Traditional photonic chips process data using light confined within optical waveguides on the chip surface. Although these chips excel in speed and bandwidth, a major challenge has been efficiently coupling the light from the chip to the external world. The light’s confinement in high-refractive-index materials and waveguides inhibits straightforward emission into free space, thus limiting system integration with devices requiring precise and scalable light projection. The new MIT-driven platform overcomes this bottleneck by mechanically sculpting the chip’s surface into three-dimensional nanoscale curved emitters, effectively bridging the chip-to-world interface with superior directional emission.

The core innovation arises from fabricating bilayer nanostructures composed of silicon nitride and aluminum nitride that, due to their differing thermal expansion coefficients, spontaneously curl upward upon cooling. This self-assembly process creates thousands of uniform, tiny “ski jumps” that protrude in three dimensions from the chip’s planar surface. Each individual ski jump acts as a nanoscale antenna, emitting coherent laser light into free space with precise angular control. By integrating rapid modulators and waveguide-fed light sources, the researchers can selectively activate and modulate each beam, effectively creating a dynamic matrix of steerable laser pixels.

Harnessing the spatial and temporal control of thousands of these emission sites simultaneously enables extraordinary resolution in projected images. The team successfully demonstrated full-color image projection with pixel arrays densely packed to achieve spatial densities approximately 15,000 times higher than conventional smartphone displays. These displays, rendered in free space above the chip, exhibit remarkable stability without active error correction, decoupling image fidelity from mechanical or thermal fluctuations. This capability holds enormous promise for compact, power-efficient augmented reality glasses and other near-eye display technologies where minimizing size and weight is critical.

Beyond display applications, the platform’s ability to create vast ensembles of controllable laser beams is particularly transformative for quantum technologies. Many quantum computing architectures rely on controlling millions of quantum bits (qubits) with optical signals. Conventional approaches struggle to deliver individual optical addressing at scale. The MIT system provides an elegant solution—akin to operating a million laser pointers simultaneously—with each beam addressable and steerable in real time, paving the way for scalable quantum control and readout in diamond-based qubit arrays and other photonic quantum devices.

The researchers built this work upon the collaborative Quantum Moonshot Program, involving MIT, the University of Colorado at Boulder, MITRE, and Sandia National Laboratories. The program’s long-term vision is to establish scalable quantum computing platforms, and the photonic ski jump emitters solve a crucial hardware gap by delivering optical control to diamond-based qubits. This scalable architecture emulates firing laser beams into free space over a large area, analogous to launching T-shirts into a sports stadium crowd, enabling interaction with millions of discrete light-matter nodes.

A key driver for the scalability and uniformity of the upward-curled emitters is the sophisticated nanofabrication method. By precisely patterning the strain-engineered bilayers, the team tuned the curvature and orientation of each emitter, ensuring coherent beam formation and consistent optical performance. This mechanical self-assembly approach circumvents limitations imposed by planar lithography, opening new design spaces for sculpted optoelectronic interfaces. As a result, the chip-to-world interface transforms from a passive light conduit into an active, programmable optical array.

The dynamic modulation apparatus integrated on the chip enables selective activation of laser beams with high temporal precision. By varying wavelengths and frequencies, the researchers can adjust emission parameters to “paint” detailed patterns of light in midair at near-physical limits of pixel density and brightness. Such precise optical patterning without bulky optics or mechanical scanning components substantially reduces complexity and power consumption for a wide range of photonics applications.

Applications extend into compact Lidar devices crucial for navigation and mapping in robotics and autonomous systems. These photonic ski jump arrays could produce highly directional, steerable laser emission for three-dimensional environmental sensing in a form factor small enough to fit on micro-robots or consumer electronics. The rapid beam steering capability offers improved resolution and scanning rates over traditional microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) Lidar modules, challenging the status quo in environmental perception technologies.

Additionally, the fast reconfigurable light patterns generated by these photonic chips could revolutionize volumetric 3D printing processes based on light-curing resins. Current layer-by-layer printing is time-intensive; simultaneous activation of massive arrays of laser spots could substantially accelerate printing speeds and enable the manufacture of more complex structures with nanoscale precision, presenting a new frontier for additive manufacturing technologies.

Looking ahead, the research team aims to further scale this platform by investigating the uniformity and yield of large emitter arrays, integrating multiple chips into composite systems, and thoroughly testing the devices’ robustness and lifespan under operational stresses. Such efforts are essential to transition this breakthrough from laboratory demonstrations to commercial and industrial-scale applications.

This novel photonic waveguide chip-to-world beam scanning platform stands to become a versatile optical engine, reshaping sectors ranging from consumer electronics to quantum science. By marrying the principles of nanomechanics, integrated photonics, and quantum control, the technology heralds a new era of compact, scalable optical systems with unprecedented control over the emission of light from the nanoscale to macroscopic spaces.

