An extensible photonic quantum computing architecture based on a fully programmable, scalable linear-optical network has been realized, and is enhanced by two addressable modules: an inline squeezing module for injecting nonlinear resources as input states and a Kerr interaction module for implementing effective nonlinear operations.

The introduction of trimethylphosphonium cations results in the formation of one-dimensional perovskitoid structures, enabling all-perovskite tandem solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 30.17%, 90% of which is retained after 2,000 h of operation.

Electronically tunable 2D perovskites optimize charge extraction in wide-bandgap solar cells, enabling perovskite/silicon tandem cells with a certified efficiency of 33.64% and excellent long-term stability.

By combining an array of 48 sensors with a diffractive mask and compressive sensing, researchers developed a 25 gigapixel-per-second computational microscope that can image at micrometre resolution across multi-centimetre areas at 120 frames per second.

It has been proposed that coated plasma mirrors could spontaneously form a focusing structure that strengthens the reflected laser intensity to enhance the efficiency of inverse Compton scattering. Now it is demonstrated that the efficiency can reach 10⁻³ with photon energies extending to hundreds of megaelectronvolts at a laser power of 400 TW.

Modulating exciton–exciton interactions in hybrid chiral metal halide heterostructures suppresses spin relaxation, enabling spin light-emitting diodes that directly emit circularly polarized light with a dissymmetry factor of 0.2 and a half-lifetime of 5,000 h at an initial luminance of 100 cd m⁻².

Nature Photonics spoke with Yongsheng Chen from Nankai University, who was recently elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, about milestones in organic photovoltaic research, key outstanding challenges and the breakthroughs needed to further develop the technology.

Optical neural networks promise unmatched efficiency, bandwidth, and latency — critical benefits as demand for neural network hardware surges. However, their practical value for general-purpose acceleration or specialized applications must be proven under application-realistic conditions. We discuss recent insights and outline key research priorities.

About two decades ago, proof-of-principle demonstrations used light to enable heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). Now, with over a million HAMR drives in the market, Nature Photonics spoke to Seagate VP of Research Ed Gage about what is arguably one of the greatest commercial success stories in plasmonics.

Orazio Svelto, one of the founding figures of modern laser physics, passed away on 9 January 2026, shortly before his 90th birthday. With his death, the global scientific community loses not only a pioneer whose ideas helped shape more than six decades of laser science, but also a master teacher, an institution builder, and a generous mentor whose legacy will continue to illuminate physics for generations.

John ‘JJ’ Joannopoulos, a pioneering condensed-matter theorist who contributed to the launch of modern nanophotonics and mentored a plethora of scientists and engineers, passed away on 17 August 2025, aged 78. In his five decades at MIT, JJ combined first-principles insights with a gift for nurturing people, shaping fields from ab initio materials theory to photonic crystals and their applications.

Characterizing and reporting photodetector performance demands common standards to ensure rigorous, reproducible and comparable practices.