Chao He

Traditional optics typically handles scalar beams or only partially controls the vectorial properties of light, failing to achieve precise dynamic control of high-dimensional beams in both input and output states. Therefore, comprehensive and dynamic control of light's polarization, phase, intensity, and other properties at every pixel within high-dimensional beam manipulation, along with its interaction with matter, remains a fundamental challenge.

Chao He focuses on high-dimensional light-field manipulation, with an emphasis on vectorial optics and photonics. By developing novel methods and devices, he has achieved dynamic, precise control over multiple properties of light, including its polarization, phase, and intensity.

Leveraging vectorial optical principle, Chao He's team aims to enable early cancer diagnosis and precise tumor grading/subtyping, presenting pathological interpretations in quantitative formats to advance virtual staining and digital pathology.

He proposed and implemented “vectorial adaptive optics” to simultaneously correct both polarization and phase aberrations, significantly enhancing imaging quality and information fidelity in complex media. He also developed a “virtual pixel” technology using cascaded tunable elements, creating the first dynamically tunable arbitrary elliptical retarder array. This system enables arbitrary-to-arbitrary conversions of vectorial light fields, offering new solutions for high-throughput optical manipulation. Using this platform, he generated topologically protected optical skyrmions and demonstrated their robustness in perturbed environments, paving the way for novel optical communication, computing, and interconnect devices.

His research combines theoretical depth with practical implementation, delivering critical tools and introducing a new paradigm for biomedical imaging and next-generation optical information technologies.