Subject of Research: Nanophotonic chip-to-free-space beam scanning and optical control in quantum and display systems
Article Title: Nanophotonic waveguide chip-to-world beam scanning
News Publication Date: 11-Mar-2026
Web References: DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-10038-6
Image Credits: MIT
Keywords: Photonics, Nanophotonics, Quantum computing, Applied optics, Nanotechnology

Traditional 3D printing methods frequently grapple with trade-offs between scalability, resolution, and throughput. Often, manufacturing repeated or diverse objects requires either lengthy print times or significant retooling. DISH addresses these limitations through a sophisticated integration of holographic light field synthesis, allowing it to selectively cure entire volumetric regions in a single rapid exposure. By accelerating the printing process to sub-second durations for millimeter-scale samples, DISH institutes a paradigm shift towards high-throughput, flexible production workflows.

Central to this innovation is the seamless integration of DISH with a fluidic channel system, a fluid pump, and a material recycling setup. This assembly facilitates a continuous-flow production model where newly printed objects are swiftly cleared from the exposure zone by the pump, while uncured material is collected and recycled via a strainer. Such an arrangement mimics industrial conveyor processes but with the flexibility to fabricate varied and intricate geometries on-demand—eschewing the need for fixed molds or tooling typical in mass production.

Visual demonstrations of DISH’s capabilities reveal an impressive spectrum of fabricated structures. Among these are cube frames, tetrahedrons, intricate floral shapes, squid models, and bifurcated tubes. The rapidity of production is evidenced by exposure times as brief as 0.6 seconds per structure, highlighting the technique’s potential in fields requiring large arrays of customized micro-objects. The ability to manufacture diverse geometries without interrupting flow exemplifies the technology’s agility and scalability.

Beyond speed and diversity, the fidelity and complexity achievable via DISH are equally revolutionary. Researchers successfully produced detailed statues such as the Theodoric, with careful replication of overhanging surfaces and fine features. Additionally, standard benchmarking models like the Benchy boat and squid figurines verified the method’s precision and smooth surface finishes. These accomplishments underscore DISH’s competence not just as a rapid producer but as a tool for fabricating industrial-grade, functional components.

Biomedical applications stand to benefit greatly from DISH’s volumetric, high-speed printing approach. For instance, helical tubes mimicking blood vessels were fabricated and validated through the injection of colored dyes, proving the true hollow nature of these structures. Such constructs are vital for tissue engineering and drug testing, where accurate vascular mimics are necessary. The technology’s one-sided light projection permits controlled in situ bioprinting on existing biological substrates, expanding regenerative medicine’s therapeutic toolkit.

One of the most challenging aspects for traditional 3D printing methods is fabricating unsupported chains and delicate hanging structures, which often require extensive supports or are prone to deformation. By curing entire 3D volumes simultaneously, DISH obviates the need for layerwise supports, increasing both the mechanical integrity and geometric freedom of printed parts. This attribute dramatically enhances the complexity of objects that can be realized, from delicate scaffolding to dynamic microdevices.

DISH’s versatility is further emphasized by its compatibility with a wide array of photocurable materials. Rigid resins such as dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate (DPHA) and bisphenol A glycerolate diacrylate (BPAGDA) were employed to create durable and precise models. On the softer side, biocompatible hydrogels like gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and silk fibrin methacryloyl (SilMA) were used to produce flexible, biomolecule-laden structures, crucial for tissue engineering. Even elastic materials, exemplified by urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA), have demonstrated compatibility, showcasing DISH’s broad application spectrum.

The integration of DISH into continuous flow printing systems points toward transformative industrial deployment. Its capability to rapidly alternate between complex geometries without physical mold changes greatly reduces downtime and increases production lines’ flexibility. This solves a long-standing bottleneck in custom manufacturing sectors, including electronics prototyping, microfluidics, and photonics device fabrication.

Moreover, the technique’s sub-second volumetric exposure time brings forth potential in high-throughput drug screening applications. By rapidly generating diverse microenvironments and tissue constructs, researchers can accelerate pharmacological testing cycles, thereby improving the pipeline from lab to clinic. Additionally, the digital nature of holographic light field synthesis allows seamless customization and on-the-fly modifications suited for personalized medicine.

The team behind DISH also demonstrated the successful printing of complex biomimetic structures in hydrogels with internal lumen, which could mimic natural vasculature’s dynamics and mechanics. These tissue-like scaffolds hold promise for regenerative therapies and in vitro models, where physiological relevance and spatial control are paramount. With possibilities for in situ printing on living surfaces, DISH could revolutionize clinical interventions requiring rapid, patient-specific implants.

In conclusion, DISH represents a leap forward in additive manufacturing technologies by resolving the fundamental conflicts between speed, precision, and versatility. Its ability to synthesize holographic light fields and cure entire 3D volumes in sub-second intervals heralds a new era of continuous, high-throughput production of diverse, complex structures. With demonstrated compatibility across a spectrum of photocurable materials and successful implementation in both industrial and biomedical contexts, DISH is positioned to impact a multitude of fields. As further refinements emerge, this technology could rewrite the rules of rapid manufacturing and open pathways to novel applications that were previously unattainable.

Subject of Research: Volumetric 3D printing technologies and high-speed mass production techniques.

Article Title: Sub-second volumetric 3D printing by synthesis of holographic light fields.

Article References:
Wang, X., Ma, Y., Niu, Y. et al. Sub-second volumetric 3D printing by synthesis of holographic light fields. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10114-5

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10114-5