Metasurfaces take flight with 3D optical propulsion and levitation

Precise control over optical forces on objects with complex shapes represents a central challenge in nanophotonics. Kaushik Kudtarkar et al. demonstrate a new way to control microscopic objects by designing metasurfaces to refract light in unusual ways, showing the generation of optical forces that both push and lift tiny “metajets” in three dimensions, pointing toward scalable optical manipulation for applications from biology to space exploration.