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Photonics
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Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology, 2nd Edition
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Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2026 | Viewed by 1237

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ping Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory on Adaptive Optics, Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu, China
Interests: adaptive optics; wavefront sensing; intelligent control algorithm; deep learning; high-energy beam control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zeyu Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory on Adaptive Optics, Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu, China
Interests: adaptive optics; wavefront sensing; laser communication; flow measurements
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xinlan Ge

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Optics and Electronics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: sensor-less adaptive optics; wavefront sensing; light field modulation; deep learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

We are excited to announce a call for papers for our upcoming Special Issue, “Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology”, in Photonics. This is a platform used to explore the recent developments, current practices, and future trends in adaptive optics and related fields. Adaptive optics systems and components have achieved a level of sophistication and simplicity that goes beyond the traditional applications in astronomy and into multiple developments, including biology, medicine, manufacturing, communications, ophthalmology, vision science, microscopy, high-energy beam control, and so on. These developments introduce many exciting possibilities. One distinctive tool is AI-powered adaptive optics technology. However, with various communities pursuing different applications of AO and its novel methods, this technology will face many challenges from technical and engineering aspects.

The Special Issue, “Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology, 2nd Edition”, invites original research and comments that introduce the recent advances in adaptive optics from computational, experimental, theoretical, and numerical perspectives, including (but not limited to) the following:

  • AO systems and component technologies;
  • Sensors, measurements, and instrumentation in AO;
  • Advanced Wavefront sensing, correction, shaping methods;
  • Reconstruction and control algorithms;
  • Sensor-less and actuator-less AO;
  • Machine learning and AI for AO, and AO for AI;
  • The modeling and characterization of AO systems and components;
  • Fourier optics, image, and signal processing techniques for AO;
  • High-energy beam control and beam propagation and control;
  • Imaging through scattering and turbid media;
  • Advanced AO in atmospheric, oceanic, and biomedical optics;
  • Advanced AO in optical metrology, optical communication, and microscopy;
  • Novel applications of AO.

Dr. Ping Yang
Dr. Zeyu Gao
Dr. Xinlan Ge
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-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

  • adaptive optics
  • wavefront sensing
  • wavefront correction
  • wavefront shaping
  • optical metrology
  • optical communication
  • machine learning
  • atmospheric, oceanic or biomedical optics

