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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Femtosecond Lasers: Principles, Techniques and Applications
edited by Kehao Zhao and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1306 | Submission Open
Keywords: femtosecond lasers; ultrafast optics; nonlinear optics; laser– matter interaction; ultrafast spectroscopy; micro- and nanofabrication; biomedical photonics; pulse shaping
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Optical Fiber Sensors: Refractivity and Interferometric Applications
edited by Qirui Wang, and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 983 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber optic sensors; refractive index sensing; biosensors and detection; fiber optic interferometers; instrumentation; measurements
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Invisibility Cloaking: Methods, Principles, Materials, and Extended Applications
edited by Fei Sun and Yichao Liu
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 803 | Submission Open
Keywords: cloak; invisibility; metamaterials; transformation optics; cloaking a sensor
Advances and Applications of Fiber Grating
edited by and Lei Chen
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 722 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber bragg gratings; femtosecond laser engraving; multiparameter sensing; optical communication; industrial internet of things; fiber grating devices; biomedical imaging; long-period fiber bragg grating; intelligent perception systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advanced Methods in Exploring Light–Matter Interactions and Nonlinear Effects Optics Applications, 2nd Edition
edited by , , , Jianchang Zhao, Jiarui Li and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 413 | Submission Open
Keywords: high-power lasers; nonlinear optics; light– matter interactions; solid-state lasers; brillouin microscopy; Raman spectroscopy; radar detection; machine learning in optical systems; wavefront shaping; computational imaging; adaptive optics; fiber-optic systems; laser-based sensing; optical imaging techniques
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Advances in Super-Resolution Optical Imaging and Microscopy
edited by Chenshuang Zhang and Zhenlong Huang
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 348 | Submission Open
Keywords: super-resolution microscopy; live-cell super-resolution imaging; cellular dynamics; multimodal imaging; theranostics; cellular dynamics; deep learning
Optical System Design: From Fundamentals to Advanced Applications
edited by Bo Li, Jingxu Sun and Lisong Yan
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 303 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical system design; AI-driven optical design; metasurface-based optical systems; integrated photonics; free-form optical design; adaptive optical systems; high-precision imaging optics; multi-physics co-optimization; novel optical materials; inverse optimization algorithms
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Advanced Optical Frequency Combs
edited by Chenghong Zhang and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 228 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser photonics; ultrafast optics; microresonators; integrated photonics; nonlinear optics; precision metrology; interferometry; spectroscopy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Advances in Free Space Optical Communication: From Classical Links to Intelligent and Quantum Enhanced Systems
edited by Shan Jiang
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 210 | Submission Open
Keywords: free-space photonic systems; atmospheric and turbulent optics; structured light and beam engineering; adaptive and wavefront-controlled optics; AI-enabled optical transmission and control; intelligent photonic signal processing; quantum free-space communication; quantum light sources and detection; terahertz communication networks; digital signal processing in free-space communications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
The Recent Advancements and Applications of Microwave Photonics
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 206 | Submission Open
Keywords: RF photonics; radio-over-fiber; microwave photonics signal processing; integrated microwave photonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optical Fiber Laser Technology and Application
edited by , and Jun Li
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 193 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber optics; rare earth-doped fiber lasers; high-power fiber lasers; pulsed fiber lasers; AI for fiber lasers; modeling and simulation of fiber lasers; field manipulation of fiber lasers; fiber lasers for communications; sensing; and imaging
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advances in Nonlinear Optical Imaging
edited by , Hongyuan Wang and Qianhao Ning
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 161 | Submission Open
Keywords: multiphoton microscopy; coherent raman imaging; super-resolution nonlinear imaging; computational and adaptive nonlinear optics; novel laser sources and detector technology; image reconstruction and intelligent processing; biomedical and clinical applications; nonlinear imaging in materials and nanostructures; miniaturized and portable nonlinear systems; multimodal nonlinear optical imaging
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optical Frequency Transfer and Metrology
edited by and Zhijing Du
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 160 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical frequency transfer; optical clock; laser stabilization; optical frequency comb; atomic frequency standards; photonic microwave generator; chip-scale atomic clock; optical microcavity; quantum precision measurement; laser source
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Challenges and Innovations in 3D LiDAR Systems
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 147 | Submission Open
Keywords: lidar design; optics solutions; sensor characterization; adverse weather; point cloud filtering; 3D object detection & tracking; point cloud segmentation; multi-sensor data fusion
(This special issue belongs to the Section Data-Science Based Techniques in Photonics)
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: From Bench to Real-World Applications
edited by Prasoon K. Diwakar
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 72 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS); real-time analysis; remote sensing; machine learning/AI; mining and minerals; portable instrumentation; elemental mapping; plasma physics; industrial applications; environmental monitoring
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Latest Advances in Optical Computing, Sensing and Networking
