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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Metamaterials and Nanophotonics: Fundamentals and Applications
edited by , , Zijie Dai and Tengteng Li
submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 449 | 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 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1576 | 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 23995 | 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 | Viewed by 611 | 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 58 | 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 36 | 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 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4439 | 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 3528 | 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 2507 | 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)
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 1696 | 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)
Novel Advances in Optical Fiber Gratings
edited by Jingxian Cui and
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 709 | 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 671 | Submission Open
Keywords: high-capacity transmission systems; artificial intelligence optical communication; digital signal processing; data center optical interconnection; flexible optical network
Laser Communication Systems and Related Technologies
edited by and Chen Wang
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 212 | 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 | Viewed by 85 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical fiber; optoelectronic devices; systems and subsystems; networks
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Emerging Innovations in Microstructured Fibers for Sensing and Beyond submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 85 | 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 60 | 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 48 | 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 46 | 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 Pavel Nikitin
submission deadline 1 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 76 | 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 74 | 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 | 11 articles | Viewed by 12028 | 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 80 | 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 64 | 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 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2215 | 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)
Direct Ultrafast Laser Writing in Photonics and Optoelectronics
edited by and
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 72 | 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)
Recent Progress in Integrated Photonics and Future Prospects
edited by Jing-Shun Pan
submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 41 | 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)
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 313 | 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 16 | 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)
Advanced Photonics Metamaterials and Metasurfaces: Science and Applications, 2nd Edition
edited by and
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 4453 | 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)
Ultrafast Optics: From Fundamental Science to Applications
edited by
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 469 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultrafast photonics; laser photonics; nanophotonics; metasurface optics; fiber optics; nonlinear dynamics; on-chip microcavity; optical frequency combs; laser absorption spectroscopy
Polaritons Nanophotonics: Physics, Materials and Applications
edited by Shu Chen and
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 448 | Submission Open
Keywords: fundamental physics of polaritons; newly emerging polariton materials and phenomena; active tuning and dynamic control of polaritonic systems; polaritonic applications for sensing; imaging; spectroscopy; energy harvesting; and enhanced nonlinear effects
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Lightwave Electronics
edited by Dandan Hui
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 174 | Submission Open
Keywords: petahertz electronics; photonics; optoelectronics; attosecond pulse; nonlinear optics; light-driven quantum computing; light-matter interactions; nanophotonics; optical communications
(This special issue belongs to the Section New Applications Enabled by Photonics Technologies and Systems)
Emerging Trends in Photodetector Technologies
edited by
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 170 | 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)
Recent Progress in Optical Metamaterials and Metasurfaces
edited by Yeming Qing, Koichi Okamoto and Murai Shunsuke
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 85 | Submission Open
Keywords: metamaterials; metasurfaces; metadevices; plasmonics; space-time modulation; nonreciprocal photonics; nanoantennas; quantum metamaterials; topological physics
Emerging Trends in Optical Fiber Communication Technologies
edited by Weicheng Chen, and
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 64 | Submission Open
Keywords: optics communications; coherent optical systems; space-division multiplexing; flexible and hollow-core fibers; adaptive equalization; advanced modulation formats
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Advancements in Silicon Integrated Photonics: Design, Fabrication, and Applications
edited by
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 56 | Submission Open
Keywords: silicon photonics; photonic device design; advanced fabrication; photonic– electronic integration; reconfigurable photonic circuits; heterogeneous integration; quantum photonics; neuromorphic photonics; photonic design automation; emerging photonic materials
Emerging Trends in Diffractive Optics and Metasurfaces
edited by Weiwei Liu
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 44 | Submission Open
Keywords: metasurface inverse design; broadband meta achromat; active/reconfigurable diffractive optics; nonlinear and quantum metadevices; wafer scale nano imprint lithography; machine learning topology optimization; lab on chip biosensing metasurface; beam steering and LiDAR; augmented/virtual reality optics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optoelectronics and Optical Materials)
Recent Advances in Free-Space Optical Communication
edited by Zhi-Min Wang
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 36 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultra-violet laser; THz laser; ultra-violet laser detector; optical design; modulation; demodulation; optical communication
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Signal Processing and System Integration for Next-Generation Optical Communication
edited by Jingchi Li, Yixiao Zhu and
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 34 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical communication; optical signal processing; photonic integration; optical interconnects; machine learning for optical systems; system-level design and optimization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
Advances in Optical Fiber Transmission and Sensing Technologies
edited by
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 24 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber transmission modeling; dispersion and nonlinearity; optical interference; distributed sensing; fiber-based measurement; multimode and multicore fibers; photonic structures; speckle-based sensing; fiber communication and sensing integration
Advanced Spectral Technology and Imaging
edited by and Huaidong Yang
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 10 | Submission Open
Keywords: spectrometer; hyperspectral imaging; spectroscopic imaging; deep learning; Raman spectroscopy
Photonic Integrated Circuit
edited by
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 8 | Submission Open
Keywords: photonic integrated circuit; electro optic devices; optical communications; integrated devices; frequency combs; nonlinear optics; photonic sensing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Advanced Research in Computational Optical Imaging
edited by Zihan Zang
submission deadline 1 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 29 | Submission Open
Keywords: computational imaging; computational microscopy; multidimensional imaging; 3D sensing; high-speed imaging; biomedical imaging; optical computing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Recent Progress in Optical Quantum Information and Communication submission deadline 15 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 59 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical quantum information; quantum communication; quantum networks; single-photon sources; entangled photons; quantum key distribution (qkd); quantum frequency conversion; photonic quantum computing; quantum optics; nonlinear optics in quantum systems; photonic integrated circuits (pics)
(This special issue belongs to the Section Quantum Photonics and Technologies)
Advances in Super-Resolution Optical Imaging and Microscopy
edited by Chenshuang Zhang and Zhenlong Huang
submission deadline 22 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 18 | Submission Open
Keywords: super-resolution microscopy; live-cell super-resolution imaging; cellular dynamics; multimodal imaging; theranostics; cellular dynamics; deep learning
Advanced Optical Measurement Spectroscopy and Imaging Technologies
edited by Geer Teng
submission deadline 30 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 14 | Submission Open
Keywords: optical information acquisition; photonics and spectroscopy informatics; spectral analysis; optical detection systems and new components; optical diagnosis; multimodal imaging; image processing; optical sensors; molecular imaging; remote sensing and microscopy; non-destructive detection; fast optical inspection; optical information algorithms and processing
Current Research, Trends, and Prospects in Laser-Assisted Additive Printing Technology
edited by Anne-Patricia Alloncle and
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 512 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser-assisted additive printing technology; laser-assisted bio-printing; laser-induced forward transfer; additive microfabrication; micro-/nano-additive structuring
(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
Advancing Nanophotonics: Research, Innovations, and Intelligence
edited by Jietao Liu and
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 168 | Submission Open
Keywords: nanophotonics; artificial intelligence; integrated photonics; metasurfaces; plasmonics; sensing; imaging; nonlinear optics; photonic crystals; AI-powered design
(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)
Optical Fiber Sensors: Refractivity and Interferometric Applications
edited by Qirui Wang, and
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 98 | 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)
Light as a Cure: Photobiomodulation and Photodynamic Therapy
edited by
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 73 | Submission Open
Keywords: photobiomodulation; laser acupuncture; combined therapy; chronobiology; wearable device for PBMT; rare diseases treated with PBMT; face diagnosis; photodynamic therapy; traumatic brain injury; pain relief; inflammation reduction; enhanced healing; synergistic approach in integrative care; mind– body interventions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)
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