Digital optics and optical intelligent agent

Abstract

Over the past few decades, digital optical technologies have undergone significant advancements and revolutionized the optical science and technologies. It not only challenges the classical optical frameworks (e.g., the laws of refraction and reflection, and the optical diffraction limit) but also enables unprecedented control over light–matter interactions. Early research in the digital optics field predominantly focused on validating fundamental principles and demonstrating proof-of-concept applications. Recently, the fast breakthroughs in computational electromagnetics, artificial intelligence, and cross-scale nanofabrication have dramatically improved the performances of digital optical components. These advancements are now propelling the field toward addressing a pivotal challenge: How can digital optics be harnessed to manipulate optical information and energy under complex and harsh environments? This rapidly evolving frontier has garnered substantial attention within the photonics community, establishing it as a pivotal enabler for next-generation optical/photonic technologies. This Perspective briefly reviews the history and current landscape of digital optics, with a focus on discussing its future development and challenge toward optical intelligent agents (OIAs).