Special Issues

Photonics publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Computational Imaging
edited by , Xiaoli Ma and Fan Chu
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 220 | Submission Open
Keywords: computational cameras hyperspectral computational imaging; computational microscopy super-resolution techniques; photonics in medical and biomedical imaging applications
Free-Space Optical Communications: Latest Advances and Prospects
edited by Lei Yang and Yueying Zhan
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 125 | Submission Open
Keywords: free space optical communications; optical wireless communication; atmospheric turbulence; adaptive optics; satellite communication; hybrid RF/FSO; pointing-acquisition-tracking (PAT)
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Advanced Optothermal and Optical Trapping and Manipulation: From Microscale Interfaces to Applications
edited by , Rafael Zaca Móran and Arturo Guzmán Barraza
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 93 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical trapping; optothermal trapping; Marangoni effect; thermal gradients; microparticles; microbubbles
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optical Levitation: Physics and Applications
edited by
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 57 | Submission Open
Keywords: feedback cooling of levitated micro- or nanoparticles; launching strategy; real-time trapped particle characterization; novel displacement calibration method; quantum ground state cooling in levitated system; force/acceleration/torque sensing based on levitated optomechanics
Fundamentals and Design of Micro/Nano Photonic Devices
edited by Taojie Zhou and Guohong Xiang
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 53 | Submission Open
Keywords: micro/nano photonics; photonic crystals; integrated photonics; plasmonics; metasurfaces; micro- and nanocavities; topological photonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Innovation in Optical Design
edited by Lei Yu
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 47 | Submission Open
Keywords: design theory and method; optical system; freeform optics; computational optics
Photonics Enabled by Plasmonic Metamaterials: Recent Developments and Future Directions
edited by Weijie Kong
submission deadline 1 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 204 | Submission Open
Keywords: plasmonic; metamaterial; metasurface; super-resolution; subwavelength; nanolithography; nanofabrication; ultraviolet; quantum; spectroscopy; sensing
Artificial Intelligence for Label-Free Imaging and Spectroscopy in the Life Sciences
edited by Arianna Bresci
submission deadline 1 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 121 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence; biphotonics; label-free imaging; machine learning; microscopy; spectroscopy; optical biosensing; data-driven photonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
Electromagnetic Solutions for Thermal Management and Sustainability
edited by Chenghao Wan
submission deadline 1 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 84 | Submission Open
Keywords: radiative cooling; metasurfaces; thermophotovoltaics; thermal management; sustainable photonics; microwave heating; wireless power; energy harvesting; metamaterials; green communications
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Advanced Technologies in Optical Wireless Communications—2nd Edition
edited by , Chengwei Fang, and
submission deadline 1 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 40 | Submission Open
Keywords: free-space optical (FSO) communication; visible light communication (VLC) and LiFi; underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC); system design and signal processing; devices and components
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Optical Waveguides: Numerical Methods, Mathematical Modeling, and AI Techniques
edited by Eugene Smolkin
submission deadline 10 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1705 | Submission Open
Keywords: numerical modeling; optical waveguides; finite element method; finite difference method; computational photonics; mathematical modeling; AI in photonics; machine learning in waveguide design; signal processing in waveguides; predictive modeling
Photoluminescence: Advances and Applications
edited by Vijayalakshmi Lakkamraju
submission deadline 10 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 465 | Submission Open
Keywords: photoluminescence; rare-earth and transition-metal-doped materials; quantum dots and nanostructures; perovskite photophysics; energy transfer and defect engineering; optical amplifiers and lasers; light-emitting diodes (LEDs); biomedical imaging and sensing; solar energy conversion; advanced spectroscopic techniques
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Challenges and Future Directions in Adaptive Optics Technology, 2nd Edition
edited by Ping Yang, and Xinlan Ge
submission deadline 10 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 189 | Submission Open
Keywords: adaptive optics; wavefront sensing; wavefront correction; wavefront shaping; optical metrology; optical communication; machine learning; atmospheric; oceanic or biomedical optics
