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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New Insights in Low-Dimensional Optoelectronic Materials and Devices
edited by
submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4111 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantum dots; semiconductor nanocrystals; perovskite; 2D materials; transition metal dichalcogenides; van der Waals heterostructures; optoelectronic devices; ultrafast spectroscopy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Diffractive Optics and Its Emerging Applications
edited by Peng Wang and Apratim Majumder
submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3738 | Submission Open
Keywords: diffractive optics; simulation and optimization; fabrication and replication; computational imaging and machine vision; AR/VR and LiDAR; diffractive optical computing; reconfigurable diffractive device
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Combined Pulse Laser: A Reliable Tool for High-Quality, High-Efficiency Material Processing
edited by Xianshi Jia, Xiao Zhu and Cong Wang
submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3122 | Submission Open
Keywords: combined pulse laser; laser– matter interaction; laser processing; temporal and spatial shaping; laser plasma; in situ observations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Photonic Integrated Circuits: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives
edited by , Shabnam Taheriniya and
submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2948 | Submission Open
Keywords: integrated optics; photonic integrated circuits; interconnects; neuromorphic photonics; quantum photonics; lidar; biophotonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Ultrafast Optics: From Fundamental Dynamics to Transformative Technologies
edited by Yizhou Liu and Kong Gao
submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1011 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultrafast optics; ultrafast lasers; femtosecond dynamics; strong-field physics; nonlinear optics; ultrafast laser– matter interaction; optical imaging; novel optical interactions; advanced laser technologies
Micro/Nano Optical Technology and Its Applications
edited by Guiqiang Du and Tongbiao Wang
submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 984 | Submission Open
Keywords: micro/nano optical technologies; micro/nano structures; micro/nano fabrication; photonic crystals; metamaterials; metasurfaces; plasmonics; multilayers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Extreme Lasers
edited by
submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 9313 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultraintense lasers; photon-photon collisions; extreme vacuum; single photon counting; Breit-Wheeler process; radiation reaction; petawatt and exawatt lasers; vacuum birefringence; QED Lagrangian; born-infeld lagrangian; dark matter searches with laser light; extreme laser technology; relativistically driven electrons; thomson scattering from laser driven electrons
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Semiconductor Lasers: Innovations, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
edited by Yongqiang Ning and
submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 7579 | Submission Open
Keywords: VCSEL; semiconductor lasers; integrated lasers; semiconductor disk lasers; dynamics and stability
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Development and Optimization of High-Power Semiconductor Laser Diodes and Photodetectors
edited by and Jiang Wu
submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6044 | Submission Open
Keywords: semiconductor laser; laser diodes; optoelectronics devices
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Metamaterials and Nanophotonics: Fundamentals and Applications
edited by , , Zijie Dai and Tengteng Li
submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2397 | Submission Open
Keywords: metamaterials; metasurface; nanophotonics; plasmonics; optical device; photonics integrated system
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advances in Visual Optics
edited by and Dimitrios Christaras
submission deadline 24 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2927 | Submission Open
Keywords: visual optics; myopia control; refractive and cataract surgery; intraocular lens; optics of the eye; eye model; wavefront aberration; new technologies in visual optics; applications of artificial intelligence in visual optics; lens and ocular biomedics
Photonic Integrated Circuits for Information, Computing and Sensing
edited by Andrea Salamon, Liam O’Faolain and Simone Iadanza
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 30572 | Submission Open
Keywords: silicon photonics; nanophotonics; integrated photon detectors and sensors; quantum information; integrated quantum photonics; polymer waveguides; 1D and 2D materials; optical sensing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advanced Materials and Devices for Silicon Photonics
edited by Jiawei Wang, and Meiting Song
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1485 | Submission Open
Keywords: integrated silicon and silicon nitride photonics; light sources; including quantum dot lasers and heterogeneous integrated III-V lasers; etc.; silicon modulators and switches; detectors; including Ge-on-Si and III– V hybrid detectors; etc.; III– V material integration with silicon photonics; silicon photonics metamaterials; silicon photonics MEMS; silicon bio-photonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Freeform Optics for Illumination and Imaging
edited by Zhouping Su
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 126 | Submission Open
Keywords: freeform optics; LED illumination; laser shaping; methods for designing freeform optics; freeform surface manufacturing and metrology
Advances in X-Ray Coherent Imaging Technology
edited by Yudong Yao
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 114 | Submission Open
Keywords: X-ray coherent imaging; X-ray coherence; X-ray tomography
Advances in Integrated Photonics
edited by Zhefeng Hu, Weike Zhao and Mengruo Zhang
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 6488 | Submission Open
Keywords: integrated optical passive devices and active devices; integrated optical nonlinear devices; heterogeneous integration
