Apart from using high-grade modern steel, is there any way to improve on swords in a modern or near-future setting?
Let's assume light sabers are science fantasy. Let's also assume that bonding a titanium cutting edge to a steel or other core doesn't improve effectiveness enough to warrant the convoluted construction.
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Vibro blades?
Nano-machine edge that displaces matter that touches it to the sides?
Not really, unless you go the route of and start making stuff up.
I'd rather have nano-machines colonize the grain of the steel to constantly clean and sharpen the blade
Lemme tell you something about glorious Nippon and the majestic katana blade
Heated edges.
Nanoscopically-sharpened edges.
Forcefields used as a shearing edge.
Modern understanding of metallurgy and 100% precise machine tools can improve a lot of things about a sword's manufacture.
We don't know what advances will be made in those fields.
Nanomachine swords are straying into science fantasy territory.
Vibrational blades sound a bit more down-to-earth. Industrial supersonic cutters already exist.
I'm just not sure how a vibroblade wouldn't make your entire arm go numb in a matter of seconds.
Ceramics just as good as steel is one route
The dream would be a 1 for 1 comparison between steel and ceramic, then ceramic would be by default better because it's easier and faster to shape and mass produce.
I don't know how effective a vibroblade would actually be at cutting through body armor in a timely fashion.