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A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optoelectronics and Optical Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 12108

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xing Peng

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Guest Editor

College of Intelligent Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410003, China
Interests: precision manufacturing; micro-nano optics; defect inspection; optical design; illumination design; visible light communication; machine vision; image processing
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Dr. Shiqing Li

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Guest Editor

School of Physics, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Interests: metasurface; surface wave; surface plasmon polaritons; unidirectional waveguide; unidirectional surface magnetoplasmons

Dr. Xiang Sun

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Guest Editor

School of Electrical and Automation Engineering, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, China
Interests: fringe projection profilometry; image highlight suppression; non-imaging optics; phase-measuring deflectometry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the domain of micro-nano optical design and manufacturing has witnessed remarkable progress, fueled by a surging need for sophisticated optical systems across diverse applications. The advent of innovative materials, groundbreaking fabrication methodologies, and advanced computational frameworks has empowered researchers to venture into uncharted territories of optical engineering. This special issue, "New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing" aims to illuminate the cutting-edge research and transformative developments within this vibrant field, emphasizing novel concepts, methodologies, and practical implementations. The focal points of this special issue encompass but extend beyond: Advanced Material, nanofabrication techniques, integrated photonic devices, novel optical systems & applications, structural optimization, metasurface design, Metalens design, etc.

We invite original research articles, comprehensive review papers, and theoretical studies that contribute fresh insights and push the boundaries of what's possible in micro-nano optical design and manufacturing. Both experimental validations and simulation-driven investigations are encouraged, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of this rapidly evolving field. This collection is intended not only to consolidate current knowledge but also to catalyze future innovations, foster cross-disciplinary collaborations, and chart new directions for the global scientific community engaged in advancing micro-nano optical technologies. We look forward to your contributions that will shape the discourse and drive progress in this exciting frontier of optical science and engineering.

Sincerely,

Dr. Xing Peng
Dr. Shiqing Li
Dr. Xiang Sun
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. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

design and optimization of optical meta-surface
novel applications of meta-surface
metalenes
precision measurements and metrology
manufacturing technology
optical design
machine learning
AR/VR
advanced material
integrated photonic devices
machine vision
freeform design

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4038 KB

Open AccessArticle

Fused Complementary 3D Reconstruction Based on Polarization Binocular Line-Structured Light

by Mingsheng Liu, Hongyuan Zhou, Sisheng Nie, Yan Jiang, Zhong Wu, Dahai Xu, Ling Zhu, Yanliang Zhan and Zhenmin Zhu

Photonics 2026, 13(3), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13030238 - 28 Feb 2026

Viewed by 463

Abstract

Line-structured light three-dimensional (3D) measurement is commonly used for three-dimensional contour reconstruction of objects in complex industrial environments, but the problem of missing information occurs when three-dimensional reconstruction is performed on objects with smooth surfaces, single texture, and high reflectivity, resulting in defective reconstructed object surfaces. For this reason, this study proposes a fused complementary 3D reconstruction technique based on a polarization-based binocular line-structured light system. First, the reconstructed image of the object is captured using a Polarization Binocular Camera, and the polarized imaging effectively reduces the strong highlights and extracts more detailed information on the surface of the object. Then, the calibrated camera and optical planes are used to acquire the spatial coordinates of the object reconstructed by the left camera and right camera. Finally, the spatial coordinates obtained by the left camera and right camera are aligned, and the high-precision 3D reconstruction results are generated. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively improve the accuracy and robustness of 3D reconstruction, has a good application prospect, and can meet the technical requirements of industrial 3D measurement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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9 pages, 1364 KB

Open AccessCommunication

Multiband Infrared Photodetection Based on Colloidal Quantum Dot

by Yingying Xu, Xiaomeng Xue, Lixiong Wu, Zhikai Gan, Menglu Chen and Qun Hao

Photonics 2026, 13(1), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13010089 - 20 Jan 2026

