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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Plasmon-Enhanced Photon Emission in Nanostructures
edited by Yinhui Kan
submission deadline 10 Jul 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5591 | Submission Open
Keywords: surface plasmons; nanostructures; photon emitter; metasurfaces; 2D materials
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Emerging Technologies for 6G Space Optical Communication Networks
edited by and Qifu Sun
submission deadline 10 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2557 | Submission Open
Keywords: 6G; space-based networks; non-territorial networks; optical communications; optical transceivers; wireless networks; space optical communication networks; coding theory and applications; quantum communication and quantum key distribution (QKD); system design; case studies; testbeds; prototypes; model validation; applications; implementation and experimental evaluations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Progress in Specialty Optical Fibers and Future Prospects
edited by Stephanos Yerolatsitis and Kerrianne Harrington
submission deadline 10 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 596 | Submission Open
Keywords: hollow-core fibers; multicore fibers; specialty optical fibers; complex refractive index profiles; microstructured fibers; non-uniform optical fibers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Technologies and Applications of Optical Imaging
edited by , Shilong Xu and
submission deadline 13 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 819 | Submission Open
Keywords: visible/infrared imaging; computational optical imaging; fluorescence imaging; hyperspectral imaging; polarization imaging; laser scanning imaging; reflective tomography lidar imaging; synthetic aperture lidar imaging; photoacoustic imaging; multi-sensor fusion imaging
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Advances in Optometric and Ophthalmic Technologies: Innovations and Applications submission deadline 15 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2557 | Submission Open
Keywords: eye care technologies; optical coherence tomography (OCT); telemedicine in optometry' optometry
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
Adaptive Optics Imaging: Science and Applications
edited by , and
submission deadline 15 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1863 | Submission Open
Keywords: adaptive optics; wavefront sensor and corrector; adaptive optics in astronomical instrumentation; adaptive optics for retinal imaging; adaptive optics for microscopy; adaptive optics for laser communication; adaptive optics applications; wavefront control algorithms
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optical Measurement Systems, 2nd Edition submission deadline 15 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 715 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical measurement; laser technology; quantum optics; precision measurement; instrumentation and metrology; phase measurement; photonic devices for sensing and measurements; computational optical measurement; industrial applications; medical diagnostics
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Advances in Laser Spectroscopy: From Fundamentals to Applications
edited by Jianing Wang, and
submission deadline 15 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 487 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser technology; laser Raman spectroscopy; laser-induced fluorescence spectrum; absorption spectroscopy technology; laser spectral imaging; laser confocal microscopy; fiber sensing; remote sensing; atomic and molecular spectroscopy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Emerging Topics in Optical Communications
edited by Haojie Zhang and
submission deadline 15 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 416 | Submission Open
Keywords: AI for optical communication; AI driven optical systems; microwave photonic devices and applications in optical communication; orbital angular momentum of light for communications; rydberg-atom-based communication; digital twin optical network; optical fiber network; autonomous optical network; DSP-based monitoring; wideband optical transmission
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Recent Advances in Quantum Interferometry, Imaging and Sensing
edited by Fabrizio Sgobba and
submission deadline 15 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 379 | Submission Open
Keywords: single-photon detectors; optical coherence tomography in the low-photon regime; fiber-optic spectroscopy and sensing in the low-photon regime; quantum optics; quantum cryptography; entangled states preparation and distribution; nonlinear optical techniques for sensing; ultrafast laser-based sensing in the low-photon regime; quantum metrology and interferometry; biochemical sensing using photonics; integrated quantum photonics; remote quantum-based sensing; optical instrumentation and measurement; photonic devices for sensing and measurement
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Advances in EUV/X-Ray Optics: Science and Applications
edited by and Srikanth Panini Singam
submission deadline 15 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 170 | Submission Open
Keywords: mirrors for deflecting; monochromatizing; and collimating beams; diffractive optics for monochromators and spectrometers; optics focused on KB mirrors; reflective lenses; and zone plates; the design and fabrication of multilayer optics; metrological techniques
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Recent Advances in Optical Network and Communication
edited by , Raul Camelo de Andrade Almeida Júnior and Luiz Henrique Bonani
submission deadline 18 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 192 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical network planning; optical network communications; wireless– optical convergence (5G/6G); optical switching technologies; quantum communications over fiber
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Advances in Ultrafast Laser Science and Applications
edited by Shuai Yuan, Mengyun Hu, and Cang Jin
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 10 articles | Viewed by 11990 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultrafast laser science; soliton generation; ultrafast laser spectroscopy; ultrafast laser imaging; ultrafast phenomena; surface plasmon resonance; ultrashort pulse writing; THz science; chemical reactions by ultrafast pulses; orbital angular momentum generation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
New Trends in Photoacoustic Imaging
edited by , and Hao Yang
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4828 | Submission Open
Keywords: photoacoustic imaging; technical advancements; biomedical applications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
Optical Wireless Communication in 5G and Beyond submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 3217 | Submission Open
