Quantum Optics with Cold Atoms: Interfaces, Integration, and Applications
A Special Issue of Optics (ISSN 2673-3269).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 1113
Editors
Interests: dynamics of topological excitations in quantum gases; quantum droplets; quantum integrable systems
Interests: quantum information based on cold atoms; optical field manipulation; the interaction between light and atoms
Interests: quantum gas and quantum magnetism theory; macroscopic quantum effects in molecular magnets; the integrability and correlated critical properties of cold atomic gases
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Quantum optics with cold atoms is an interdisciplinary frontier that merges the coherent control of light with quantum properties of ultracold atomic ensembles and single trapped particles. This field utilizes harnesses monochromatic laser light and engineered photonic structures to cool, trap, and manipulate atoms at microkelvin temperatures, enabling exquisitely precise light–matter interfaces at the quantum limit. The integration of cold atoms with chip-scale photonic circuits, nanophotonic waveguides, and microfabricated vapor cells is driving a transformation from complex, table-top optical systems toward compact, robust, and scalable hybrid quantum platforms. These developments underpin a new generation of quantum technologies covering chip-scale atomic clocks, cold-atom interferometers for inertial sensing, on-chip quantum memories for optical networks, and large-scale neutral atom arrays for quantum simulation and computation.
This Special Issue will compile original research articles, short communications, and comprehensive reviews focusing on recent progress at the intersection of integrated quantum optics and ultracold atomic physics. We welcome contributions addressing waveguide and cavity quantum electrodynamics with atomic ensembles, chip-scale magneto-optical traps and vapor cells, atomtronic circuit, hybrid atom–photon interfaces, and the application of these platforms in quantum sensing, metrology, communication, and simulation. Topics of interest also include theoretical frameworks for collective light–matter interactions, fabrication techniques for atom-compatible photonics, and pathways toward the commercialization and field deployment of cold-atom quantum technologies.
Prof. Dr. Tao Yang
Prof. Dr. Hong Gao
Prof. Dr. Yun-Bo Zhang
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-anonymized 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 1400 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
- quantum optics
- cold atoms
- light–matter interfaces
- hybrid photonic integration
- chip-scale quantum technologies
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