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1854 KB  
Article
Model-Based Wavefront Correction for Adaptive Multi-Aperture Fiber Coupling Array
by Huizhen Yang, Xianshuo Li, Yongqiang Miao, Chen Sun, Quanyi Ye and Zhiguang Zhang
Photonics 2026, 13(3), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13030222 - 26 Feb 2026
Viewed by 273
Abstract
The Adaptive Fiber Coupler (AFC) array is an innovative device designed to achieve the stable and efficient coupling of free-space light into optical fibers. To mitigate the effects of atmospheric turbulence, the Stochastic Parallel Gradient Descent (SPGD) algorithm has been predominantly adopted as [...] Read more.
The Adaptive Fiber Coupler (AFC) array is an innovative device designed to achieve the stable and efficient coupling of free-space light into optical fibers. To mitigate the effects of atmospheric turbulence, the Stochastic Parallel Gradient Descent (SPGD) algorithm has been predominantly adopted as the control method for AFC systems. However, due to the dynamic nature of atmospheric turbulence, the relatively slow convergence speed of the SPGD algorithm poses significant challenges for practical applications. This paper presents a model-based AFC control system that effectively mitigates wavefront aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence. The performance of this system was evaluated in comparison with the SPGD algorithm under different turbulence levels and different sub-aperture numbers. Results show that the model-based AFC system converges faster than the SPGD-based AFC system under identical conditions. Additionally, the number of iterations required by the model-based AFC system remains relatively stable, whereas the SPGD-based AFC system demonstrates substantial variability depending on the number of sub-apertures and turbulence levels. As the turbulence level increases, the SPGD-based AFC system requires a greater number of iterations to achieve convergence. The proposed model-based method offers a robust and efficient solution for adaptive multi-aperture fiber coupling systems, which provides theoretical and technical support for the practical application of AFC array. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 4637 KB  
Article
An Approach for Spectrum Extraction Based on Canny Operator-Enabled Adaptive Edge Extraction and Centroid Localization
by Ao Li, Xinlan Ge, Zeyu Gao, Qiang Yuan, Yong Chen, Chao Yang, Licheng Zhu, Shiqing Ma, Shuai Wang and Ping Yang
Photonics 2026, 13(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13020169 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 287
Abstract
In adaptive optics systems, high spatial resolution detection is a core prerequisite for achieving accurate wavefront correction. High spatial resolution wavefront measurement based on the traditional Shack-Hartmann technique is limited by the density of the microlens array. In contrast, off-axis digital holography technology [...] Read more.
In adaptive optics systems, high spatial resolution detection is a core prerequisite for achieving accurate wavefront correction. High spatial resolution wavefront measurement based on the traditional Shack-Hartmann technique is limited by the density of the microlens array. In contrast, off-axis digital holography technology is applied in wavefront measurement systems of adaptive optics systems due to its advantages of high spatial resolution, non-contact measurement, and full-field measurement. However, during the demodulation of its interference fringes, the accurate extraction of the complex amplitude of the +1st-order diffraction order directly determines the precision of wavefront reconstruction. Traditional frequency-domain filtering methods suffer from drawbacks such as reliance on manual threshold setting, poor adaptability to irregular spectra, and localization deviations caused by multi-region interference, making it difficult to meet the dynamic application requirements of adaptive optics. To address these issues, this study proposes a spectrum extraction method based on the Canny operator for adaptive edge extraction and centroid localization. The method first locks the rough range of the +1st-order spectrum through multi-stage peak screening, then achieves complete segmentation of spectrum spots by combining adaptive histogram equalization with edge closing and filling, resolves centroid indexing errors via maximum connected component screening, and ultimately accomplishes accurate extraction through Gaussian window filtering. Simulation experimental results show that, in comparison with two classical spectrum filtering methods, the centroid estimation error of the proposed method remains below 0.245 pixels under different noise intensity conditions. Moreover, the root mean square error of the residual wavefront corresponding to the reconstructed wavefront of the proposed method is reduced by 89.0% and 87.2% compared with those of the two classical methods, respectively. We further carried out measurement experiments based on a self-developed atmospheric turbulence test bench. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits higher-precision spectral centroid localization capability, which provides a reliable technical support for the high-precision measurement of dynamic distortion induced by atmospheric turbulence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology, 2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 1599 KB  
Article
Simulation Analysis of Atmospheric Transmission Performance for Different Beam Types in Laser Energy Transfer
by Le Zhang, Jing Wang, Fengjie Xi and Xiaojun Xu
Photonics 2026, 13(1), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics13010080 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 271
Abstract
Laser Wireless Power Transmission (LWPT), as a revolutionary energy supply technology, holds broad application prospects in areas such as drone endurance, space solar energy transmission, and power supply in remote regions. The core efficiency of this technology primarily depends on the energy concentration [...] Read more.
Laser Wireless Power Transmission (LWPT), as a revolutionary energy supply technology, holds broad application prospects in areas such as drone endurance, space solar energy transmission, and power supply in remote regions. The core efficiency of this technology primarily depends on the energy concentration and uniformity of the light spot at the receiving end. Through systematic simulation analysis, this paper studies the spot uniformity and energy transmission efficiency of Gaussian beams, vortex beams, and flat-topped beams under different atmospheric conditions (turbulence intensity, visibility) and transmission distances. By quantitatively analyzing key indicators such as light spot non-uniformity and power density within the bucket, the advantages and disadvantages of the three beam types are comprehensively evaluated. The results indicate that the flat-topped beam is the optimal choice for short-distance laser energy transfer under favorable atmospheric conditions, while the vortex beam exhibits the best overall performance and robustness in medium and strong turbulence transmission environments. This study provides a theoretical basis for beam selection in different application scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology, 2nd Edition)
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