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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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Light-Based 3D Printing for Optics

edited by

Paul Somers

submission deadline 6 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 220 | 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 | 15 articles | Viewed by 25405 | 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

Charu Goel

and

Daiqi Xiong

submission deadline 10 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1364 | 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

Jeong Hee Kim

and Yanmin Zhu

submission deadline 10 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 316 | 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

Jiahao Huo

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 6249 | 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 4502 | 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

Yueshu Feng

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3266 | 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

Guodong Zhang

and

Xu Wang

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3083 | 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 | 1 articles | Viewed by 476 | 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 2879 | 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 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2739 | 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

Zhen Zhang

and Neil Broderick

submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 194 | 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 | 6 articles | Viewed by 13662 | 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)

Advanced Photonics Metamaterials and Metasurfaces: Science and Applications, 2nd Edition

edited by

Zhaojian Zhang

and

Junbo Yang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 8 articles | Viewed by 12177 | 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)

Challenges and Opportunities in Underwater Wireless Optical Communications

edited by

Jing Xu

Yanlong Li

and

Yang Qiu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 10699 | 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)

Advancements in Optical Metamaterials

edited by Pavel Terekhov

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 9280 | 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 | 7 articles | Viewed by 7905 | 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

edited by

Zanyun Zhang

Zan Zhang

and

Huan Zhang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5884 | 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

Dongyang Han

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5114 | 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)

Ultrafast Optics: From Fundamental Science to Applications

edited by

Bo Fu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2826 | 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

Shaoxin Shen

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1975 | 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)

Signal Processing and System Integration for Next-Generation Optical Communication

edited by Jingchi Li, Yixiao Zhu and

Xingfeng Li

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 1682 | 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)

Advanced Spectral Technology and Imaging

edited by

Yinxin Zhang

and Huaidong Yang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 721 | Submission Open

Keywords: spectrometer; hyperspectral imaging; spectroscopic imaging; deep learning; Raman spectroscopy

Emerging Trends in Diffractive Optics and Metasurfaces

edited by Weiwei Liu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 647 | 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)

Invisibility Cloaking: Methods, Principles, Materials, and Extended Applications

edited by Fei Sun and Yichao Liu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 589 | Submission Open

Keywords: cloak; invisibility; metamaterials; transformation optics; cloaking a sensor

Emerging Trends in Optical Fiber Communication Technologies

edited by Weicheng Chen,

Wei Ru Wong

and

Zanhui Chen

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 549 | 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

Hamed Arianfard

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 296 | 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

Recent Advances in Free-Space Optical Communication

edited by Zhi-Min Wang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 221 | 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)

Advances in Optical Fiber Transmission and Sensing Technologies

edited by

Han Gao

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 214 | 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

Photonic Integrated Circuit

edited by

Nitesh Chauhan

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 156 | 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)

Optical Wireless Communication in 5G and Beyond

edited by

Mohammad Alibakhshikenari

Chen Chen

and

Lida Kouhalvandi

submission deadline 1 Mar 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 8702 | 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)

Advanced Research in Computational Optical Imaging

edited by

Zihan Zang

submission deadline 1 Mar 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1980 | 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)

Advanced Optical Metrology Technology

edited by

Vignesh Suresh

Beiwen Li

and Jiaqiong Li

submission deadline 1 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 291 | Submission Open

Keywords: optical metrology; laser scanner; structured light; computer vision; interferometry

Emerging Applications of Vortex Beams

edited by

Xiao-Qiang Jiang

and Chong Qin

submission deadline 1 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 254 | Submission Open

Keywords: vortex beams; metasurfaces; optical manipulation; optical communications; quantum cryptography; super-resolution microscopy; free-space optics; spatial light modulators; optical sensing; light– matter interactions; vortex generation/detection; integrated photonics

Advances in Dual-Comb Spectroscopy

edited by

Yu Zhang

and Ryan T. Rhoades

submission deadline 10 Mar 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2167 | 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)

Lasers and Complex System Dynamics

edited by

Juan Hugo García-López

Rider Jaimes-Reátegui

and

Guillermo Huerta Cuellar

submission deadline 10 Mar 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 1854 | 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)

