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Optics
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Optical Sensing and Optical Communication: Technologies, Systems, and Applications
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Optical Sensing and Optical Communication: Technologies, Systems, and Applications

A special issue of Optics (ISSN 2673-3269). This special issue belongs to the section "Photonics and Optical Communications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 764

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xizheng Ke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Automation and Information Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Interests: optical communication; optical wireless communication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Feng Peng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Physics and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
Interests: optical fiber sensing technology; optical fiber gratings and applications; special optical fiber sensors; physical and chemical sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Optical communications process massive bandwidth at the speed of light, outperforming electronic systems in energy efficiency and holding the key to improving high-performance computing and data center interconnect performance. Optical sensing requires no moving parts and offers high sensitivity. Advances in materials and integration technologies are driving the development of optical sensing towards lower loss and higher sensitivity. To meet the demands for ultra-high-speed, ultra-large capacity, and ultra-long-distance transmission, optical communications and sensing technologies continue to evolve towards greater efficiency and integration.

This Special Issue seeks to provide a platform for researchers and engineers to present their cutting-edge work, foster collaboration, and drive innovation in the evolving field of optical sensing and optical communication. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • Optical sensors;
  • Optical fiber sensors;
  • Optical micro-cavity sensing technology;
  • Optical sensors based on functional materials;
  • Optical communication;
  • Optical wireless communication;
  • Optical fiber communication system;
  • Underwater optical communication;
  • Visible light communication;
  • Optical signal processing technology;
  • AI and machine learning in optical sensing and optical communication;
  • New concepts for optical sensors and optical communication.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Xizheng Ke
Dr. Feng Peng
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. Optics 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 1200 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

  • optical sensing
  • optical fiber sensors
  • structure-modulated optical sensors
  • optical signal processing
  • microstructure optical sensors
  • optical communication
  • optical wireless communication
  • visible light communication
  • underwater optical communication
  • artificial intelligence in optics

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3528 KB  
Article
Harmonic Suppression Method for Optical Encoder Based on Photosensitive Unit Parameter Optimization
by Bowei Lv, Shitao Li and Jie Liu
Optics 2025, 6(4), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/opt6040062 - 1 Dec 2025
Viewed by 199
Abstract
Optical encoders are high-precision positioning sensors based on the principle of grating diffraction. However, harmonic distortion remains a critical factor limiting the further improvement of measurement accuracy. In response to this challenge, this paper proposes a strategy to suppress harmonic components in the [...] Read more.
Optical encoders are high-precision positioning sensors based on the principle of grating diffraction. However, harmonic distortion remains a critical factor limiting the further improvement of measurement accuracy. In response to this challenge, this paper proposes a strategy to suppress harmonic components in the output signals of optical encoders. In this work, a general expression for the light intensity distribution of the grating image is derived. Then, orthogonal sine-cosine signals are generated using a grid photoelectric sensor array, which replaces the conventional slit grating. Furthermore, a method for the co-optimization of the photosensitive unit width and offset is proposed, which effectively suppresses the third and fifth harmonic components. Theoretical and simulation results collectively demonstrate that the proposed method achieves near-complete suppression of the third and fifth harmonics, leading to a significant improvement in output signal quality. This work provides an effective approach for developing high-precision optical encoder systems with low harmonic distortion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Sensing and Optical Communication: Technologies, Systems, and Applications)
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21 pages, 6067 KB  
Article
Data-Driven Inverse Design of Hybrid Waveguide Gratings Using Reflection Spectra via Tandem Networks and Conditional VAEs
by Shahrzad Dehghani, Christopher Knoth, Shaghayegh Eskandari, Maximilian Buchmüller, Tobias Meisen and Patrick Görrn
Optics 2025, 6(4), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/opt6040061 - 26 Nov 2025
Viewed by 324
Abstract
This study presents a data-driven inverse design approach for one-dimensional hybrid waveguide gratings using full reflection spectra across the visible range and a complete span of incident angles. Traditionally, designing such structures to achieve specific optical responses relies on parameter sweeps and iterative [...] Read more.
This study presents a data-driven inverse design approach for one-dimensional hybrid waveguide gratings using full reflection spectra across the visible range and a complete span of incident angles. Traditionally, designing such structures to achieve specific optical responses relies on parameter sweeps and iterative simulations which are computationally expensive, time-consuming, and often inefficient. To overcome this, we generated a comprehensive dataset using rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) simulations and trained two machine learning models: a deterministic tandem network and a generative conditional Variational Autoencoder (cVAE). Both models were trained on noisy reflection spectra to mimic real-world measurements. They both predict structural parameters accurately on clean and noisy data. On clean data, the mean absolute error (MAE) for silver thickness and grating period is below 1 nm. For the dielectric layer, the error is about 13–15 nm. When noise is added, the Tandem network performs best with low to moderate noise. The cVAE, however, stays more stable under high noise conditions. At σ=0.3, the cVAE model reliably predicts the silver thickness and grating period, with MAEs below 6 nm. The main error comes from the dielectric thickness. Sensitivity analysis of reflection spectra confirms this trend. The reflection is least sensitive to the dielectric thickness, while silver thickness and grating period dominate. This analysis provides physical insight for waveguide design as well in which, accurate control of silver thickness and grating period is far more critical than small errors in dielectric thickness. In general, our approach enables rapid prediction of structural parameters of hybrid waveguide gratings from reflection spectra. This reduces design time and reliance on complex microscopic measurements, with potential applications in sensing, communication, and integrated photonics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Sensing and Optical Communication: Technologies, Systems, and Applications)
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