edited by Chao Wang
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 71 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical computing; integrated photonics; quantum sensing; optical networks; neuromorphic photonics; terahertz communication; silicon photonics; machine learning in optics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Fundamentals and Applications of Aerosol Analysis with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
edited by Daniel Diaz and David W. Hahn
submission deadline 1 Dec 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 7973 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; aerosols; aerosol analysis; single-shot analysis; plasma– particle interactions; ns-LIBS; fs-LIBS; remote LIBS
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
VCSEL Designs for High-Speed, High-Power and Polarization-Control: Novel Applications from Quantum Devices to Neuromorphic Computing submission deadline 1 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 201 | Submission Open
Keywords: VCSEL; high-speed; high-power; single-mode; polarization; quantum sensing; interferometry; neuromorphic computing
Ultrafast Laser Nonlinear Dynamics
edited by Xinyang Liu
submission deadline 10 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 303 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultrafast laser; nonlinear material; ultrafast fabrication; ultrafast imaging; laser material; nonlinear dynamics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Photonic Interconnects: From Devices to Networked Systems submission deadline 10 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 218 | Submission Open
Keywords: photonic interconnects; optical and hybrid networks; routing and switching; network topologies; quality of service (QoS); latency and bandwidth management; reconfigurable photonic systems; cybersecurity and resilience; secure optical communication; high-performance computing and data centers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Freeform Optics and Diffraction submission deadline 10 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 94 | Submission Open
Keywords: freeform optics; hybrid refractive-diffractive systems; advanced manufacturing and metrology; AI-assisted optical design
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Optoelectronic Intelligent Sensing Chips: From Devices to Systems
edited by Weiqing Cheng
submission deadline 10 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 88 | Submission Open
Keywords: photonic chips; optical sensing; optoelectronic sensing; intelligent processing; smart sensors; spectroscopy; imaging chips; system-on-chip; infrared detection
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Advanced Lasers and Their Applications, 3rd Edition
edited by , Chao-Jian He and
submission deadline 15 Dec 2026 | 11 articles | Viewed by 6530 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber laser; all-solid-state laser; semiconductor laser; micro/nano structure fabrication; optical sensor
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advances in Optical Fibers for Sensing and Communication in Harsh Conditions
edited by Martin Roche
submission deadline 15 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 187 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber; photonics; sensing; fiber lasers; telecommunication; harsh environments
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Laser Applications Towards Space Sustainability and Safety
edited by Jan Vanda
submission deadline 15 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 126 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser-based systems; laser technologies; laser-based orbital measurement; daylight-capable laser ranging; laser momentum transfer; photon pressure; laser ablation; high-power laser energy transfer; high-efficiency laser energy transfer; laser technologies in space; space sustainability; AI image processing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advances in Optical Fiber Technology: Telecom and Specialty Fibers for AI Network Infrastructure
edited by Yi Sun, Kazunori Mukasa, Cheng Guo and Ailing Zhong
submission deadline 20 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 209 | Submission Open
Keywords: datacenter network; space division multiplexing; hollow core fiber; distributed acoustic sensing; nonlinear signal processing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Recent Progress in Optical and Biomedical Sensing
edited by and
submission deadline 20 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 91 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical sensing; biomedical sensing; integrated photonic sensors; silicon photonics; resonant sensors; high-sensitivity sensing; multiplexed sensing; on-chip sensing systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
Advances in Colloidal Quantum Dot Optoelectronics
edited by Nima Taghipour
submission deadline 20 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 78 | Submission Open
Keywords: colloidal quantum dots; synthesis of nanocrystals; light-emitting diodes; lasers; photodetectors; photovoltaics; quantum light sources; device fabrication; optoelectronics; photonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Recent Advances in Spectroscopy
edited by Aparajita Bandyopadhyay and Amartya Sengupta
submission deadline 20 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 57 | Submission Open
Keywords: faster temporal resolution; extreme spatial resolution; deep learning analytics; futuristic spectroscopic platforms
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Photonic Integrated Circuits for Information, Computing and Sensing
edited by Andrea Salamon, Liam O’Faolain and Simone Iadanza
submission deadline 30 Dec 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 47027 | 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)
Advances in Optometric and Ophthalmic Technologies: Innovations and Applications submission deadline 30 Dec 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 11588 | 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)
Innovative Optical Technologies in Advanced Manufacturing
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 8354 | 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)
Silicon Photonics: From Fundamentals to Future Directions submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 7937 | 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)
Novel Advances in Optical Fiber Gratings
edited by Jingxian Cui and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 6602 | 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)
Advancements in Optics and Laser Measurement
