Light–Matter Interactions in Nanophotonics and Optoelectronics

Dear Colleagues,

Light–matter interactions at the nanoscale lie at the heart of modern nanophotonics and optoelectronics and constitute a cornerstone for the development of next-generation photonic technologies. Over the past decades, remarkable advances in nanofabrication, material science, and theoretical modeling have enabled unprecedented control over the interaction between electromagnetic waves and matter, down to subwavelength and even atomic dimensions. These advances have opened new pathways for tailoring optical properties, enhancing light confinement, and engineering strong, nonlinear, and quantum optical effects in integrated and nanoscale platforms.

Nanophotonic and optoelectronic systems now rely on a broad range of material platforms, including semiconductors, dielectrics, metals, phase-change materials, two-dimensional materials, and hybrid organic–inorganic systems. By exploiting resonant nanostructures, metasurfaces, plasmonic and dielectric nanoantennas, photonic crystals, and waveguide-based architectures, light–matter interactions can be significantly enhanced and engineered for specific functionalities. These approaches have enabled compact and efficient devices for light generation, modulation, detection, and manipulation across a wide spectral range, from the ultraviolet and visible to the infrared and terahertz domains.

The ability to precisely control light–matter coupling at the nanoscale is a key enabler for emerging applications such as integrated optical sensing, biosensing, energy harvesting, optical communications, nonlinear and ultrafast optics, and quantum photonics. Furthermore, the convergence of nanophotonics with optoelectronics fosters the development of multifunctional and reconfigurable devices, offering improved performance, reduced footprints, and enhanced energy efficiency. Ongoing research efforts aim to overcome current challenges related to losses, scalability, fabrication complexity, and system-level integration, while exploring novel physical phenomena and unconventional material platforms.

This Special Issue of Applied Sciences aims to bring together high-quality contributions that highlight recent advances and emerging trends in Light–Matter Interactions in Nanophotonics and Optoelectronics. We invite original research articles and comprehensive reviews addressing theoretical, numerical, and experimental aspects of light–matter interaction at the nanoscale. Contributions may cover fundamental studies, innovative device concepts, fabrication and characterization techniques, as well as application-oriented developments.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Engineering and enhancement of light–matter interactions in nanostructures;
• Plasmonic, dielectric, and hybrid nanophotonic systems;
• Nonlinear and ultrafast nanophotonics;
• Nanophotonic and optoelectronic devices for sensing and detection;
• Metasurfaces and meta-optics;
• Light–matter interactions in low-dimensional and quantum materials
• Integrated nanophotonics and optoelectronics;
• Novel materials and fabrication approaches for nanoscale photonics;
• Applications in quantum photonics, energy, and information technologies.

Dr. Ali Belarouci
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• light–matter interaction
• nanophotonics
• optoelectronics
• metasurfaces
• plasmonics
• integrated photonics
• nonlinear optics
• nanostructured materials