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Optical Technologies for Measurement and Metrology
edited by Shuling Hu
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 4680 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical measurement and metrology; photonic chip; integrated lasers; non-contact measurement; metasurface; signal modulation/demodulation; 3D display
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Innovative Optical Technologies in Advanced Manufacturing
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3853 | Submission Open
Keywords: advanced materials; measurement and metrology; precision manufacturing; optical design; computational imaging; image processing; advanced manufacturing; detection technology; process monitoring; machine learning
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Novel Advances in Optical Fiber Gratings
edited by Jingxian Cui and
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2702 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber bragg grating sensors; fiber grating fabrication; fiber grating applications; optical fiber sensing; fiber laser
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advanced Optical Transmission Techniques submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2123 | Submission Open
Keywords: high-capacity transmission systems; artificial intelligence optical communication; digital signal processing; data center optical interconnection; flexible optical network
Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) for Internet-of-Things (IoT)
edited by Simeng Feng and Baolong Li
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1891 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical wireless communication (OWC); internet of things (IoT); visible light communication (VLC); UAV communications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Laser Communication Systems and Related Technologies
edited by and Chen Wang
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1535 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser communication systems; scanning and acquisition; precision pointing and tracking control; opto-mechanical integration; miniaturized transceivers; autonomous beam alignment; standardized laser networks
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Next-Generation Optical Networks Communication
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 549 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber; optoelectronic devices; systems and subsystems; networks
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Quantum Cascade Lasers: Recent Progress and Novel Applications
edited by Andrea Ottomaniello and Urban Senica
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 408 | 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)
Adaptive Optics: Recent Technological Breakthroughs and Applications
edited by and Freddie Santiago
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 177 | 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)
Emerging Innovations in Microstructured Fibers for Sensing and Beyond submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 129 | Submission Open
Keywords: microstructured fiber sensing components; novel microstructured fiber design; multi-functional microstructured fibers; advanced microstructured fiber sensing technology; emerging applications of microstructured fibers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Collective Effects in Light-Matter Interactions
edited by Philippe Wilhelm Courteille and Raul Teixeira
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 104 | Submission Open
Keywords: collective light– matter interaction; collective light scattering; many-body quantum systems; anderson localization; collective atomic spin squeezing; topological edge modes; superradiance; subradiance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes (PeLEDs): Emerging Technologies for Next-Generation Displays
edited by Dongxu Zhu, Ye Wu and Changting Wei
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 80 | Submission Open
Keywords: lead-free; perovskite nanocrystals; light output efficiency; degradation mechanism; large-scale display
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advances in the Propagation and Coherence of Light
edited by , Xinlei Zhu and Jing Wang
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 78 | Submission Open
Keywords: spatial coherence; temporal coherence; spatio-temporal coherence; coherence structures; structured light; light field propagation; partial coherence
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Recent Advancements in Optical Coherence Tomography
edited by
submission deadline 1 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 128 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical coherence tomography (OCT); functional OCT; OCT angiography; swept‐source and spectral‐domain OCT; artificial intelligence; multimodal imaging (e.g.; OCT– photoacoustic and OCT– fluorescence); endoscopic and miniaturized probes
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
Light-Based 3D Printing for Optics
edited by
submission deadline 6 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 97 | Submission Open
Keywords: multi-photon polymerization; light-based additive manufacturing; high refractive index printing; optical metamaterials/metasurfaces; printed optical elements: lenses; diffractive optical elements; waveguides; photonic crystals; printing inorganic materials: metals; semiconductors; quantum dots; optical design; 3D optical coatings
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Laser Technology and Applications
edited by Li Zhong
submission deadline 10 Feb 2026 | 13 articles | Viewed by 16792 | Submission Open
Keywords: high-power laser; high-brightness laser; ultrashort pulse laser; attosecond laser technology; narrow linewidth; single-frequency laser; frequency combs; ultraviolet laser; mid-infrared laser; semiconductor lasers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advances in Hollow-Core Optical Fibers: From Fundamentals to Applications
edited by and
submission deadline 10 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 170 | Submission Open
Keywords: hollow-core optical fibers; antiresonant optical fibers; photonic bandgap fibers; gas lasers; light– matter interactions; mid-infrared sources; THz waveguides; optical fiber sensing; beam delivery
