A research team led by Professor SHI Jinhui from the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering at Harbin Engineering University (HEU), in collaboration with the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National University of Singapore, Jinan University, Guizhou Minzu University, and East China Normal University, has recently achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of chiral optics. The team proposed a novel metasurface structure that enables a highly robust chiral optical response with an ultrahigh quality factor. This finding offers new approaches for the practical application of high-performance chiral photonic devices, ultra-sensitive chiral sensors, and nonlinear optical components.

The results were published in eLight, a leading journal in optics, under the title “Robust chirality via merging accidental BICs with net zero topological charge.” HU Hui, a 2021 cohort Ph.D. student in the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, is the first author. Professors SHI Jinhui, QIU Chengwei, LI Guanhai, DENG Zilan, and HUANG Lujun serve as corresponding authors. HEU is recognized as the primary affiliation for this research.

Caption: Wide-momentum chiral metasurface based on merged BICs with net zero topological charge.

eLight focuses on cutting-edge and interdisciplinary fields including optics, photonics, and electromagnetics. Jointly published by Springer Nature and the Light Publishing Group, the journal is part of the Excellence Action Plan for China’s Science and Technology Journals. It is ranked as a Category 1 Top journal in both physics and astrophysics, and in optics. With an impact factor of 32.1 for 2025, it ranks second globally in the field of optics, trailing only Nature Photonics (impact factor 32.9).

Paper link: Hu, H., Zhou, C., Zhang, Y. et al. Robust chirality via merging accidental BICs with net zero topological charge. eLight 6, 12 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43593-026-00126-z