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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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Scientists Create a Breakthrough Hologram Technology That Can Project 62 Images at Once

Imagine a single device that can project dozens of different holograms at the same time instead of just one. What once sounded like science fiction is now becoming reality. Researchers have developed a revolutionary technology that can generate 62 independent holograms simultaneously, opening the door to smarter displays, faster wireless communication, advanced radar systems, and next-generation virtual reality.

The breakthrough comes from researchers at Southeast University in China, who designed a new type of programmable metasurface capable of controlling light waves in ways that were previously impossible. Their work could transform how holograms are used across science, medicine, communications, and entertainment.

What Are Holograms?

Holograms are three-dimensional (3D) or two-dimensional (2D) images created by carefully controlling the shape and direction of light waves. Unlike ordinary photographs, holograms capture information about both the brightness and depth of an object, making them appear more realistic.

Today, holograms are already used in many areas, including:

  • Security features on credit cards and passports

  • Scientific measurements

  • Medical imaging

  • Education and training

  • Product displays

  • Virtual and augmented reality

Although hologram technology has improved greatly over the years, it still faces one major limitation: most systems can only display one hologram at a time.

The Challenge with Traditional Holograms

Scientists have long tried to display multiple holograms simultaneously. Existing methods use different properties of light, such as its wavelength, polarization, or orbital angular momentum, to carry separate holographic information.

However, these techniques have important drawbacks. As engineers try to increase the number of holograms, image quality often decreases. In other cases, the display becomes slower because the holograms are shown one after another instead of all at once.

This limits the performance of holographic displays in demanding applications such as virtual reality, intelligent displays, wireless communications, and advanced sensing systems.

Researchers wanted to solve this problem without sacrificing speed or image quality.

A Smarter Material Called a Programmable Metasurface

The research team developed an advanced programmable metasurface, an ultra-thin engineered material made of thousands of tiny controllable elements.

Unlike ordinary materials, a metasurface can manipulate electromagnetic waves with remarkable precision.

The new device contains 6,144 individually controlled elements. Each tiny unit can rapidly switch between two different phase states, allowing researchers to control both where and how light waves travel.

Instead of controlling light only across space, the new technology also changes the surface over time. This combination of space and time creates entirely new possibilities for holography.

The Inspiration Behind the Discovery

The researchers were originally studying optimization methods for space-time coding, a technique commonly used in wave manipulation.

During their work, they noticed that a mathematical method known as the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm worked exceptionally well when applied to space-time coding.

This observation led to an exciting realization.

Every harmonic frequency created by space-time coding could act like its own independent communication channel, carrying completely different information.

Instead of producing a single hologram, the researchers realized they could use these multiple harmonic channels to generate many holograms simultaneously.

This idea became the foundation of their breakthrough.

How the New System Works

The heart of the technology is a newly developed algorithm called the Space-Time Gerchberg-Saxton (ST-GS) algorithm.

Here's how it works in simple terms.

A single-frequency wave shines onto the programmable metasurface.

Each tiny element on the surface rapidly switches between two different phase states according to carefully designed timing patterns.

This rapid switching creates many harmonic frequencies at once.

You can think of it like playing a musical chord. One guitar string can produce several harmonics simultaneously, creating multiple notes from a single vibration.

Similarly, the metasurface produces multiple harmonic beams from one incoming wave.

The ST-GS algorithm then assigns a completely different holographic image to each harmonic frequency.

As a result, dozens of independent holograms appear at exactly the same time.

62 Holograms Generated Simultaneously

Using this innovative approach, the team successfully generated 62 separate holographic images simultaneously using just one programmable metasurface.

This achievement is remarkable because previous systems generally displayed only one high-quality hologram at a time.

Even more impressive, the metasurface operates at a refresh rate exceeding one million times per second (over 1 MHz) and delivers an equivalent coding bandwidth of approximately 6 gigabits per second (6 Gb/s).

Unlike conventional systems that rapidly alternate between images, this technology displays every hologram continuously at the same time.

That means there are no blind spots or interruptions, resulting in smoother and more reliable performance.

Much Faster Than Previous Methods

Another major advantage is speed.

Traditional optimization methods, such as particle swarm optimization, require significant computing time before generating holograms.

The new ST-GS algorithm is several orders of magnitude faster.

This enormous improvement makes real-time hologram generation possible, allowing the system to instantly respond to changing conditions.

The researchers also demonstrated this capability by building a dynamic multi-target tracking system, proving that the technology works reliably in practical situations.

Exciting Real-World Applications

This breakthrough could impact many industries.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Future VR and AR headsets could display richer, more detailed holographic environments with smoother performance and lower delays.

Smarter Wireless Communication

The technology can direct multiple beams toward different users simultaneously, making future wireless networks faster and more efficient.

Advanced Radar Systems

Military, aviation, and autonomous vehicles could use the system for high-speed beam steering and tracking multiple moving objects at once.

Remote Sensing

Scientists could monitor large areas more efficiently while collecting information from multiple locations simultaneously.

Scientific Imaging

Researchers could perform more advanced measurements and imaging experiments that require many independent wave patterns operating together.

Spectrum Analysis

The technology may also improve systems that analyze electromagnetic signals across different frequencies, benefiting telecommunications and scientific research.

What Comes Next?

The research team is already planning several improvements.

One goal is to integrate the ST-GS algorithm directly into the metasurface's built-in FPGA controller. This would allow the entire system to operate independently without needing an external computer, making it faster and more compact.

The researchers also hope to combine their space-time holography technique with other methods, including polarization and orbital angular momentum, to dramatically increase the number of holographic channels.

Beyond holography, they believe the same approach could be adapted for nonlinear systems, near-field imaging, far-field imaging, and advanced mathematical transformations used in optics.

These improvements could further expand the technology's capabilities and unlock entirely new applications.

A New Era for Holographic Technology

This breakthrough represents one of the most significant advances in programmable holography in recent years.

By combining an innovative programmable metasurface with the powerful ST-GS algorithm, researchers have demonstrated that generating dozens of independent holograms simultaneously is not only possible but practical.

As development continues, this technology could reshape fields ranging from communications and radar to virtual reality and scientific imaging.

What was once limited to displaying a single hologram can now create dozens at once—bringing us one step closer to the high-capacity holographic systems of the future.

Reference: Gu, Z., Ma, Q., Han, Z.Q. et al. Space-time holograms based on programmable metasurfaces. Nat Electron (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01647-8

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