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Optical Innovations in Biomedical Sensing and Imaging
edited by and Yanmin Zhu
submission deadline 10 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 122 | Submission Open
Keywords: optics and photonics; biophotonics; biosensing; biomedical optics; biomarker detection; computational imaging; wearable sensors; multi-modal imaging
Exploring Optical Fiber Communications: Technology and Applications
edited by
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 3272 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber communications; optical components; devices and subsystems; advanced digital signal processing; novel optical transmission schemes; advanced optical transmission technology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Recent Advances in Biomedical Optics and Biophotonics
edited by Eva Yebra-Pimentel and Maria Jesus Giráldez-Fernández
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2231 | Submission Open
Keywords: biophotonics; ophthalmic instrumentation and measurements; laser interferometry; biomarker detection; aberrometry; refractive errors; in vivo eye imaging
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
Stable Control Technology and Image Perception Technology in Optoelectronic Servo Systems
edited by Yang Liu, Tieqiao Chen and
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1431 | 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)
Direct Ultrafast Laser Writing in Photonics and Optoelectronics
edited by and
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1166 | Submission Open
Keywords: direct laser writing; ultrafast laser; laser modification; laser– matter interaction; surface structuring; micro– nano processing; photonic devices; optoelectronic devices
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Next-Generation X-Ray Optical Technologies and Applications
edited by and Ming Li
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 120 | Submission Open
Keywords: X-ray optics and testing; X-ray metrology; X-ray multi-contrast imaging; AI for science; free electron lasers; X-ray beamlines and diagnostics; high-power lasers; pump-probe techniques
Recent Progress in Integrated Photonics and Future Prospects
edited by Jing-Shun Pan
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 82 | Submission Open
Keywords: integrated photonics; heterogeneous integration; integrated photonic sensing; optical communication; quantum information
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
High-Precision Laser Interferometry: Instruments and Techniques
edited by Hongxing Yang and Pengcheng Hu
submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1583 | Submission Open
Keywords: precise measurement; laser technology; nanotechnology; multi-dimensional measurement; laser frequency stabilization; laser interferometer; laser interferometry; optical nonlinearity; linear displacement; absolute distance measurement; calibration
Advancements and Future Perspectives in All-Optical Detection and Reliability Improvement Technologies
edited by Xin Li
submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 706 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical network security; all-optical fast matching; all-optical logic gates; optical network reliability; reliability evaluation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Laser Micro/Nano-Fabrication: Innovations and Applications
edited by and Neil Broderick
submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 61 | Submission Open
Keywords: lasers; micro/nano-fabrication; process strategy; micro/nanostructure characterization; fabrication mechanism; coupling fabrication; machine learning
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Laser Processing and Modification of Materials
edited by Liyang Yue and Wei Guo
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 10763 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser; laser material processing; laser applications; laser cutting; laser welding; laser cleaning; laser surface patterning; laser drilling; laser cladding; laser machining
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Challenges and Opportunities in Underwater Wireless Optical Communications
edited by , and
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 7367 | 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)
Advanced Photonics Metamaterials and Metasurfaces: Science and Applications, 2nd Edition
edited by and
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 7 articles | Viewed by 6791 | Submission Open
Keywords: metamaterials; metasurfaces; vector optical fields; BICs; chirality; optical forces; thermal radiation; nonreciprocal; machine learning; 2D materials
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Advancements in Optical Metamaterials
edited by Pavel Terekhov
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6253 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical metamaterials; optical metasurfaces; plasmonic and dielectric metasurfaces
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optical Fiber Sensors: Design and Application
edited by Yiwei Ma, Zicheng Wang and Jing Zhang
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 3826 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber sensors; optical fiber sensing; optical fiber gyro; optical fiber gratings; optical data processing; photonic material; structure-modulated fiber sensor; signal processing; microstructure fiber sensors
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Silicon Photonics: From Fundamentals to Future Directions submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2616 | Submission Open
Keywords: silicon photonics; optical communication; optical sensing; quantum communication; optical computing; metasurfaces; photonic integrated circuits; two-dimensional materials; heterogeneous integration
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Emerging Trends in Photodetector Technologies
edited by
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1521 | Submission Open
Keywords: photodetectors; self-Powered; single-photon avalanche diodes; flexible optoelectronics; optical communications; imaging; 2D materials; perovskites; wide-bandgap semiconductors
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
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