Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing

Abstract Information security aims to protect confidentiality and prevent information leakage, which inherently conflicts with the goal of information sharing. Balancing these competing requirements is especially challenging in all-optical systems, where efficient data transmission and rigorous secu...

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Main Authors: Ziqing Guo, Zhiyu Tan, Xiaofei Zang, Teng Zhang, Guannan Wang, Hongguang Li, Yuanbo Wang, Yiming Zhu, Fei Ding, Songlin Zhuang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59763-6
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author Ziqing Guo
Zhiyu Tan
Xiaofei Zang
Teng Zhang
Guannan Wang
Hongguang Li
Yuanbo Wang
Yiming Zhu
Fei Ding
Songlin Zhuang
author_facet Ziqing Guo
Zhiyu Tan
Xiaofei Zang
Teng Zhang
Guannan Wang
Hongguang Li
Yuanbo Wang
Yiming Zhu
Fei Ding
Songlin Zhuang
author_sort Ziqing Guo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Information security aims to protect confidentiality and prevent information leakage, which inherently conflicts with the goal of information sharing. Balancing these competing requirements is especially challenging in all-optical systems, where efficient data transmission and rigorous security are essential. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate a metasurface-based approach that integrates phase manipulation, polarization conversion, as well as direction- and polarization-selective functionalities into all-optical diffractive neural networks (DNNs). This approach enables a polarization-controllable switch between unidirectional and bidirectional DNNs, thus simultaneously realizing information security and sharing. A cascaded terahertz metasurface comprising quarter-wave plates and metallic gratings is designed to function as a polarization-selective unidirectional-bidirectional classifier and imager. By introducing half-wave plates into a cascade metasurface, we achieve a polarization-controlled transition in unidirectional-bidirectional-unidirectional modes for classification and imaging. Furthermore, we demonstrate a high-security data exchange framework based on these polarization-selective DNNs. The proposed DNNs with polarization-switchable unidirectional/bidirectional capabilities offer significant potential for privacy protection, encryption, communications, and data exchange.
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institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
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spelling doaj-art-737cbbb7676641afae5b328ec612c4fa2025-08-20T01:51:32ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-59763-6Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharingZiqing Guo0Zhiyu Tan1Xiaofei Zang2Teng Zhang3Guannan Wang4Hongguang Li5Yuanbo Wang6Yiming Zhu7Fei Ding8Songlin Zhuang9Terahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyTerahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyTerahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyTerahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyTerahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyXi’an Institute of Applied OpticsXi’an Institute of Applied OpticsTerahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologySchool of Electronic Science and Technology, Eastern Institute of TechnologyTerahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyAbstract Information security aims to protect confidentiality and prevent information leakage, which inherently conflicts with the goal of information sharing. Balancing these competing requirements is especially challenging in all-optical systems, where efficient data transmission and rigorous security are essential. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate a metasurface-based approach that integrates phase manipulation, polarization conversion, as well as direction- and polarization-selective functionalities into all-optical diffractive neural networks (DNNs). This approach enables a polarization-controllable switch between unidirectional and bidirectional DNNs, thus simultaneously realizing information security and sharing. A cascaded terahertz metasurface comprising quarter-wave plates and metallic gratings is designed to function as a polarization-selective unidirectional-bidirectional classifier and imager. By introducing half-wave plates into a cascade metasurface, we achieve a polarization-controlled transition in unidirectional-bidirectional-unidirectional modes for classification and imaging. Furthermore, we demonstrate a high-security data exchange framework based on these polarization-selective DNNs. The proposed DNNs with polarization-switchable unidirectional/bidirectional capabilities offer significant potential for privacy protection, encryption, communications, and data exchange.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59763-6
spellingShingle Ziqing Guo
Zhiyu Tan
Xiaofei Zang
Teng Zhang
Guannan Wang
Hongguang Li
Yuanbo Wang
Yiming Zhu
Fei Ding
Songlin Zhuang
Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing
Nature Communications
title Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing
title_full Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing
title_fullStr Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing
title_full_unstemmed Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing
title_short Polarization-selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing
title_sort polarization selective unidirectional and bidirectional diffractive neural networks for information security and sharing
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59763-6
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