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Advances in Optical Sensing and Actuation: Devices, Systems and Applications

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 5188

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Makrakis

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Guest Editor

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Interests: bio-optical and molecular communications; biosensing; medical devices for diagnosis and treatment; biological communications and nanonetworks; sensor/actuator networks; cyber-security; blockchain technologies

Dr. Oussama Abderrahmane Dambri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Interests: nano-communication systems; molecular communication; wired nanonetworks; bio-inspired receivers; biosensing; optogenetics; bio-blockchain

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will explore advances in optical sensing and actuation technologies and showcase how they can revolutionize various sectors of technology. It will highlight state-of-the-art research contributions applicable to the macro- and/or nanoscale (e.g., nano-sensing) and operating in the spectral occupancy ranging from infrared to ultraviolet. Contributions may explore the design of new devices, systems or applications that are related to sensing and/or actuation, including but not limited to photonic components suitable for both large-scale and miniature sensing systems (e.g., low-power lasers and LEDs, photodetectors), innovations in optical materials for enhanced sensitivity and accuracy, communication technologies suitable for use in sensing/actuation systems, nanofibers used in biological settings for in vivo light transmission, medical and health devices such as neuronal stimulators and neuronal activity detectors, optical brain interfaces, medical imaging/sensing devices, specialized optical stimulating and detecting devices used in neuroscience research, in vivo substance sensing, detection, alert generation systems and security applications. By focusing on these cutting-edge advancements, this Special Issue will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art and the impact of optical technologies in the realm of sensing and actuation.

Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Makrakis
Dr. Oussama Abderrahmane Dambri
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

optical sensing
optical actuation
integrated photonics
macroscale and nanoscale sensing systems
infrared, visible and ultraviolet light sensors
photonic systems
in vivo light transmission
optical medical devices

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 5489 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Development of a Low-Cost Fresnel Lens UV Telescope with SiPM Array for Low-Light Atmospheric Transient Detection

by Gabriel Chiritoi and Eugeniu Mihnea Popescu

Sensors 2026, 26(7), 2149; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26072149 - 31 Mar 2026

Viewed by 331

Abstract

This work presents the development and experimental characterization of a compact ultraviolet (UV) telescope based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) designed for the detection of faint atmospheric optical tracks. Such transient optical phenomena include meteors, transient luminous events (TLEs), space debris reentries, and other faint atmospheric emissions. Nuclearite-induced atmospheric emission is considered as a benchmark case for evaluating the expected signal levels of rare luminous track events. We detail the fabrication, assembly, and testing of the SiPM sensor array, comprising parallel Geiger-mode avalanche diodes with high fill factor and photon detection efficiency, alongside custom readout electronics using self-triggering ASICs, precision optical components, and a stable mechanical mount. This photon-counting telescope provides a compact and mechanically robust alternative to conventional PMT-based systems, with demonstrated capability for detecting low-light atmospheric tracks under controlled laboratory conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Optical Sensing and Actuation: Devices, Systems and Applications)

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11 pages, 1517 KB

Open AccessArticle

High-Stable Electric Field Integrated Optical Sensor Based on Reduced Lithium Niobate

by Aleksei Sosunov, Artem Shipitsin, Mikhail Zhitkov, Anton Kuznetsov, Andrey Kosberg, Anton Zhuravlev, Andrey Lutsenko, Victor Krishtop and Anatoliy Mololkin

Sensors 2026, 26(5), 1619; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26051619 - 4 Mar 2026

Viewed by 529

Abstract

Integrated optical devices based on lithium niobate (LN) are pivotal in modern navigation systems, telecommunications, and sensing technologies. However, their practical implementation is critically limited by temperature-dependent and long-term operational instability, primarily attributed to the pyroelectric effect inherent in LN. This study addresses this challenge by investigating thermally reduced lithium niobate as a material platform to enhance the stability of integrated optical circuits, with a focus on integrated optical electric field sensors (IOES). We present the fabrication and comprehensive characterization of an IOES based on a Michelson interferometer design. Key performance metrics including optical loss, free spectral range, electro-optical sensitivity, and optical path difference were systematically evaluated. Notably, under normal climatic conditions, the optical path difference of the IOES demonstrated exceptional stability when subjected to an applied voltage ranging from 0 to 5 V, with no observable drift over time. Calibration of the IOES revealed a predominantly linear response, although a third-degree polynomial model provided a more precise fit to the experimental data. The minimum relative error achieved during calibration was 0.47%, underscoring the high accuracy of the device. Our results establish thermally reduced LN as a promising material platform for next-generation integrated optical devices. By mitigating the pyroelectric effect, this approach enables significant improvements in the long-term stability of IOES and other LN-based photonic components. These findings open avenues for the reliable deployment of integrated optical systems in demanding applications where environmental stability is paramount. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Optical Sensing and Actuation: Devices, Systems and Applications)

