Author: Li Zhibin

Publisher: College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering  

Date: September 26, 2024  

A research team led by Yu Jianhui from the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering at Jinan University has made a significant breakthrough in the field of photonics. Their study, titled Dynamics of Polarization Tuned Mirror Symmetry Breaking in a Rotational Symmetry System, was published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.

(Screenshot of the papaer)

The research introduces a novel mechanism of mirror symmetry breaking (MSB) and lateral optical force (LOF) induced by linear polarization, which is prevalent in SO (2) rotational symmetric systems. The team established a double dipole theoretical model to elucidate the physical origins of this new MSB mechanism and LOF. They demonstrated the effective sinusoidal tuning of LOF through experiments involving oil droplets exhibiting mirror symmetry.

Co-first authors of the paper include doctoral students Zhang Yu, currently a specially appointed young researcher at Foshan University, and Li Zhibin, a postdoctoral fellow at Jinan University. Researcher Yu Jianhui serves as the sole corresponding author. Significant contributions were also made by Dr. Che Zhen from the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Infrastructure Platform Center, as well as Master’s student Zhang Wang and PhD student Zhang Yusen from Jinan University.

This research highlights the potential of utilizing the MSB mechanism and LOF for targeted transport and optical manipulation of droplets, such as drugs or surfactants, which could have important applications in medical diagnostics and analytical chemistry. The study was supported by funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Key Research and Development Program.

For further details, the full paper can be accessed [here]

(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49696-x).