Molecular Structure and Characterization of Optical Materials
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 62
Special Issue Editor
Interests: optical electrical; functional material
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Electro- and magneto-optical as well as luminescence phenomena arise from field-induced perturbations of electronic states in inorganic solids, and thus have become central to the molecular-level design of advanced functional materials. In particular, electro-optical and magneto-optical responses originate from changes in the electronic energy landscape. By probing field-induced changes in optical behavior, these studies uncover subtle aspects of a solid’s molecular structure, including ligand-field strengths, site symmetries, and the distribution of electronic states. Among these, electro-optical and magneto-optical effects are of particular scientific and technological importance due to their critical role in a wide range of photonic and optoelectronic applications.
This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research on the spectroscopy, structural characterization, and functional analysis of materials exhibiting electro-optical, magneto-optical, and luminescent properties, with particular focus on phenomena arising at the molecular and atomic scales. We especially welcome studies that probe how specific rare-earth ions—along with their coordination environment, oxidation state, and concentration—govern electronic transitions, ligand-field effects, energy-transfer pathways, and other molecular-level interactions that determine macroscopic optical behavior.
Emphasis is placed on fundamental investigations that clarify how compositional modifications alter local atomic arrangements, bonding geometries, and short-range order, and how these structural variations couple to changes in crystal symmetry, phase assemblage, or nanoscale microstructural features. A deep mechanistic understanding of electro- and magneto-optical responses requires correlating spectroscopic signatures with atomic-scale structural descriptors to reveal how subtle distortions, site occupancy, or local chemical heterogeneity influence the interaction of matter with external electric or magnetic fields.
Contributions that provide new molecular insights into structure–property relationships—particularly those integrating advanced spectroscopy, atomistic modeling, or high-resolution structural probes—are especially encouraged.
Authors are encouraged to provide a clear description of the experimental methods, characterization techniques, and analytical models employed in their investigations. We invite original research articles, reviews, short communications, and novel studies that advance the fundamental understanding of electro-optical, magneto-optical, or luminescent behaviors in inorganic materials, with the goal of fostering innovation in next-generation photonic technologies.
Dr. Andrzej Kruk
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 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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
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Keywords
- luminescence
- structure modification
- spectroscopy
- measurement techniques
- Kerr effect
- Faraday effects
- doping
- molecular structure
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