Advances in Spin-Orbit Coupling of Light
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Interaction Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 79
Special Issue Editors
Interests: topological light; spin-orbit interactions; geometric phases; polarization singularity; Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts; spin Hall effect of light; vector beams; vortex beams; optical skyrmion
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Over recent decades, the study of spin–orbit coupling of light has emerged as a cornerstone in modern optics and photonics, bridging the fundamental physics of angular momentum with transformative applications in nanophotonics, quantum information, and optical communications. Spin–orbit interactions in light not only provide deep insights into the nature of topological light fields but also enable novel strategies for manipulating light–matter interactions, offering unprecedented opportunities for next-generation photonic technologies.
This Special Issue aims to provide a focused platform for advancing the understanding of spin–orbit interactions of light, from fundamental principles to emerging applications. It will highlight both theoretical developments and experimental breakthroughs across diverse photonic systems, including structured beams, metasurfaces, topological optical fields, and nonlinear media. By bringing together recent advances, this collection will serve to deepen our insight into the physics of spin–orbit coupling while fostering novel approaches to optical manipulation, information encoding, and quantum technologies.
For this Special Issue, we welcome both original research articles and reviews. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:
Spin–orbit interactions in structured beams;
Topological light and optical skyrmions;
Propagation, scattering, and applications in beams;
Polarization manipulation and vector beam engineering;
Optical geometric phases;
Goos–Hänchen and Imbert–Fedorov shifts;
Spin Hall effect of light;
Geometric spin Hall effect of light;
Spatiotemporal optical vortices;
Bound states in the continuum in photonic crystals;
Polarization singularity;
Optical trapping;
Tight focusing;
Novel applications in photonic devices and quantum information.
We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this Special Issue.
Dr. Weiming Zhen
Dr. Guohua 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 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
- light–matter interactions
- spin–orbit coupling
- optical skyrmions
- propagation
- scattering polarization manipulation
- Goos–Hänchen shift
- spin Hall effect of light
- spatiotemporal vortices
- optical geometric phase
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