Photonic Integrated Circuits: From Fundamentals to Emerging Technologies
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 85
Special Issue Editors
Interests: silicon photonics; photonic integration; monolithic and heterogeneous integration; micro-transfer printing; high-frequency photonic devices; narrow-linewidth lasers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: integrated or high-performance semiconductor photodetectors; photonic integration
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are revolutionizing modern technology by addressing the critical demand for ultrahigh-speed, energy-efficient solutions across optical interconnects, computing, and sensing applications. From data centers and AI hardware to agrifood, biomedical, and aerospace systems, PICs enable unprecedented performance gains. Recent advances in semiconductor materials, heterogeneous integration, and AI-driven design tools further accelerate this transformation.
This Special Issue highlights cutting-edge research and transformative innovations in PICs, bridging fundamental discoveries and real-world impact. It aims to curate high-quality contributions advancing the science, design, and application of PICs, aligning with the journal’s focus on photonics, materials, and integrated technologies. We seek to assemble a collection of at least 10 articles (original research or reviews) that address both theoretical and practical challenges in photonic integration, with potential for publication as a printed book. Submissions should emphasize novel methodologies, scalable solutions, or disruptive applications within the scope below.
We welcome original research and reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Novel Materials and Components: Novel photonic devices, III-V/Si hybrids, thin-film LiNbO₃, 2D materials, ultra-low-loss waveguides, metamaterials.
- Integration Platforms: Heterogeneous Integration (SOI, SiN, InP, LiNbO₃), monolithic Integration, monolithic/hybrid co-design, wafer-scale fabrication.
- Design Innovations: AI/ML-driven photonic design automation, physics-aware modeling, scalable architectures.
- Interconnects and Computing: Chip-scale optical I/O, photonic tensor cores, neuromorphic circuits.
- Emerging Applications: Quantum PICs, LiDAR, biomedical/environmental sensors, CMOS-photonics co-integration.
- Reliability and Scalability: Packaging, thermal management, yield optimization, manufacturing readiness.
We look forward to sharing your contributions to shape the future of photonic integration!
Dr. Hua Yang
Dr. Han Ye
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
- photonic integrated circuits (PICs)
- silicon photonics
- integrated optoelectronics
- heterogeneous integration
- monolithic integration
- thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN)
- III-V/Si hybrid integration
- neuromorphic photonics
- AI/ML for photonic design
- photonic design automation (PDA)
- quantum photonic circuits
- 2D/3D photonic integration/interposer
- data center photonics
- biophotonics sensing
- LiDAR on-chip
- energy-efficient photonics
- active and passive optical devices
- optical coupling and mode transformation
- reverse engineering
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
