotation. The quasi phase-matching wavelengths could be adjusted through suitable domain design. A unique dual valley spectrum is obtained in a periodically poled lithium niobate structure with a central defect if the sample is placed between two parallel polarizers. The expected bandwidth could be varied from ∼1 nm to ∼40 nm. Moreover, both the spectral response and group delay dispersion could be engineered.

Liquid crystal (LC) is a promising candidate for terahertz (THz) devices. Recently, LC has been introduced to generate THz vortex beams. However, the efficiency is intensely dependent on the incident wavelength, and the transformed THz vortex beam is usually mixed with the residual component. Thus, a separating process is indispensable. Here, we introduce a gradient blazed phase, and propose a THz LC forked polarization grating that can simultaneously generate and separate pure THz vortices with opposite circular polarization. The specific LC gradient-rotation directors are implemented by a photoalignment technique. The generated THz vortex beams are characterized with a THz imaging system, verifying features of polarization controllability. This work may pave a practical road towards generating, separating and polarizing THz vortex beams, and may prompt applications in THz communications, sensing and imaging.

Here, we report a fiber-optic point-based sensor to measure temperature and weight based on correlated specklegrams induced by spatial multimode interference. The device is realized simply by splicing a multimode fiber (MMF) to a single-mode fiber (SMF) with a core offset. A series of experiments demonstrates the approximately linear relation between the correlation coefficient and variation. Furthermore, we show the potential applications of the refractive index sensing of our device by disconnecting the splicing point of MMF and SMF. A modification of the algorithm in order to improve the sensitivity of the sensor is also discussed at the end of the paper.

Cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) has attracted intensive attention due to its ability to form a periodic helical structure with broad tunability. CLC gratings in open systems are especially promising in sensing and micromanipulation. However, there is still much to learn about the inherent mechanism of such gratings. We investigate the light-driven rotation and pitch-tuning behaviors of CLC gratings in semi-free films which are formed by spin-coating the CLC mixtures onto planarly photoaligned substrates. The doped azobenzene chiral molecular switch supplies great flexibility to realize the continuous grating rotation. The maximum continuous rotational angle reaches 987.8°. Moreover, dependencies of light-driven rotation and pitch tuning on the dopant concentration and exposure are studied. The model of director configuration in the semi-free film is constructed. Precise beam steering and synchronous micromanipulation are also demonstrated. Our work may provide new opportunities for the CLC grating in applications of beam steering, micromanipulation, and sensing.

Activation of Notch signaling pathway in cancer stem cells plays a crucial role in the regulation of selfrenewal and maintenance of side population cells. In the present study, we have identified cancer stem like 2.7% side population cells from nasopharyngeal carcinoma samples whose prevalence was significantly reduced to 0.3% upon verapamil treatment. The protein level of Notch1 and Hes-1 are highly up-regulated in fluorescence-activated cell sorting purified side population cells and thus leads to the elevated expression of stem cell surface proteins (Oct-4, Sox2 and Nanog), which are essential for side population cells self-renewal. In addition, these nasopharyngeal carcinoma side population cells are CD133 and CD44 positive and they possess enhanced cell proliferation rate, highly tumorgenic and invasive. Our findings suggest that Notch1 signaling is a potential target of novel anticancer drugs, which could efficiently target and eradicate the cancer stem cells.

Multidimensional solitons are prevalent in numerous research fields. In orientationally ordered soft matter system, three-dimensional director solitons exemplify the localized distortion of molecular orientation. However, their precise manipulation remains challenging due to unpredictable and uncontrolled generation. Here, we utilize preimposed programmable photopatterning in nematics to control the kinetics of director solitons. This enables both unidirectional and bidirectional generation at specific locations and times, confinement within micron-scaled patterns of diverse shapes, and directed propagation along predefined trajectories. A focused dynamical model provides insight into the origins of these solitons and aligns closely with experimental observations, underscoring the pivotal role of anchoring conditions in soliton manipulation. Our findings pave the way for diverse fundamental research avenues and promising applications, including microcargo transportation and optical information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]