An International Journal on the Physics and Chemistry of Optical Materials and their Applications, including Devices

Optical Materials has an open access companion journal Optical Materials: X which has the same editorial board and peer-review process. To submit to Optical Materials: X visit https://www.editorialmanager.com/OMX/default.aspx.

Optical Materials provides a means for communicating advances in the materials enabling of optical devices and applications. The journal publishes original papers and invited reviews on the synthesis, properties, and uses of optical materials. Optical Materials focuses on:

    Optical properties of materials;
    The enabling Materials aspects of optical phenomena;
    The underlying Materials aspects of optical and photonic devices and applications.

Manuscripts should focus on and explicitly describe new material, process, property, and application advancements and not incremental improvements.

Manuscripts reporting purely computational results without direct experimental validation falls outside of the scope of this journal and should be submitted to our open access companion, Optical Materials X.

Authors can submit separate research elements describing their data to Data in Brief and methods to Methods X. 

Special Issue on Honour to Georges Boulon
Submission Date: 2025-11-30

It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the passing of Prof. Georges Boulon from Institute Lumière Matière at the Claude Bernard University Lyon1 in France, a visionary pioneer in luminescence research and a highly esteemed member of our scientific community.His groundbreaking contributions to optical materials and his unwavering commitment to mentorship and collaboration have left an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire generations of researchers.To honor his extraordinary impact, we are pleased to announce a Special Issue in Optical Materials. 

The collection of articles will celebrate his remarkable scientific achievements and lasting influence in the field. This issue will bring together contributions from friends, colleagues, collaborators, and researchers whose work has been shaped by his pioneering insights.Through this Special Issue, we aim to pay tribute to Prof. Boulon’s unparalleled research and to highlight the profound inspiration he provided to the optical materials community worldwide.We invite researchers to submit original studies and reviews that reflect the depth and breadth of his scientific legacy.

Join us in commemorating Prof. Georges Boulon by contributing to this Special Issue, ensuring that his impact continues to illuminate the future of luminescence and optical materials research.Join us in honoring Prof. Georges Boulon's legacy by contributing to this Special Issue, preserving his influence in advancing luminescence and optical materials research.

Full scope of the Special Issue:

    Spectroscopy of luminescent materials;
    Modeling and computational methods in optical materials;
    Laser materials;
    Scintillator materials and mechanisms;
    LED technologies and phosphors;
    Synthesis and Optical properties of nano and micro-crystals;
    Thin films for optical applications;
    Piezoelectric crystals and components design;
    Nonlinear optical materials;
    Magneto-optic materials;
    Crystal growth technologies (bulks, fibers);
    Transparent ceramics;
    Optical sensors

Guest editors:

Executive Guest Editor
Dr. Małgorzata Guzik
Organization*: University of Wrocław, Faculty of Chemistry, ul. F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383, Wrocław, Polan
Institutional Email Address*: malgorzata.guzik@uwr.edu.pl
Areas of Expertise*: Luminescence, Fluorescence, Absorption, Optical Materials, Materials, Material Characterization, Photocatalysis, Synthesis, Nanotechnology, Materials Chemistry

Co-Guest Editors

Dr. Joanna Cybińska
Organization*: University of Wrocław, Faculty of Chemistry, ul. Joliot-Curie 14, Wrocław, Poland
Institutional Email Address*: joanna.cybinska@uwr.edu.pl
Areas of Expertise*: Lanthanide Complexes, Luminescence, Ionic Liquids, Optics, Nanomaterials, Luminescent Materials, Optical Materials

Dr. Dariusz G. Hreniak
Organization*: Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, ILT&SR PAS, ul. Okólna 2, 50-422 Wroclaw, Poland
Institutional Email Address*: d.hreniak@intibs.pl
Areas of Expertise*: optical ceramics; persistent luminescence;rare-earth luminescence

Special issue information:

We welcome you to submit your manuscript(s) at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact Dr. Małgorzata Guzik via malgorzata.guzik@uwr.edu.pl. 
If you encounter difficulties or any issues while submitting your manuscript(s), don't hesitate to contact the support desk. You can reach out to the Elsevier Support Center or our journal manager, Surjith Kumar, via the email address optmat@elsevier.com or  
s.kumar10@elsevier.com. They will be happy to assist you with your submission and resolve any difficulties you may encounter.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: 30 November 2025

To submit your manuscript please go to Optical Materials-OPTMAT (at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/optical-materials) and follow the procedures for manuscript submission. When prompted for 'Enter Manuscript Information', you can select our Special Issue Article type as ‘VSI: in honour to Georges Boulon” at https://www2.cloud.editorialmanager.com/om/default2.aspx. Author Guidelines and Manuscript Submission can be found at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/optical-materials/publish/guide-for-authors.

