Advances in Optical Precision Manufacturing and Processing

Dear Colleagues,

The field of optical precision manufacturing and processing has undergone transformative advancements in recent years, propelled by growing demands for high-performance optical components and systems in areas such as photonics, biomedical sensing, imaging, and quantum technologies. Innovations in nanofabrication, ultra-precision machining, metrology, and functional material design are enabling unprecedented control over optical properties and device performance at micro- and nanoscales.

This Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Optical Precision Manufacturing and Processing”, aims to capture cutting-edge developments in the design, fabrication, metrology, and integration of optical elements and systems. A key emphasis is placed on bridging fundamental research with real-world industrial applications—transitioning laboratory breakthroughs into scalable and reliable manufacturing processes.

We welcome original research and review articles that explore topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Advanced optical manufacturing technologies (e.g., ultra-precision machining, freeform optics fabrication, additive manufacturing of optical components);
• Micro–nano optical manufacturing techniques (such as multi-photon lithography, nanoimprint lithography, metasurface and photonic crystal fabrication);
• Precision metrology and inspection methods (including sub-100nm feature characterization, defect detection, machine vision-based measurement);
• Optical system integration and opto-mechanical design;
• Functional optical materials and hybrid device processing;
• AI-driven manufacturing optimization, process-modeling co-design, and intelligent monitoring;
• Applications in imaging, sensing, quantum technology, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR).

This Special Issue offers a platform for scientists, engineers, and researchers to share recent insights, review state-of-the-art progress, and foster collaboration across disciplines. We believe this collection will serve as a valuable reference for the community and inspire further innovation in optical precision manufacturing and processing.

We invite submissions that present both theoretical and experimental advances, as well as comprehensive reviews, within the scope of this Special Issue. 

Prof. Dr. Shuo Qiao
Prof. Dr. Feng Shi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• micro–nano manufacturing
• optical component
• nanoscale fabrication technologies
• process-characterization co-design
• optical design
• image fusion
• defect inspection
• machine learning
• metasurface manufacturing
• ultra-precision machining
• machine vision
• functional optical materials
• precision measurements and metrology
• freeform design
• manufacturing technology
• opto-mechanical design
• additive micro-optics
• advanced optical manufacturing and detection
• laser manufacturing