Current Trends in Nanophotonics and Molecular-Scale Light Control
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Nanoscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 27 February 2026 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editor
Interests: nanophotonics; plasmonics & phonon polaritons; molecular-scale sensing; bioimaging & biomedical optics; thermal photonics; light–matter interaction at the nanoscale; nanostructured materials & metamaterials
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nanophotonics is redefining how we generate, guide, and manipulate light, offering unprecedented control of light–matter interactions at the nanoscale. Through advances in metamaterials, emerging 2D systems, and photonic crystals, researchers can now engineer the spectral, spatial, and temporal properties of light with exquisite precision. This capability enables deep subwavelength confinement, tailored dispersion, and customized emission profiles, unlocking physical regimes that were once inaccessible.
Beyond its fundamental significance, nanophotonics is rapidly transforming the molecular sciences. Optical fields structured at the nanoscale can interrogate, detect, and influence matter with molecular-level sensitivity, enabling powerful new tools for chemical analysis, single-molecule detection, and bioimaging. Photonic architectures are driving targeted phototherapies, enhancing molecular sensing, and opening fresh opportunities to monitor and manipulate biochemical processes in real time. By bridging nanoscale photonic engineering with molecular-scale functionality, nanophotonics stands as a key enabler of breakthroughs in healthcare, sensing, quantum technologies, and energy systems. This Special Issue highlights these frontiers, gathering pioneering work that advances both the science and the application of light at the smallest scales.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Polaritonic platforms and molecular metamaterials: harnessing strong coupling and engineered media for advanced light control.
- Novel materials and photonic crystal designs, including 2D materials, hybrid nanostructures, and molecularly tailored architectures for dispersion engineering and spectral selectivity.
- Biophotonics for molecular imaging and therapy: nanophotonic tools for precision diagnostics and targeted treatment.
- Next-generation optical memory and molecular data storage: ultradense, fast, and energy-efficient solutions.
- Emergent molecular-scale phenomena in nanophotonics: uncovering novel light–matter effects at the nanoscale.
- Nonlinear optical processes in molecular systems: ultrafast and intensity-dependent interactions for switching and modulation.
- Quantum light sources and nanoscale lasers: integrating molecular emitters, quantum dots, and 2D-based gain media with photonic architectures.
We welcome both original research articles and comprehensive reviews that advance the control, understanding, and application of light at the smallest scales.
Dr. Mitradeep Sarkar
Guest Editor
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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
- nanophotonics
- light–matter interaction
- metamaterials and 2D materials
- photonic crystals
- molecular sensing and imaging
- quantum and nonlinear optics
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
