Optical Imaging for 3D Surface and Phase Recovery: Techniques and Applications
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 895
Editors
Interests: computational sensing and imaging; signal and image processing; machine learning; instrumentation; precision manufacturing; applied robotics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Special Issue, “Optical Imaging for 3D Surface and Phase Recovery: Techniques and Applications”, aims to gather recent advances, novel methodologies, and transformative applications in the field of computational optical imaging. It focuses on recovering 3D structures and quantitative phase maps. The Special Issue seeks to bridge theory and experimental investigation by highlighting emerging trends across biomedical imaging, industrial metrology, and optical sensing, where precise phase retrieval and 3D reconstruction have become pivotal to scientific discovery and engineering innovation.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: quantitative phase imaging, digital holography, interferometric microscopy, coherent diffraction imaging, optical tomography, light-field, ptychography, structured illumination and fringe projection profilometry, time-of-flight, stereo, wavefront sensing, and AI-enhanced imaging and phase recovery. The Special Issue welcomes both fundamental studies—advancing optical physics and computational reconstruction—and applied research demonstrating practical utility in biomedicine, materials science, or precision manufacturing.
Optical imaging has evolved into a cornerstone of modern science and technology, offering unparalleled capabilities for visualizing structure, dynamics, and function across scales. Among its diverse modalities, 3D and phase-resolved imaging techniques occupy a central role as they enable the reconstruction of both the geometric and optical properties of samples. Recent years have witnessed a rapid convergence between optical hardware innovation and computational reconstruction algorithms, driven by advances in inverse imaging theory, deep learning, and high-performance computation. This synergy has enabled 3D and quantitative phase imaging in biology, industrial metrology, and real-time inspection in semiconductor and photonic manufacturing. At the same time, multimodal and multi-wavelength systems have broadened the application landscape, providing richer structural and functional information for complex samples.
The objective of this Special Issue is to present a comprehensive overview of the latest progress in this rapidly expanding field. By uniting contributions from physics, engineering, computational imaging, and artificial intelligence communities, we aim to promote cross-disciplinary dialogue, identify emerging challenges, and inspire next-generation solutions that will push the boundaries of precision optical measurement, biomedical diagnostics, and intelligent imaging systems.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: quantitative phase imaging, digital holography, interferometric microscopy, coherent diffraction imaging, optical tomography, light-field imaging, ptychography, structured illumination and fringe projection profilometry, time-of-flight, stereo, wavefront sensing, and AI-enhanced imaging and phase recovery.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Yibin Tian
Prof. Dr. Cheng Liu
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. 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
- optical imaging
- 3D reconstruction
- phase recovery
- deep learning
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.