Viewed by 663

Abstract

Multispectral infrared detection plays a crucial role in advanced applications spanning environmental monitoring, military surveillance, and biomedical diagnostics, offering superior target identification accuracy compared to single-band imaging techniques. In this work, we synthesized four distinct bands of colloidal quantum dots (CQDs)—specifically, a cut-off of 1.3 µm with PbS CQDs and 1.8 µm, 2.6 µm, and 3.5 µm with HgTe CQDs—and employed them to construct planar multiband infrared photodetectors. The device exhibited a clear photoresponse at room temperature from 0.8 µm to 3.5 µm, with responsivity of 5.39 A/W and specific detectivity of 2.01 × 10¹¹ Jones at 1.8 µm. This materials–device co-design strategy integrates wavelength-selective CQD synthesis with planar pixel-level patterning, providing a versatile pathway for developing low-cost, solution-processed, multiband infrared photodetectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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10 pages, 2513 KB

Open AccessArticle

Near-Infrared Absorption Enhancement of GaAs Photocathode Through “Sandwich” Micro-Nano Structure

by Ziyang Xiao, Miao Dong, Yonggang Huang, Jinhui Yang, Peng Jiao, Pan Shi, Yajie Du, Ying He, Jing Cheng and Yinsheng Xu

Photonics 2026, 13(1), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13010079 - 16 Jan 2026

Viewed by 372

Abstract

In this paper, a nano-layered transmission GaAs photocathode structure is proposed. The near-infrared absorption of the photocathode is enhanced by inserting a “sandwich” structure of nano-SiO₂ layer + Si₃N₄ nanopillar array + nano-SiO₂ layer between the cathode optical window and the photocathode. Compared with the flat film structure GaAs photocathode used in the current third-generations image intensifiers, the optical absorption of the optimized “sandwich” structure GaAs photocathode in the near-infrared band has been significantly improved: when the wavelength λ is 868 nm and 896 nm, the optical absorption is increased by 41.69%, 55.08%, respectively. The effects of structural parameters including film thickness and grating filling medium on the light absorption of photocathode are investigated. The results show that the near-infrared light absorption enhancement is the most obvious when Si₃N₄ is selected as the grating filling medium for the current design, and the deposition of SiO₂ film with 10 nm thickness could effectively prevent the damage of Si₃N₄ during bonding with the photocathode. The theoretical analyses offer important guidance in material selection and structural optimization in the grating cathode optical window used in the third-generation image intensifier for improving performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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14 pages, 1899 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Damage Characteristics and Mechanisms in Silicon Carbide Crystals Induced by Nanosecond Pulsed Lasers at the Fundamental Frequency

by Penghao Xu, Erxi Wang, Teng Wang, Chong Shan, Xiaohui Zhao, Huamin Kou, Dapeng Jiang, Qinghui Wu, Zhan Sui and Yanqi Gao

Photonics 2025, 12(12), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12121207 - 8 Dec 2025

Viewed by 582

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) single crystals are extensively utilized in various fields due to their exceptional properties, such as a wide bandgap and a high breakdown threshold. Nevertheless, the intrinsic high hardness of SiC creates significant challenges for contact machining. This study investigates the surface damage characteristics and underlying mechanisms involved in processing both high-purity silicon carbide (HP-SiC) and nitrogen-doped silicon carbide (N-SiC) crystals using fundamental-frequency nanosecond pulsed lasers. This study establishes a laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) testing platform and employs the internationally standardized 1-ON-1 test method to evaluate the damage characteristics of HP-SiC and N-SiC crystals under single-pulse laser irradiation. Experimental results indicate that N-SiC crystals exhibit superior absorption characteristics and a lower LIDT compared with HP-SiC crystals. Subsequently, a defect analysis model was established to conduct a theoretical examination of defect information across various types of SiC. Under fundamental-frequency nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation, N-SiC crystals demonstrate a lower average damage threshold and a broader defect damage threshold distribution than their HP-SiC counterparts. By integrating multi-dimensional analytical methods—including photothermal weak absorption mechanisms and damage morphology analysis—the underlying damage mechanisms of the distinct SiC forms were comprehensively elucidated. Moreover, although N-SiC crystals show weaker photothermal absorption properties, they exhibit more pronounced absorption and damage response processes. These factors collectively account for the different laser damage resistances observed in the two types of silicon carbide crystals, implying that distinct processing methodologies should be employed for nanosecond pulsed laser treatment of different SiC crystals. This paper elucidates the damage characteristics of various SiC materials induced by near-infrared nanosecond pulsed lasers and explores their underlying physical mechanisms. Additionally, it provides reliable data and a comprehensive mechanistic explanation for the efficient removal of these materials in practical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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15 pages, 3042 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mathematical Analysis and Freeform Surface Modeling for LED Illumination Systems Incorporating Diffuse Reflection and Total Internal Reflection