Technologies and Applications of Optical Imaging

edited by

Xinyuan Zhang

, Shilong Xu and

Jiajie Fang

submission deadline 13 Mar 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 5078 | 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)

Recent Progress in Optical Quantum Information and Communication

edited by

Morteza Ahmadi

and

Isa Ahmadalidokht

submission deadline 15 Mar 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2782 | 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 Ultrafast Science and Applications

edited by Bingying Lei,

Zewei Luo

, Rui Lou and Boping Xu

submission deadline 15 Mar 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1330 | Submission Open

Keywords: ultrafast laser system; ultrafast applications; ultrashort pulse generation; attosecond science; ultrafast dynamics; nonlinear optics; ultrafast laser– matter interactions

Recent Progress in Ultrafast Fiber Lasers

edited by Qianglong Li and

Feng Li

submission deadline 15 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 515 | Submission Open

Keywords: ultrafast fiber laser fiber mode-locking; ultrashort pulse amplification; large-mode-area fiber amplifier; nonlinear spectrum broadening; nonlinear pulse amplification; nonlinear pulse compression high-order harmonic generation; wavelength conversion and tuning; optical parametric amplification; stabilized ultrafast lasers; ultrashort pulse sensing

(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)

Emerging Trends in Silicon Photonics

edited by Amin Babazadeh

submission deadline 20 Mar 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 4717 | 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)

Shining Light on Healing: Photobiomodulation Therapy

edited by

Willians Fernando Vieira

submission deadline 20 Mar 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4520 | Submission Open

Keywords: photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT); low-level light therapy (LLLT); transcranial PBMT; light– tissue interaction; red light therapy; anti-inflammatory effects; tissue regeneration; neuromodulation; mitochondrial photostimulation; clinical applications of PBMT

(This special issue belongs to the Section Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics)

Optical Systems and Design

edited by

Shan Mao

submission deadline 20 Mar 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2639 | 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)

Advances in Super-Resolution Optical Imaging and Microscopy

edited by Chenshuang Zhang and Zhenlong Huang

submission deadline 22 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 226 | Submission Open

Keywords: super-resolution microscopy; live-cell super-resolution imaging; cellular dynamics; multimodal imaging; theranostics; cellular dynamics; deep learning

Recent Advances in Optical Turbulence

edited by

Yatian Li

, Deyue Zou and Kainan Yao

submission deadline 30 Mar 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 10214 | Submission Open

Keywords: optical turbulence; atmospheric turbulence; underwater turbulence; adaptive optics; turbulence mitigation; turbulence simulation; refractive index structure parameter; greenwood frequency; Taylor frequency; seeing

(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Interaction Science)

Advanced Optical Measurement Spectroscopy and Imaging Technologies

edited by Geer Teng

submission deadline 30 Mar 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3113 | 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

Freeform Optical Systems: Design and Applications

edited by

Xianglong Mao

and Jiadong Yu

submission deadline 30 Mar 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2181 | 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)

Laser as a Detection: From Spectral Imaging to LiDAR for Remote Sensing Applications (2nd Edition)

edited by

Jianfeng Chen

Ming Zhao

and

He Tian

submission deadline 30 Mar 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 1331 | Submission Open

Keywords: laser detection; LiDAR; laser spectroscopy; remote sensing; optical design

(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)

Optical Information Transmission in Turbidity and Complex Media: Challenges and Innovative Breakthroughs

edited by

Peng Zhang

Wanzhuo Ma

, Haifeng Yao and

Dongya Xiao

submission deadline 30 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 176 | Submission Open

Keywords: optical information transmission; turbid media; scattering; wavefront shaping; biomedical imaging; atmospheric aerosols; computational imaging; underwater communication

(This special issue belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)

Advances in Solid-State Laser Technology and Applications

edited by Zhen Qiao

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | 8 articles | Viewed by 10817 | Submission Open

Keywords: solid-state lasers; high-power lasers; pulsed lasers; laser materials; structured light laser; materials processing; laser medical treatment; laser metrology; information processing; quantum optics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)

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