Optical Metasurfaces: Applications and Trends submission deadline 15 Jun 2026 | 8 articles | Viewed by 11714 | Submission Open
Keywords: achromatic metalenses; phase-tuning metasurfaces; optoelectronic co-designs in metadevices; metasurface holography; diffractive– refractive optics; wide-angle metalens designs; off-axis metalens imaging; optical metasurfaces in AR/VR; broadband infrared metalenses; metasurface-based computing imaging; metasurfaces as vortex beam generators
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Advances in Free-Space Optical Communications
edited by and Jian Huang
submission deadline 15 Jun 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 3642 | Submission Open
Keywords: free space optical communication; acquisition; tracking and pointing; laser propagation; adaptive optics; free space optical network
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Light Emitting Devices: Science and Applications submission deadline 15 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 243 | Submission Open
Keywords: light-emitting diodes (LEDs); quantum light sources; multi-color emission; 2D semiconductors; photonics applications; single-photon emitters; nanostructured LEDs; optoelectronic devices; visible light communication; advanced light sources
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Intelligent Medical Optical Imaging: From Multimodal Sensing to Precision Reconstruction
edited by and
submission deadline 15 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 116 | Submission Open
Keywords: multimodal optical imaging; deep learning in medical imaging; photoacoustic imaging; fluorescence imaging; optical coherence tomography (OCT); image reconstruction algorithms; generative adversarial networks (GANs); surgical navigation; precision medicine; adaptive optics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
Advances and Challenges in Free-Space Optics
edited by
submission deadline 15 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 115 | Submission Open
Keywords: FSO; channel modeling; laser; photodetectors; turbulence suppression; quantum optical communication
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Emerging Trends in Optical Fiber Sensors and Sensing Techniques (2nd Edition)
edited by and
submission deadline 15 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 61 | Submission Open
Keywords: distributed acoustic/vibration sensing; distributed temperature/strain sensing; hybrid distributed fiber-optic sensing; applications of distributed fiber-optic sensing; applications of AI to distributed fiber-optic sensing; resonant fiber-optic biochemical sensors; fiber-optic displacement sensors; fiber-optic gas sensors; lossy fiber-optic sensors; fiber-optic point sensor applications
Recent Advances in Neutron Optics
edited by Zhanwen Ma and
submission deadline 19 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 144 | Submission Open
Keywords: neutron optics; neutron delivery; neutron focusing; neutron guide; neutron super-mirror; neutron polarizer; neutron chopper; neutron instrumentation
Optical Imaging Innovations and Applications
edited by and
submission deadline 20 Jun 2026 | 10 articles | Viewed by 18404 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical imaging; imaging systems; holographic imaging; optical microscopy; coded aperture imaging; digital holography; fiber optics imaging; coherence imaging; coherent and incoherent imaging; speckle imaging
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Steady-State and Ultrafast Time-Resolved Optical Spectroscopy and Laser Applications in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Biomedical Optics and High-Resolution Imaging
edited by , , and Sandra Mamani
submission deadline 20 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3315 | Submission Open
Keywords: steady-state spectroscopy; ultrafast laser spectroscopy; time-resolved spectroscopy; time-resolved imaging; Raman spectroscopy; visible resonance Raman; stimulated Raman scattering; optical Kerr effect; terahertz Raman; Majorana photon; multiphoton microscopy; second harmonic generation; optical biopsy; high-resolution imaging; cancer diagnosis; Alzheimer’ s disease; liquid biopsy; artificial intelligence; machine learning; deep learning; epigenomics; DNA nucleotides; methylation hybridization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Quantum Optics: Communication, Sensing, Computing, and Simulation
edited by , Dong Wang and
submission deadline 20 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 838 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantum optics; quantum communication; quantum sensing and metrology; quantum simulation; quantum computation; quantum measurement and control
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Recent Progress in Quantum Communication
edited by
submission deadline 23 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 157 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantum key distribution (QKD); quantum networks; quantum internet; quantum repeaters; entanglement distribution; single-photon sources; quantum cryptography; satellite QKD; quantum memories; integrated quantum photonics