Keywords: 5G and beyond networks; diverse approaches; system models; visible-light communications; channel characterization; millimeter-wave and terahertz devices; metamaterials and metasurfaces; waveguides and transmission lines; wave propagations and beamforming; wireless communications; space and satellite applications; high-frequency circuits; optimization methods; optical networks; reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS); internet of things (IoT) networks; 6G communications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Emerging Trends in Silicon Photonics
edited by Amin Babazadeh
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2782 | Submission Open
Keywords: silicon photonics; integrated photonics; quantum photonics; quantum computing; communication photonics; information processing; sensors; imaging; light sources and detectors; quantum communication
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advancements in Optical Fiber Sensing
edited by Yiping Wang and Qiang Liu
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2501 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber sensing; fiber grating sensor; new optical fiber and its application
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Application and Development of Optoelectronic Oscillators (OEOs) in Microwave Photonics
edited by and
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2182 | Submission Open
Keywords: optoelectronic oscillators; optoelectronic oscillator sensors; optical RF signal processing; low phase noise; microwave photonics; and radio over fibers
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
New Advances in Semiconductor Optoelectronic Materials and Devices
edited by Min Li and Shuo Deng
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1771 | Submission Open
Keywords: optoelectronic materials; semiconductor; optoelectronic device; synthesis; characterization; modeling
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advances in Dual-Comb Spectroscopy
edited by and Ryan T. Rhoades
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 874 | Submission Open
Keywords: Dual-Comb Spectroscopy; Frequency Comb; Time-Resolved Dual-Comb; Deep-UV Dual-Comb; MIR Dual-Comb; Sensing; Fourier Transform Spectroscopy; Kerr Comb; EO Comb
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Optical Systems and Design
edited by
submission deadline 20 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 711 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical design; diffractive optics; hybrid optical system design; metalens-based imaging optical system design
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Terahertz Metamaterials: Advances and Applications submission deadline 25 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 262 | Submission Open
Keywords: terahertz metamaterials; terahertz spectroscopy; sensing; imaging; photonic devices; 2D metamaterials; 3D metamaterials; advanced metamaterial technologies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Challenges and Opportunities in Underwater Wireless Optical Communications
edited by , and
submission deadline 30 Jul 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 6250 | Submission Open
Keywords: underwater optical wireless communication; underwater visible light communication; optical communication; optical communication network
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Ultrafast Pulse Shaping Techniques: From Temporal to Spatiotemporal Control
edited by , Jintao Fan and
submission deadline 30 Jul 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5323 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultrafast pulse shaping; structured light; liquid crystals; spatiotemporal optical fields; super-resolution imaging; nanofabrication; quantum information processing; nonlinear optics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Optical Fiber Communication: Challenges and Opportunities
edited by , and Xing Ouyang
submission deadline 30 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1688 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber– optic communications; optical networks; digital and optical signal processing; optical devices and components; optical subsystems and systems.
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Freeform Optical Systems: Design and Applications
edited by and Jiadong Yu
submission deadline 30 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1098 | Submission Open
Keywords: freeform optics; imaging and non-imaging; optical design; ray tracing; ultra-precision machining; single-point diamond turning; polishing; freeform component measurement; computer-generated hologram; computer-aided alignment; novel applications; other technologies related to freeform optics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optical Fiber Sensing: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives, 2nd Edition
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 358 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber sensor; optical fiber sensing; fiber Bragg gratings; specialty optical fiber; photonics crystal fiber; characterization; optical fiber design; fiber fabrication; power delivery; fiber laser; optoelectronics; structural health monitoring
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Organic Photodetectors, Displays, and Upconverters
edited by Ge Mu and Kangkang Weng
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 16476 | Submission Open
Keywords: organic semiconductor; photodetectors; light-emitting diodes; upconverters
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Optical Networking Technologies for High-Speed Data Transmission
edited by Yixiao Zhu and Xiansong Fang
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 3047 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical communications; optical networking; digital signal processing; data-center interconnects; passive optical network; fronthaul; long-haul transmission
(This special issue belongs to the Section Data-Science Based Techniques in Photonics)
Recent Advances in Infrared Lasers and Applications
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2027 | 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)
Optical Fiber Amplifiers and Their Applications
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1569 | Submission Open
Keywords: rare-earth element-doped fiber amplifiers (RE-DFAs); semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs); fiber optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs); optical waveguide amplifiers (OWAs); (modal) gain; noise figure (NF); effective waveband; gain flatness; pump efficiency; differential modal gain (DMG)
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advances in Laser Measurement
edited by Wei Xia
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 806 | Submission Open
Keywords: micro- and nanometrology; metrology and instruments for integrated circuits; in-process and inline metrology; optical metrology and inspection; surface metrology; material characterization; machine learning and signal processing; intelligent instrument for automation; sensors and actuators; uncertainty; traceability and calibration; optical imaging; optical measurement
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Advances in Optical Field Modulation Techniques and Applications