by Xin Xu, Jianghua Rao, Xiaowen Liang, Zhenmin Zhu and Yuanyuan Peng

Photonics 2025, 12(10), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12101025 - 16 Oct 2025

Viewed by 783

Abstract

Indirect lighting systems employing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and diffuse reflective surfaces are prevalent in applications demanding stringent illumination uniformity. However, conventional diffuse reflection approaches exhibit inherent limitations (inevitable light loss from multiple diffuse reflections and trade-off between uniformity and efficiency). To overcome these constraints, we introduce a novel composite freeform surface illumination system that synergistically integrates total internal reflection (TIR) with diffuse reflection. This design leverages the inherent Lambertian radiation characteristics of LEDs and the properties of ideal diffuse reflectors. A rigorous mathematical model is derived based on the luminous intensity distribution of the LED chip, the prescribed illumination requirements on the target plane, the principle of energy conservation, and Snell’s law. The resulting system of nonlinear equations is solved to generate a series of two-dimensional profile curves, which are subsequently synthesized into an off-axis freeform surface. Simulated results demonstrate that the proposed system achieves higher optical efficiency and superior illumination uniformity compared to traditional diffuse reflector configurations. This universal and feasible methodology broadens the application potential of high-performance diffuse indirect lighting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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28 pages, 6329 KB

Open AccessArticle

SparsePose–NeRF: Robust Reconstruction Under Limited Observations and Uncalibrated Poses

by Kun Fang, Qinghui Zhang, Chenxia Wan, Pengtao Lv and Cheng Yuan

Photonics 2025, 12(10), 962; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12100962 - 28 Sep 2025

Viewed by 1725

Abstract

Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) reconstruction faces significant challenges under non-ideal conditions, such as sparse viewpoints or missing camera pose information. Existing approaches frequently assume accurate camera poses and validate their effectiveness on standard datasets, which restricts their applicability in real-world scenarios. To tackle the challenge of sparse viewpoints and the inability of Structure-from-Motion (SfM) to accurately estimate camera poses, we propose a novel approach. Our method replaces SfM with the MASt3R-SfM algorithm to robustly compute camera poses and generate dense point clouds, which serve as depth–space constraints for NeRF reconstruction, mitigating geometric information loss caused by limited viewpoints. Additionally, we introduce a high-frequency annealing encoding strategy to prevent network overfitting and employ a depth loss function leveraging Pearson correlation coefficients to extract low-frequency information from images. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach achieves high-quality NeRF reconstruction under conditions of sparse viewpoints and missing camera poses while being better suited for real-world applications. Its effectiveness has been validated on the Real Forward-Facing dataset and in real-world scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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12 pages, 4584 KB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of Fused Silica Exit Surface Damage by Low-Temporal Coherence Light Irradiation

by Chong Shan, Ping Han, Erxi Wang, Fujian Li, Xiaohui Zhao, Huamin Kou, Dapeng Jiang, Qinghui Wu, Xing Peng, Penghao Xu, Yafei Lian, Yuanan Zhao, Liangbi Su, Zhan Sui and Yanqi Gao

Photonics 2025, 12(5), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12050432 - 30 Apr 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 953

