Optical Fibers Beyond Communication: Advances in Sensing, Imaging, and Energy Applications
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 334
Special Issue Editors
Interests: optical fiber devices; fiber-optic sensing; marine environmental detection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: fiber-optic sensing; optical signal processing; lithium-ion battery monitoring
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Optical fibers have long been the backbone of global telecommunications, but their potential extends far beyond data transmission. This Special Issue explores groundbreaking advancements in optical fiber technologies that are revolutionizing sensing, imaging, and energy applications. By leveraging novel materials, innovative fiber designs, and advanced signal processing techniques, researchers are unlocking unprecedented functionalities in these versatile photonic platforms.
We invite contributions that demonstrate cutting-edge developments in fiber-optic sensing innovations (distributed and multi-parameter sensors, biochemical sensing, and extreme-environment monitoring), next-generation fiber-based imaging (ultra-thin endoscopes and minimally invasive medical diagnostics, computational imaging, and hyperspectral and multimodal imaging systems), and energy applications (oil and gas, electric power, underground and underwater, and wind and solar farms).
This Special Issue seeks high-quality research articles, reviews, and case studies that highlight measurable performance improvements, novel applications, or scalable fabrication methods. Interdisciplinary studies combining photonics, materials science, AI-driven signal processing, and real-world deployment are particularly encouraged.
By showcasing the latest innovations, this collection aims to accelerate the adoption of optical fibers in next-generation technologies, from smart infrastructure and precision medicine to space exploration and sustainable energy systems.
Dr. Yunhe Zhao
Dr. Yanpeng Li
Dr. Wenjuan Sheng
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 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. 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
- multifunctional or multi-material fibers
- fiber-optic sensors
- environmental monitoring
- biomedical imaging
- computational imaging
- energy applications
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