edited by Yonglei Liu and
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 739 | Submission Open
Keywords: light-field manipulating; partially coherent beams; optical coherence; optical polarization; interaction between light and matter; optical measurement and propagation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Realization and Application of Vortex Laser
edited by and Jingliang Liu
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 510 | Submission Open
Keywords: vortex laser; optical communication; optical system design; vortex light field regulation; quantum optics; information encoding
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Topological Photonics: New Trend and Applications
edited by Qiang Zhang and Rui Duan
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 340 | Submission Open
Keywords: topological photonics; topological photonic crystals; topological metasurfaces; nonlinear topological photonics; non-Hermitian photonics; topological optical quasiparticles; optical vortex; nano/microcavities; nano/microlasers
Quantum Cascade Lasers: Recent Progress and Novel Applications
edited by Andrea Ottomaniello and Urban Senica
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 314 | Submission Open
Keywords: intersubband transitions; quantum cascade lasers; frequency combs; detectors; mid-infrared; terahertz; non-linear dynamics; photonic integration; laser feedback interferometry
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Materials, Properties and Applications for Two-Dimensional Materials
edited by Xiaopeng Fan and Hao Hong
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 164 | Submission Open
Keywords: two-dimensional materials; nanophotonic; nano-optoelectronic; phase matching; twisted angle; strain regulation; atomic fabrication
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advances in Multi-Physics Coupled Micro/Nano Devices
edited by Yidan An, Zhenhai Yang, Yulong Fan and Xianyuan Jiang
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 119 | Submission Open
Keywords: multi-physics coupling; opto-electric-thermal field regulation; micro/nano devices; optimization design
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Adaptive Optics: Recent Technological Breakthroughs and Applications
edited by and Freddie Santiago
submission deadline 31 Jul 2025 | Viewed by 117 | Submission Open
Keywords: adaptive optics; active optics; wavefront sensing; aberrations; algorithms; closed loop
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Challenges and Opportunities in Wireless Optical Communication
edited by and
submission deadline 1 Aug 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2756 | Submission Open
Keywords: wireless optical communication (WOC); visible light communication (VLC); free space optical communication (FSO); optical camera communication (OCC); Li-Fi technology and its applications; key characteristics for high data rates; non LoS and LoS Requirements; modulation techniques; hybrid RF– optical solutions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
New Advances in Optical Wireless Communication
edited by Xiaolin Zhou
submission deadline 10 Aug 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 10286 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical wireless communications; signal processing; channel estimation; optical devices
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Optical Metamaterials for Advanced Optoelectronic Devices
edited by Jining Li, Yue Yang and Dexian Yan
submission deadline 10 Aug 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2176 | Submission Open
Keywords: metasurfaces; advanced optics; integrated optics; metalens; topological photonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Emerging Technologies in Visible Light Communication
edited by Hui Chen, Yingjun Zhou and
submission deadline 10 Aug 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 139 | Submission Open
Keywords: visible light communication; VLC modulation; channel modeling; hybrid networks; IoT; 6G; energy-efficient communication; positioning; security; machine learning
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Cutting-Edge Developments in Fiber Laser
edited by Tianwei Jiang, Ruihuan Wu and
submission deadline 15 Aug 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 10933 | Submission Open
Keywords: mid-infrared; fiber laser; ultrafast fiber laser; high power; narrow linewidth; super continuum; short-pulse generation; frequency comb; random laser
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Stable Control Technology and Image Perception Technology in Optoelectronic Servo Systems
edited by Yang Liu, Tieqiao Chen and
submission deadline 15 Aug 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 797 | Submission Open
Keywords: stable imaging; image motion compensation; external guidance direction; high-precision photoelectric tracking; image perception; advanced detector imaging; servo control; augmented reality; intelligent sensation
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Optical Imaging Innovations and Applications
edited by and
submission deadline 20 Aug 2025 | 9 articles | Viewed by 9412 | 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)
Advanced Optical Fiber Sensors for Harsh Environment Applications
edited by Qi Zhang and
submission deadline 20 Aug 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5300 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber-optic sensor; fiber-optic sensing technology; advanced manufacturing technique; structural health monitoring; single-point sensing; ai for optical fiber sensing; distributed sensing; environmental monitoring; harsh environment sensing technique
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advances in Interferometric Optics and Applications
edited by Shanzhi Tang and
submission deadline 20 Aug 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1992 | Submission Open
Keywords: novel method for optical interferometer; laser heterodyne/homodyne interferometer; grating interferometer; picometer/nanometer-level dimensional metrology; interferometric optical component; optomechanical design; optic– electronic detection techniques; data processing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optoelectronic Oscillators (OEO): Principles and Applications
edited by , and Yali Zhang
submission deadline 20 Aug 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1882 | Submission Open
Keywords: optoelectronic oscillators (OEO); microwave photonics; phase noise; microwave signal generation; optical feedback loop; telecommunications; radars; signal processing; sensor networks
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
High-Performance Solid-State Lasers: Fundamentals and Applications
edited by Margarita Deneva, Marin Nenchev and Maria Marinova
submission deadline 20 Aug 2025 | Viewed by 292 | Submission Open
Keywords: solid state lasers; laser efficiency; diode-pumped solid-state lasers; laser theory and modelling; nonlinear optics; laser applications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
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