Advanced Optics and Photonics: Additive Manufacturing

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 406

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Wyant College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, 1630 E. University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721-0094, USA
Interests: 3D printing optics; optical additive manufacturing; intelligent manufacturing; glass optics; optical design; imaging optics; IR optics

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology—Hellas, P.O. Box 1527, GR-711 10 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: multi-photon lithography; advanced high-presicion 3D printing; optics and photonics; micro-optics; photonic structures; biomimetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a transformative technology, capturing significant research interest for its potential to revolutionize modern, flexible, and extreme manufacturing methods. This advanced technology promises substantial improvements and reforms to traditional manufacturing practices. Its applications span a wide range of fields, including optics, biology, photonics, and optoelectronics. However, current AM methods face several challenges in meeting specific requirements:

  1. Material Choice Limitations: The development of effective multi-material manufacturing methodologies is hindered by limitations in material properties such as the refractive index and Abbe number. Expanding the range of available materials is crucial for creating high-performance optical systems, as the use of multiple materials is essential for minimizing optical system chromatic aberrations.
  1. Spatial Manufacturing Resolution: The current resolution limits at sub-wavelength scales restrict the potential characteristics of manufactured elements. Advancing both manufacturing methodologies and materials is necessary to fully exploit the capabilities of AM.
  1. Throughput and Accuracy Balance: The trade-off between manufacturing throughput and accuracy impedes the development of extreme optics and photonics, such as photonic crystal fibers or multi-lens objective systems.
  1. Complex Optical Pathways: AM introduces new possibilities for complex optical paths and intricate light intensity distributions that exceed the capabilities of conventional design techniques. To harness these new capabilities, it is essential to develop a novel optical design framework specifically tailored for 3D printing. This innovative design methodology will unlock the full potential of modern optical systems, meeting the evolving demands of cutting-edge optical applications.

Several key topics in the field of advanced additive manufacturing method in optics and photonics include the following:

  • Development of new polymer-based AM materials and their technological advancements;
  • Development of new glass-based AM materials and their technological advancements;
  • Design and applications of glass/polymer AM optical systems;
  • Design and applications of glass/polymer AM photonics;
  • Multi-material AM methodologies for optical/photonics applications;
  • High-yield AM methodologies for optical/photonics elements;
  • High-precision AM methodologies for optical/photonics elements;
  • AM for micro/nano-optics or photonics;
  • Theoretical and computational studies of light-matter interactions in optics or photonics.

Additionally, this discussion addresses defect formation, feasible solutions, and potential applications. It also provides an in-depth analysis of current limitations and future development perspectives for each category of AM, offering valuable insights for ongoing and future research in this dynamic and interdisciplinary field.

Dr. Zhihan Hong
Dr. Gordon Zyla
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.

Keywords

  • glass optics
  • polymer optics
  • glass photonics
  • polymer photonics
  • additive manufacturing
  • optical design
  • photonics crystal fiber

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop