{
  "abstract": "Programming light flow offers significant potential for diverse applications. However, conventional spatial light modulators are bulky, have large pixels, and slow switching. Miniaturized metasurface strategies offer flexibility but are limited to radial or azimuthal phase gradients, hindering free shaping of light flow in ultracompact footprints. Here, we present a meta-conveyor technique (MCT) using metasurfaces to encode user-defined optical flow, demonstrating programmable stable transport of nanoparticles (NPs) with arbitrary open-path round‑trip movement and on‑demand stopping. Theoretical analysis reveals efficient phase gradient switching from hybrid propagation and geometric phases, enabling tunable lateral optical forces via input and output polarization control. We validate universality with a maze‑solving meta‑conveyor that drives NPs from entrance to exit while avoiding dead ends. The MCT provides a compact, passive platform for programmable on‑chip manipulation, opening avenues for heterogeneously integrated clinical devices in minimally invasive and extreme environments. A meta-conveyor technique programs light flows with multichannel metasurfaces, enabling stable nanoparticle transport along arbitrary open-path round-trip movement and on-demand stopping for compact on-chip clinical devices.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Optical Quantum Materials, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China",
    "Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, and Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Quantum Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China",
    "Institute of Applied Physics, Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany",
    "Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany. fnan190730@gmail.com",
    "Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Materials Institute, and Materials Science and Engineering Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. zheng@austin.utexas.edu",
    "Department of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Optical Quantum Materials, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China. phchan@ust.hk",
    "Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China. phchan@ust.hk"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tianyue Li",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7682-7483"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiao Li",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6273-0621"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Zengyang Gao",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-5754-252X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jack Tsz Fai Ng",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9776-3714"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Vladan Blahnik"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Fan Nan",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0786-4974"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Yuebing Zheng",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9168-9477"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Che Ting Chan",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9335-8110"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cb33hd8bxt3q1.bib",
  "cited_by": 11,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-73024-0",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "cb33hd8bxt3q1",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73024-0",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3107|Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7160696100",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73024-0.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13157488",
  "pmid": "42106349",
  "published": "2026-05-09",
  "publisher": "Nature Portfolio",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cb33hd8bxt3q1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:18Z",
      "native_id": "W7160696100",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73024-0"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3107|Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics",
      "subfield": "optics-photonics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Freeform optical flow based on meta-conveyors for compact, programmable in situ nanomanipulation",
  "title_text": "Freeform optical flow based on meta-conveyors for compact, programmable in situ nanomanipulation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-05T13:20:42Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cb33hd8bxt3q1",
  "venue": "Nature Communications",
  "versions": []
}