Ultrashort Pulse Lasers for Sensing, Environmental Monitoring, and Biomedical Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Ultrashort pulse lasers have revolutionized modern science and technology, offering unprecedented temporal resolutions, high peak intensities, and broadband spectral coverage. These characteristics enable the precise control of light–matter interactions, enhancing the applicability of ultrafast lasers in sensing, quantum technologies, environmental monitoring, and biomedical applications. Their ability to generate coherent, highly tunable pulses from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared range could advances the fields of molecular spectroscopy, real-time diagnostics, and nonlinear imaging.

This Special Issue, entitled "Ultrashort Pulse Lasers for Sensing, Environmental Monitoring, and Biomedical Applications", aims to combine recent theoretical, experimental, and applied research, highlighting fundamental advances in ultrafast laser science. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Fundamental Developments in Ultrashort Pulse Lasers

Advances in mode-locking techniques, dispersion management, and pulse shaping have led to significant improvements in ultrafast laser performance. Novel solid-state, fiber and mid-infrared laser sources are continuously expanding the reach of ultrafast photonics. The role of nonlinear optical effects in pulse propagation and frequency conversion is also a key aspect of research, enabling new capabilities in ultrashort pulse generation.

• Ultrashort Pulse Lasers in Sensing and Quantum Technologies

Ultrashort lasers and optical frequency combs play a crucial role in high-precision spectroscopy, quantum metrology, and secure quantum communication. Quantum-enhanced measurement techniques driven by ultrafast lasers provide extreme sensitivity in biochemical and atomic sensing applications, leading to advancements in molecular clocks, remote sensing, and next-generation optical data processing.

• Environmental and Atmospheric Applications

The mid-infrared and terahertz spectral regions, which are accessible with ultrashort pulse lasers, offer powerful tools for the detection of trace gases, remote atmospheric sensing, and pollution monitoring. The development of femtosecond LIDAR and nonlinear optical gas analysis enables real-time environmental control, addressing critical challenges related to climate science and industrial safety.

• Biomedical and Life Science Applications

Ultrashort pulse lasers provide label-free molecular fingerprinting through advanced spectroscopy, enabling the early detection of diseases via breath analysis, blood diagnostics, and tissue imaging. Mid-IR ultrafast lasers enable the development of real-time medical diagnostics and nonlinear imaging techniques, while femtosecond laser-assisted surgery offers minimally invasive procedures with ultra-precise tissue ablation. These advancements are transforming biophotonics, neuroscience, and personalized medicine.

• Industrial and Technological Innovations

The application of ultrafast lasers in micro- and nano-scale material processing enables the fabrication of photonic devices, the development of biomedical implants, and the creation of high-speed optical communication technologies. Additionally, AI-driven ultrafast laser diagnostics are pushing the boundaries of precision spectroscopy and real-time data analysis. 

This Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration in ultrafast photonics by highlighting fundamental research and real-world applications. We welcome contributions that advance the field of ultrashort pulse laser technologies and explore their impact on sensing, medicine, and environmental science through original research articles, reviews, and perspective papers.

Prof. Dr. Vladimir L. Kalashnikov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

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• spectral supercontinuum generation
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• femtosecond laser-assisted surgery
• ultrashort lasers in biology