Abstract

Laser-induced exit surface damage of fused silica is a key bottleneck for its application in high-power laser devices. As low-temporal coherence light (LTCL) has garnered increasing attention for high-power laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, understanding LTCL-induced exit surface damage of fused silica becomes crucial for improving the output power capability of LTCL devices. In this study, we characterized damage on the exit surface of fused silica under LTCL irradiation and investigated the physical mechanism of temporal coherence affecting the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT). The relationship between defect information and temporal coherence was explored using a defect analysis model, and the defect damage process and response to each incident lasers were captured using time-resolved methods and artificially fabricated defects. We elucidate the physical mechanism behind the lower LIDT under LTCL irradiation compared to single longitudinal mode (SLM) pulse lasers. This study not only provides the boundary condition for safe fused silica operation in high-power LTCL devices but also offers deeper insight into the physical properties of LTCL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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22 pages, 11551 KB

Open AccessArticle

Adaptive Freeform Optics Design and Multi-Objective Genetic Optimization for Energy-Efficient Automotive LED Headlights

by Shaohui Xu, Xing Peng and Ci Song

Photonics 2025, 12(4), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12040388 - 16 Apr 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1776

Abstract

In addressing the design imperatives of automotive headlight miniaturization and energy conservation, this paper puts forth a design methodology for vehicle lighting systems that is predicated on free surface optics and an intelligent optimization algorithm. The establishment of the energy mapping relationship between the light source surface and the target surface is predicated on relevant performance standards. The numerical calculation is then integrated with MATLAB R2022a to obtain the free-form surface coordinate points and establish a three-dimensional model. To optimize the parameter design, a genetic algorithm is employed to fine-tune the design parameter

θ_{m a x}

, thereby attaining the optimal

θ_{m a x}

that strikes a balance between volume and luminous efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate that by integrating the optimal incidence angle into the design of the high beam and low beam, the final simulation results show that the optical efficiency of the low beam is 88.89%, and the optical efficiency of the high beam is 89.40%. This enables the automotive headlamp system to achieve a balance between volume and luminous efficiency. The free-form lamp design framework proposed in this study provides a reference for the compact design and intelligent optimization of the lamp system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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20 pages, 5899 KB

Open AccessArticle

Defect Detection Method for Large-Curvature and Highly Reflective Surfaces Based on Polarization Imaging and Improved YOLOv11

by Zeyu Yu, Dongyun Wang and Hanyang Wu

Photonics 2025, 12(4), 368; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12040368 - 11 Apr 2025

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3800

Abstract

In industrial manufacturing, product quality is of paramount importance, as surface defects not only compromise product appearance but may also lead to functional failures, resulting in substantial economic losses. Detecting defects on complex surfaces remains a significant challenge due to the variability of defect characteristics, interference from specular reflections, and imaging non-uniformity. Traditional computer vision algorithms often fall short in addressing these challenges, particularly for defects on highly reflective curved surfaces such as aircraft engine blades, bearing surfaces, or vacuum flasks. Although various optical imaging techniques and advanced detection algorithms have been explored, existing approaches still face limitations, including high system complexity, elevated costs, and insufficient capability to detect defects with diverse morphologies. To address these limitations, this study proposes an innovative approach that analyzes the propagation of light on complex surfaces and constructs a polarization imaging system to eliminate glare interference. This imaging technique not only effectively suppresses glare but also enhances image uniformity and reduces noise levels. Moreover, to tackle the challenges posed by the diverse morphology of defects and the limited generalization ability of conventional algorithms, this study introduces a novel multi-scale edge information selection module and a Focal Modulation module based on the YOLOv11 architecture. These enhancements significantly improve the model’s generalization capability across different defect types. Experimental results show that, compared to state-of-the-art object detection models, the proposed model achieves a 3.9% increase in precision over the best-performing baseline, along with notable improvements in recall, mAP50, and other key performance indicators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Micro-Nano Optical Design and Manufacturing)

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