Advances in Computational Imaging: Algorithms, Technologies, and Applications
edited by Dong Wang and Wenjing Zhao
submission deadline 27 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 277 | Submission Open
Keywords: single-pixel imaging; ghost imaging; phase imaging; wavefront; single-pixel holography; scattering media; scattering imaging; tracking through scattering media; scattering lens
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Recent Progress in Single-Photon Generation and Detection
edited by E Wu
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 8 articles | Viewed by 11721 | Submission Open
Keywords: single-photon source; single-photon detector; single-photon frequency conversion
Editorial Board Members’ Collection Series: Optical Wireless Communication
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 7273 | Submission Open
Keywords: visible light communication (VLC); infrared communication; ultraviolet communication; free space optical communication (FSO); modulation techniques; channel modeling; system design; photodetectors; optical receivers; signal processing; vehicular communication; underwater optical wireless communication; space optical communication; inter-satellite communication; satellite ground communication
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Recent Advances in Infrared Lasers and Applications
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5324 | Submission Open
Keywords: solid-state lasers; laser materials; fiber lasers; semiconductor lasers; nonlinear optical frequency conversion; laser design; thermal management of lasers; narrow-linewidth IR lasers; Q-switched IR lasers; ultra-fast IR lasers; multiwavelength IR lasers; applications of IR lasers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Novel Developments in Optoelectronic Materials and Devices
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4659 | Submission Open
Keywords: optoelectronic materials; advanced photonic devices; perovskite semiconductors; flexible electronics; sustainable optoelectronics; metamaterials; metasurface
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advanced Research in Quantum Optics
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 3793 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantum optics; quantum sensing; quantum network
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Photodetectors for Next-Generation Imaging and Sensing Systems
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2535 | Submission Open
Keywords: photodetectors; two-dimensional materil; imaging technique; sensing system; laser technology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advances and Applications in Visual Optics
edited by Shwetabh Verma
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1938 | Submission Open
Keywords: visual optics; new technologies in visual optics; advances and techniques in refractive and cataract surgery; laser-induced refractive index change; optics of the eye; biomechanics of the eye; refractive errors— development and control; eye diagnostics; optical coherence tomography; intraocular lens; eye and mathematical modelling; movements of the eye; bilateral symmetry; wavefront aberration; applications of artificial intelligence in visual optics
Computational Optical Imaging: Theories, Algorithms, and Applications
edited by , and Dong Xiao
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1128 | Submission Open
Keywords: computational imaging; compressive imaging; single-photon imaging; biomedical imaging and sensing; statistics and optimization imaging algorithms; applied machine learning in imaging; smart imaging sensors
(This special issue belongs to the Section Data-Science Based Techniques in Photonics)
Advancements in Photonic Crystals: Materials, Design, and Applications
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1108 | Submission Open
Keywords: photonic crystals; novel materials; advanced design; applications; photonic bandgaps; photonic crystal devices; optoelectronic devices
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Ultrafast Fiber Lasers: Nonlinear Dynamics and Novel Phenomena
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1079 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultrafast fiber lasers; nonlinear dynamics; soliton dynamics; ultrafast pulse generation; supercontinuum generation; mode-locking techniques; optical rogue waves
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Adaptive Optics in Astronomy submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 823 | Submission Open
Keywords: adaptive optics; wavefront sensor; wavefront corrector; wavefront controller; astronomical imaging; large- aperture ground optical telescope; deformable mirror; wavefront correction; atmospheric Turbulence
Technologies and Applications of Terahertz Metamaterials
edited by and Guang Liu
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 741 | Submission Open
Keywords: terahertz metamaterials; surface plasmon polaritons; active metamaterials; flexible metamaterials; all-dielectric terahertz metamaterials; metamaterials for communications; metamaterials for imaging; metamaterials for biosensing; other terahertz metamaterial applications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advanced Photodetectors for Photonic and Hybrid Photonic–Electronic Systems and Applications