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24 pages, 47366 KB

Open AccessArticle

Extraction and Verification of Seismic Vibration Metrics via Laser Remote Sensing Utilizing Wavefront Sensors

by Donghua Zhou, Quan Luo, Yun Pan, Yiyou Fan, Haoming Chen, Wei Jiang and Jinshan Su

Sensors 2026, 26(5), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26051533 - 28 Feb 2026

Viewed by 414

Abstract

Seismic wave analysis is crucial for identifying subsurface formations and geological hazards. In this study, a seismic wave laser remote sensing system based on a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor was established by exploiting its high spatial resolution, array-based detection capability, and independent microlens spot centroid measurement. This method was employed to analyze the correlation characteristics among vibration-related physical variables. Experiments were conducted to assess the quantitative correlation between vibration amplitude and spot centroid shift by the Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor across a range of 0.06–5.94 mm. Accordingly, based on the measured centroid shift, vibration velocity was derived and validated through comparison with reference vibrometer measurements. In addition, the correlation between vibration amplitude and vibration velocity was systematically analyzed. The experimental results demonstrate strong linear correlation between amplitude and both spot centroid shift and vibration velocity, with coefficients of determination

R^{2}

exceeding 0.98. The vibration velocity obtained by the proposed system shows strong agreement with vibrometer data, confirming its effectiveness for low-frequency vibration detection. Measurement accuracy can be further improved by reducing noise. These results indicate that the proposed approach provides a promising laser remote sensing solution for seismic wave detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Optical Sensing and Actuation: Devices, Systems and Applications)

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23 pages, 4267 KB

Open AccessArticle

Proof of Concept of an Integrated Laser Irradiation and Thermal/Visible Imaging System for Optimized Photothermal Therapy in Skin Cancer

by Diogo Novas, Alessandro Fortes, Pedro Vieira and João M. P. Coelho

Sensors 2025, 25(14), 4495; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25144495 - 19 Jul 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1490

Abstract

Laser energy is widely used as a selective photothermal heating agent in cancer treatment, standing out for not relying on ionizing radiation. However, in vivo tests have highlighted the need to develop irradiation techniques that allow precise control over the illuminated area, adapting it to the tumor size to further minimize damage to surrounding healthy tissue. To address this challenge, a proof of concept based on a laser irradiation system has been designed, enabling control over energy, exposure time, and irradiated area, using galvanometric mirrors. The control software, implemented in Python, employs a set of cameras (visible and infrared) to detect and monitor real-time thermal distributions in the region of interest, transmitting this information to a microcontroller responsible for adjusting the laser power and controlling the scanning process. Image alignment procedures, tunning of the controller’s gain parameters and the impact of the different engineering parameters are illustrated on a dedicated setup. As proof of concept, this approach has demonstrated the ability to irradiate a phantom of black modeling clay within an area of up to 5 cm × 5 cm, from 15 cm away, as well as to monitor and regulate the temperature over time (5 min). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Optical Sensing and Actuation: Devices, Systems and Applications)

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12 pages, 4420 KB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Space Calibrated 3D Network of Diffractive Hyperspectral Optical Imaging Sensor

by Hao Fan, Chenxi Li, Bo Gao, Huangrong Xu, Yuwei Chen, Xuming Zhang, Xu Li and Weixing Yu

Sensors 2024, 24(21), 6903; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24216903 - 28 Oct 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1589

Abstract

Diffractive multispectral optical imaging plays an essential role in optical sensing, which typically suffers from the image blurring problem caused by the spatially variant point spread function. Here, we propose a novel high-quality and efficient hybrid space calibrated 3D network “HSC3D” for spatially variant diffractive multispectral imaging that utilizes the 3D U-Net structure combined with space calibration modules of magnification and rotation effects to achieve high-accuracy eight-channel multispectral restoration. The algorithm combines the advantages of the space calibrated module and U-Net architecture with 3D convolutional layers to improve the image quality of diffractive multispectral imaging without the requirements of complex equipment modifications and large amounts of data. A diffractive multispectral imaging system is established by designing and manufacturing one diffractive lens and four refractive lenses, whose monochromatic aberration is carefully corrected to improve imaging quality. The mean peak signal-to-noise ratio and mean structural similarity index of the reconstructed multispectral images are improved by 3.33 dB and 0.08, respectively, presenting obviously improved image quality compared with a typical Unrolled Network algorithm. The new algorithm with high space calibrated ability and imaging quality has great application potential in diffraction lens spectroscopy and paves a new method for complex practical diffractive multispectral image sensing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Optical Sensing and Actuation: Devices, Systems and Applications)

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