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5446 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical sensing technologies; optical interferometry; 3D surface profiling; laser imaging; laser scanning and reconstruction; non-contact measurement; high-precision metrology; machine learning in optical measurement
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Lasers and Complex System Dynamics submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2722 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser dynamics; nonlinear optics; complex systems; spatio-temporal chaos; self-organization; synchronization; cavity solitons; laser networks; photonic instabilities; emergent behavior
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Metasurfaces and Meta-Devices: From Fundamentals to Applications
edited by Jingcheng Zhang and Tianyue Li
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1815 | Submission Open
Keywords: metasurface-enabled multi-dimensional light field control; metasurface-based optical micromanipulation; metalens imaging; metasurfaces for advanced optical communications; heterogeneous metadevice integration; quantum metasurfaces; topological photonic crystals and metasurfaces; nonlocal metasurfaces and BIC; non-Hermitian and PT metasurfaces; metasurface-mediated optical singularities
Next-Generation Optical Frequency Combs and Their Photonic Applications
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1575 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical frequency combs; soliton combs; microcombs; dual-comb spectroscopy; quantum frequency combs; EO comb; kerr comb; chip-scale frequency combs; spectral shaping; precision measurement; precision metrology; hyperspectral imaging; microwave generation; microresonators; noise characterization; integrated photonics
Metasurface-Based Photonic Devices and Their Applications
edited by Jingfeng Chen
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1313 | Submission Open
Keywords: metasurfaces; subwavelength resonators; beamforming; reconfigurable metasurfaces; 2D materials integration; polarization manipulation
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Advances in Optical Fiber-Based Devices: Design, Deployment, and Emerging Applications
edited by , and Minh Châu Phan-Huy
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 798 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber; fiber sensors; telecommunications; quantum communications; fabrication; micro and nanostructured fibers; active and passive fibered devices; chip-to-fiber coupling; nonlinearities in fiber; novel materials
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Two-Dimensional Materials for Emerging Photonics and Spintronics Applications
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 683 | Submission Open
Keywords: two-dimensional materials; quantum photonics; quantum optics; nonlinear optics; spintronics; polariton; Moiré superlattices; light– matter interactions; metamaterials; anisotropic materials
Laser Spectroscopy: From Fundamentals to Advanced Applications
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 579 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser spectroscopy; absorption spectroscopy; infrared sensing; spectral analysis; molecular detection; quantum cascade lasers; frequency combs; optical sensing; spectroscopic imaging; environmental monitoring
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Optical Networks and Their Applications submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 400 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical networks; optical transmission systems; digital signal processing (DSP); photonic integrated circuits (PICs); software-defined networking; AI/ML in optical communication; Fibre– mmWave– Optical  Wireless  (OW)  convergence; physical-layer security; quantum-safe networking; elastic optical networks; joint communication and sensing; free-space optical communication; 6G transport
2D Materials for Quantum and Nanophotonic Technologies
edited by Ajit Kumar Katiyar and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 375 | Submission Open
Keywords: two-dimensional materials; graphene; quantum photonics; nanophotonics; light– matter interaction; plasmonics; Van der Waals heterostructures; optoelectronic devices; single-photon technologies; nonlinear optics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Ultrafast Lasers: Fundamentals, Technology, and Applications
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 297 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultrafast lasers; femtosecond pulses; mode-locking; dispersion management; CPA/OPCPA amplification; pulse diagnostics (FROG/XFROG); nonlinear optics; ultrafast spectroscopy; precision micromachining; simulation & digital-twin/ML optimization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Computational Methods for Advanced Optical Imaging
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 283 | Submission Open
Keywords: computational optics; computational imaging; inverse design; image reconstruction; end-to-end optimization; deep learning; information theory
(This special issue belongs to the Section Data-Science Based Techniques in Photonics)
Advances in Mid-Infrared Photonic Systems
edited by Yiğit Ozan Aydın
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 241 | Submission Open
Keywords: mid-infrared photonics; mid-infrared systems; mid-IR fiber lasers; mid-IR amplifiers; optical sensing; spectroscopy; supercontinuum sources; nonlinear optics; quantum cascade lasers; soft-glass fiber design; interband cascade lasers; photonic integration; infrared imaging; specialty fibers; waveguides; free-space optical communication; biomedical photonics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advances in FMCW LiDAR Technology
edited by Simone Bianconi and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 239 | Submission Open
Keywords: FMCW; LiDAR; sensing; coherent ranging; chirped laser
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Holographic Information Processing, 2nd Edition
edited by , Wen-Jing Zhou, and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 235 | Submission Open
Keywords: digital holography; coherent and incoherent digital holography; optical scanning holography; holographic displays; holographic cryptography; polarization holography; holography system design; holographic information processing
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Optical Fiber Technologies: Design, Implementation, and Applications
edited by Xiansong Fang and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 220 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical communications; optical interconnect; digital signal processing; optical fiber devices; photonic integrated circuits; distributed optical fiber sensing; fiber-optic gyroscopes; optical fiber lasers; on-chip lasers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
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