edited by , Huijuan Niu and Yongqing Huang
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 366 | Submission Open
Keywords: photodetectors; photonic integration; photonic– electronic integration; multifunctional photodetectors; photodetector applications
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Advancements in Mode-Locked Lasers
edited by Juan Carlos Hernandez-Garcia and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 288 | Submission Open
Keywords: mode-locked lasers; fiber lasers; complex dynamics pulses; nonlinear optics; instrumentation and measurements; sensors
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Integrated Photonics on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate
edited by Lingfang Wang
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 278 | Submission Open
Keywords: thin-film lithium niobate; integrated optics; electro-optic modulators; nonlinear integrated photonics; optical frequency conversion; quantum photonics; microwave photonics; photonic-integrated circuits; heterogenous integration; nanofabrication
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Computational Optical Imaging: Progress and Future Prospects
edited by Famin Wang and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 275 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical imaging; deep learning; super-resolution; photonics; image processing; digital holography
Emerging Trends in Optical Imaging, Sensing and Wireless Communication Through Random Scattering Media submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 257 | Submission Open
Keywords: diffuse optical imaging; holography; optical wireless communication; light scattering; machine learning; inverse problems; image reconstruction; orbital angular momentum; early disease detection; bulk tissue imaging and sensing
Computational Imaging: Photonics and Optical Applications
edited by Zewei He and Guizhong Fu
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 180 | Submission Open
Keywords: computational imaging; photonics; optical systems; optical applications; machine vision; theoretical and experimental modeling; multimodal imaging; artificial intelligence application; multimodal and multiscale approaches; biomedical imaging; remote sensing; super-resolution; high-speed computing
Progress in Ultra-Stable Laser Source and Future Prospects submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 172 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical cavity; ultra-stable laser; optical frequency transfer; optical frequency comb; atomic clock; fiber-stabilized laser; optical microcavity; automatic frequency stabilization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Ghost Imaging and Quantum-Inspired Classical Optics submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 145 | Submission Open
Keywords: ghost imaging; single-pixel imaging; computational imaging; quantum imaging; quantum– classical correspondence; intensity correlations; incoherent interference
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Emerging Technology in Laser Scanning
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 141 | Submission Open
Keywords: precision metrology; nanomanufacturing; lidar; frequency combs; optical encoder; confocal laser scanning; silicon photonics; femtosecond laser; AI-driven optical metrology; machine vision
Hollow-Core Fiber Technology: From Fabrication to Applications
edited by , Meng Ding and Dijun Chen
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 137 | Submission Open
Keywords: hollow-core fiber; fiber optics; fiber fabrications; fiber sensing; nonlinear optics; fiber lasers; high-power laser; optical communications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Single-Photon Emitters in Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors
edited by and Xiaoxiao Sun
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 110 | Submission Open
Keywords: single-photon emitters; single-photon sources; quantum dots; color centers; point defects; quantum technologies; quantum information technology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Emerging Topics in Atmospheric Optics
edited by Xuan Qian and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 106 | Submission Open
Keywords: atmospheric optics; optical turbulence; adaptive optics; laser communication; laser and infrared atmospheric transmission; radiation; laser application
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Next-Generation Solar Energy Harvesting, Lighting, and Photovoltaic Innovations
edited by Ning Zhou
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 94 | Submission Open
Keywords: perovskite solar cells; organic photovoltaics (OPVs); tandem solar cells; luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs); building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV); agrivoltaics; photovoltaic windows; emerging photovoltaic materials; solar energy harvesting
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
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