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Applied Sciences
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Interdisciplinary Approaches and Applications of Optics & Photonics, 2nd Edition
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Interdisciplinary Approaches and Applications of Optics & Photonics, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Optics and Lasers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2026 | Viewed by 948

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manuel Filipe Pereira da Cunha Martins Costa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center of Physics of the Universities of Minho and Porto, School of Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: optical metrology; image processing; thin films, micro- and nanostructures systems and applications; optics education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sandra Franco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center of Physics of the Universities of Minho and Porto, School of Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: vision sciences; adaptative optics; optometry; instrumentation; ocular aberrations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 7th International Conference on Applications of Optics and Photonics, AOP2026, will be held in Lisbon (Portugal), July 7–10, 2026, organized by the Portuguese Society for Optics and Photonics. Since its first iteration back in 2011, the AOP conference has fostered, in an open, friendly, and stimulating environment, the establishment of a wide range of cooperative projects and relationships with colleagues and institutions involved in research and education in optics and photonics from across the globe. Open to contributions from all domains of optics and photonics and application fields, with this conference, we expect to review the state of the art in these subjects and predict and discuss the future of optics and photonics research. A large number of plenary and keynote lectures by world-renowned researchers in all fields of optics and photonics will contribute to the high quality of this conference’s varied and exciting scientific program.

We are honored to serve as Guest Editors of this Special Issue of Applied Sciences, which will showcase a selection of revised, expanded, and improved versions of papers submitted and accepted at the AOP2026 conference in all subjects relevant to Applied Sciences. Its main scope is to provide a broad collection of the most innovative research discussed at the latest iteration of the conference related to all topics concerning optics and photonics applications. We warmly invite researchers to submit their contributions, both original research articles and review papers, to this Special Issue. Submittions on topics in any and all fields of optics will be considered. Research of an interdisciplinary nature is particularly welcomed.

Dr. Manuel Filipe Pereira da Cunha Martins Costa
Dr. Sandra Franco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • optics, photonics, and nano-photonics
  • plasmonics
  • theoretical optics and quantum and nonlinear optics
  • optical communications and sensors
  • optical fibers and applications
  • biophotonics and biomedical and medical applications of optics and photonics
  • ultrafast lasers and ultrafast optics
  • power lasers
  • optical metrology, image processing, and industrial applications
  • optometry, ophthalmic optics, and color and visual sciences
  • optoelectronics
  • microwave photonics
  • photonics and optical instrumentation for space and astronomy
  • optics and photonics for smart mobility and smart cities

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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23 pages, 5736 KB  
Article
Novel Imaging Devices: Coding Masks and Varifocal Systems
by Cristina M. Gómez-Sarabia and Jorge Ojeda-Castañeda
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(19), 10743; https://doi.org/10.3390/app151910743 - 6 Oct 2025
Viewed by 478
Abstract
To design novel imaging devices, we use masks coded with numerical sequences. These masks work in conjunction with varifocal systems that implement zero-throw tunable magnification. Some masks control field depth, even when the size of the pupil aperture remains fixed. Pairs of vortex [...] Read more.
To design novel imaging devices, we use masks coded with numerical sequences. These masks work in conjunction with varifocal systems that implement zero-throw tunable magnification. Some masks control field depth, even when the size of the pupil aperture remains fixed. Pairs of vortex masks are used to implement tunable phase radial profiles, like axicons and lenses. The autocorrelation properties of the Barker sequences are applied to the generation of narrow passband windows on the OTF. For this application, we apply Barker matrices in rectangular coordinates. A similar procedure, but now in polar coordinates, is useful for sensing in-plane rotations. We implement geometrical transformations by using zero-throw, tunable, anamorphic magnifications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinary Approaches and Applications of Optics & Photonics, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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23 pages, 507 KB  
Review
High-Intensity vs. High-Power Laser Therapy: Biophysical Implications of a Semantic Ambiguity and the Distinct Role of Photoacoustic Effects
by Damiano Fortuna, Fabrizio Margheri, Scott Parker and Francesca Rossi
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16010067 - 20 Dec 2025
Viewed by 92
Abstract
Words matter in science, particularly when they define technologies with distinct biological mechanisms. High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) is often conflated with High-Power Laser Therapy or High-Level Laser Therapy (HPLT/HLLT), despite these terms referring to laser systems with fundamentally different physical properties and therapeutic [...] Read more.
Words matter in science, particularly when they define technologies with distinct biological mechanisms. High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) is often conflated with High-Power Laser Therapy or High-Level Laser Therapy (HPLT/HLLT), despite these terms referring to laser systems with fundamentally different physical properties and therapeutic effects. While many therapeutic lasers can elicit photochemical and photothermal effects, only devices delivering high-peak, short-duration pulses at very low duty cycles are able to generate acoustic pressure waves, which are characteristic of true HILT systems. These photoacoustic effects uniquely activate mechanotransduction pathways involved in cellular differentiation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and long-term tissue regeneration. This review highlights the widespread misclassification in the laser therapy literature, where devices lacking genuine photoacoustic capabilities are often incorrectly described as HILT. Such semantic ambiguity not only undermines biological specificity, but also inflates clinical claims, misleading practitioners, and obscures the comparative interpretation of clinical studies. Within the laser science community, it is widely recognized that average power alone is insufficient to characterize a therapeutic mechanism of laser therapies, as it does not provide insight into ability to generate pressure waves. To resolve these issues, we propose a mechanism-based classification that clearly distinguishes photochemical, photothermal, and photoacoustic effects. We further provide a quantitative comparison showing that systems delivering the same total energy produce peak parameters that differ by orders of magnitude depending on duty-cycle architecture, reinforcing the need for mechanism-based classification. We also advocate for greater rigor in reporting technical parameters such as peak power, pulse duration, and duty cycle. By ensuring proper terminology and transparent reporting, this framework will advance scientific rigor, facilitate accurate comparisons across studies, and improve the clinical application of regenerative medicine therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinary Approaches and Applications of Optics & Photonics, 2nd Edition)
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