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Yang M, Shi Y, Song Q, Wei Z, Dun X, Wang Z, Wang Z, Qiu CW, Zhang H, Cheng X. Optical sorting: past, present and future. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2025; 14:103. [PMID: 40011460 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01734-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 12/02/2024] [Accepted: 12/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2025]
Abstract
Optical sorting combines optical tweezers with diverse techniques, including optical spectrum, artificial intelligence (AI) and immunoassay, to endow unprecedented capabilities in particle sorting. In comparison to other methods such as microfluidics, acoustics and electrophoresis, optical sorting offers appreciable advantages in nanoscale precision, high resolution, non-invasiveness, and is becoming increasingly indispensable in fields of biophysics, chemistry, and materials science. This review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the history, development, and perspectives of various optical sorting techniques, categorised as passive and active sorting methods. To begin, we elucidate the fundamental physics and attributes of both conventional and exotic optical forces. We then explore sorting capabilities of active optical sorting, which fuses optical tweezers with a diversity of techniques, including Raman spectroscopy and machine learning. Afterwards, we reveal the essential roles played by deterministic light fields, configured with lens systems or metasurfaces, in the passive sorting of particles based on their varying sizes and shapes, sorting resolutions and speeds. We conclude with our vision of the most promising and futuristic directions, including AI-facilitated ultrafast and bio-morphology-selective sorting. It can be envisioned that optical sorting will inevitably become a revolutionary tool in scientific research and practical biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yang
- Institute of Precision Optical Engineering, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Digital Optics, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yuzhi Shi
- Institute of Precision Optical Engineering, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Digital Optics, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Qinghua Song
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zeyong Wei
- Institute of Precision Optical Engineering, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Digital Optics, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiong Dun
- Institute of Precision Optical Engineering, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Digital Optics, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Zhiming Wang
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Zhanshan Wang
- Institute of Precision Optical Engineering, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Digital Optics, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Cheng-Wei Qiu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117583, Singapore.
| | - Hui Zhang
- Institute of Precision Optical Engineering, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Digital Optics, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Xinbin Cheng
- Institute of Precision Optical Engineering, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Digital Optics, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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