Recent Progress in Integrated Photonics

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 1478

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Opto-Electronics Information Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Interests: integrated photonics; quantum photonics; nano-opto-electro-mechanical systems
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue on "Recent Progress in Integrated Photonics", a rapidly evolving field with significant implications for modern technology. Integrated photonics enables the manipulation of light on chip-scale platforms, making it central to the future of communication, computing, and sensing technologies. As the demand for faster, more efficient systems grows, the integration of photonics into compact platforms is becoming increasingly critical.

This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research on the latest developments in integrated photonics, with a focus on material innovations, device architectures, and hybrid integration strategies. Topics of interest include advancements in photonic devices and systems for applications ranging from telecommunications to quantum information processing. The scope of this collection aligns with the journal's focus on innovations in applied optics, photonics, and nanotechnology, and we welcome contributions that explore both theoretical and practical aspects of this field.

We invite original research articles and reviews. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Integrated photonic devices and systems;
  • Photonic integration with electronics;
  • Quantum photonics on integrated platforms;
  • Hybrid integration of photonic materials;
  • Photonic materials and their applications in integrated systems;
  • Applications of integrated photonics in telecommunications, sensing, and data processing.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xiaoyan Zhou
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 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

  • integrated photonics
  • photonic integration
  • quantum photonics
  • photonic devices
  • photonic materials
  • telecommunications
  • hybrid integration
  • data processing
  • sensing technologies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 4016 KiB  
Communication
Longitudinal Polarization Vortices Generated via Terahertz Ring Resonator
by Mingyu Ji, Tengjiao Wang and Jingya Xie
Photonics 2025, 12(5), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12050505 - 18 May 2025
Viewed by 94
Abstract
Vortex beams characterized by helical phase wavefronts enable innovative explorations of optical and physical interactions. This work experimentally realizes longitudinally polarized vortices with arbitrary topological charges in terahertz (THz) frequencies using a silicon ring resonator integrated with a second-order diffraction grating. The implemented [...] Read more.
Vortex beams characterized by helical phase wavefronts enable innovative explorations of optical and physical interactions. This work experimentally realizes longitudinally polarized vortices with arbitrary topological charges in terahertz (THz) frequencies using a silicon ring resonator integrated with a second-order diffraction grating. The implemented configuration enables flexible topological charge manipulation in longitudinally polarized electric fields through the excitation of quasi-transverse-magnetic (TM) waveguide modes with different frequencies. By employing a terahertz near-field measurement system, the spatial intensity patterns and phase characteristics of emitted waves are quantitatively analyzed via a precision probe. This strategy shows promising potential for applications in particle manipulation techniques and advanced imaging technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Integrated Photonics)
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10 pages, 7014 KiB  
Communication
Impact of Non-Vertical Sidewalls on Bandgap Properties of Lithium Niobate Photonic Crystals
by Peyman Bagheri, Xiaoyan Zhou and Lin Zhang
Photonics 2025, 12(5), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12050410 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 238
Abstract
We investigate the influence of non-vertical sidewall angles on the band structure characteristics of thin-film lithium niobate (LN) photonic crystals (PhCs), considering both suspended LN membranes and LN on insulator (LNOI) configurations. Utilizing the gap-to-midgap ratio as a figure-of-merit, we observe a 34% [...] Read more.
We investigate the influence of non-vertical sidewall angles on the band structure characteristics of thin-film lithium niobate (LN) photonic crystals (PhCs), considering both suspended LN membranes and LN on insulator (LNOI) configurations. Utilizing the gap-to-midgap ratio as a figure-of-merit, we observe a 34% reduction for a suspended LN PhC with 60° sidewall angles compared to the one with vertical sidewalls and a more substantial 73% reduction for LNOI PhCs with 70° sidewall angles. We address this challenge through the optimization of geometrical parameters of PhC unit cells with non-vertical sidewalls, taking fabrication feasibility into account. Our work provides a design guideline for the development of realistic LN PhC devices for future large-scale LN photonic circuits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Integrated Photonics)
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10 pages, 3146 KiB  
Article
Compact Nanolaser Relying on Bound States in the Continuum with Simultaneous Pump and Emission Enhancement
by Yifei Ma, Jingyuan Ji, Xiaoyan Zhou and Lin Zhang
Photonics 2025, 12(3), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12030247 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 464
Abstract
Bound states in the continuum (BICs), characterized by high-Q modes, have demonstrated exceptional capabilities for enhancing light-matter interactions and, when combined with gain media, can enable compact lasers with low threshold power. However, conventional BIC lasers typically rely on the emitting light forming [...] Read more.
Bound states in the continuum (BICs), characterized by high-Q modes, have demonstrated exceptional capabilities for enhancing light-matter interactions and, when combined with gain media, can enable compact lasers with low threshold power. However, conventional BIC lasers typically rely on the emitting light forming a BIC mode, leading to vertical emission, and often lack mechanisms to enhance pump efficiency. In this work, we propose a photonic crystal laser design that incorporates high-Q modes at both pump and emitting wavelengths. The pump light at 980 nm is designed to form a BIC state near the Γ-point, while the emitting light at 1550 nm is confined within a bandgap-defined cavity mode at the M-point, allowing efficient in-plane emission. This design leads to a compact footprint of 19.7 × 17.1 μm2 and predicts a significant reduction in threshold power compared with a laser with a single resonance at the emission wavelength, providing a promising approach for developing compact on-chip lasers with significantly improved efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Integrated Photonics)
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