Keywords:

    optical materials,
    rare earth dopants,
    transition metal ions,
    lasers,
    scintillators,
    single crystals,
    phoshors,
    glasses,
    transparent ceramics,
    nano/micro systems

Special Issue on SHIFT 2025: Light on bio, energy and beyond. SHIFT must go on
Submission Date: 2026-03-01

After successful previous editions SHIFT 2017 and SHIFT 2022, SHIFT MUST GO ON! We are back and stronger than ever! SHIFT2025, Spectral shaping for biomedical and energy applications, will be held at Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain), 13-17th October 2025. With an outstanding list of Plenary, Keynote, and Invited Speakers, SHIFT2025 will shine a light on photochemistry, photocatalysis, solar fuels, artificial photosynthesis, plasmonics, photoelectrocatalysis, luminescent solar concentrators, dye-sensitized solar cells, perovskites solar cells, light trapping devices, nanophotonics, anti-counterfeiting, bioimaging, fluorescent bioprobes, nanothermometry, nano-optical sensors, phototherapy, nano-bio interaction, light induced reactions, light-activated machines…and many other promising and not yet fully explored routes. But attendees will not only represent academia. SHIFT2025 will attract a number of representatives from industry and government who share common objectives both in terms of fundamental science and commercial applications. Industrial companies (hi-tech companies, medium or large, spin-off, start-up...) will also benefit from special low tax incentives for R+D that the Canary Islands offer, and also as a strategic logistic platform, a tri-continental hub. Sharing science must go on! Outreach science must go on! SHIFT must go on!

The international SHIFT conference series is focused on the applications of light in renewable energies and biomedicine. Spectral shaping of light is an emerging route for enhancing the efficiency of various solar energy harvesting, storage, and conversion processes facing the increasing demand for energy supply, from photovoltaics to photocatalysis, natural and artificial photosynthesis, and solar fuels generation at the frontier of research. Moreover, the use of light in life sciences is providing ground-breaking applications in photodynamic cancer therapy and bio-imaging. Interdisciplinary efforts from physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, materials science, and engineering will certainly be required to overcome current challenges leading the way for spectral shaping of light to be a future key technology, as a significant contribution to the state-of-the-art. Hence, the SHIFT International Conference shows up as a cutting-edge multidisciplinary platform to gather presentations and discussions of recent achievements by leading researchers in the field, to make a significant shift to state-of-the art of spectral shaping for biomedical and energy applications, as a very promising and not yet fully explored route. The SHIFT happens in Tenerife! After successful 2017 and 2022 editions of the international SHIFT congress series, the third installment, SHIFT2025, will take place at the University of La Laguna from October 13 to 17, 2025, see https://shifttenerife.com/ . This upcoming SHIFT2025 edition is set to become an internationally recognized event, attracting leading researchers in the fields of nanotechnology, photonics, and other cutting-edge areas of physics and chemistry related to renewable energies and biomedical applications. The extensive interdisciplinary nature of the conference covers numerous applications of light technologies, not only in renewable energies and medicine but also extending to robotics, microelectronics and anti-counterfeiting applications. We are back and stronger than ever! Sharing science must go on! Sharing life must go on! Outreach science must go on! SHIFT MUST GO ON!

Guest editors:

Executive Guest Editor
Dr. Jorge Méndez-Ramos
Organization*: Department of Physics, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Institutional Email Address*: jmendezr@ull.edu.es

Co-Guest Editors

Dr. José Marqués-Hueso
Organization*: UMDO-ICMUV, Unidad asociada CSIC-IMM, University of Valencia, P.O. Box 22085, Valencia, Spain
Institutional Email Address*: jose.marques@uv.es

Dr. Daniel Jaque García
Organization*: Nanomaterials for Bioimaging Group, Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Institute for Advanced Research in Chemical Sciences, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Institutional Email Address*: daniel.jaque@uam.es

Special issue information:

We welcome you to submit your manuscript(s) at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact Dr. Jorge Méndez-Ramos via jmendezr@ull.edu.es. 

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: 01 March 2026

To submit your manuscript please go to Optical Materials-OPTMAT (at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/optical-materials) and follow the procedures for manuscript submission. When prompted for 'Enter Manuscript Information' you can select our Special Issue Article type as ‘VSI: SHIFT 2025” at https://www2.cloud.editorialmanager.com/om/default2.aspx. Author Guidelines and Manuscript Submission can be found at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/optical-materials/publish/guide-for-authors.

Keywords:

    Photovoltaic solar energy, 
    "artificial photosynthesis", 
    "green hydrogen", 
    photocatalysis, 
    nanophotonics, 
    perovskites, 
    anti-counterfeiting, 
    bioimaging, 
    fluorescent biosensors, 
    nanothermometry.

Special Issue on honor of the 60th anniversary of Kao and Hockham
Submission Date: 2026-09-30

Optical fibres have proven to be transformative technologies with wide-ranging applications in telecommunications, high-power lasers, lighting, materials processing, and real-time monitoring. Recent advances have enabled the integration of novel materials and complex structures within individual fibres, unlocking unprecedented performance and multifunctionality. This special issue highlights the latest developments in optical fibres, covering new materials, innovative structures, advanced fabrication techniques, and emerging functionalities. Submissions addressing practical applications are particularly welcome, especially those that emphasise the unique advantages of fibre-based platforms compared to existing technologies.

We invite contributions, including but not limited to:

    Materials for optical fibres.
    Innovative fibre structures.
    Advanced fabrication and processing techniques.
    Fibre-based sensing technologies.
    Enhanced fibre functionalities beyond light transmission.
    Applications of optical fibres.

Guest editors:

Executive Guest Editor
Dr. Lei Wei
Organization*: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798 Singapore
Institutional Email Address*: wei.lei@ntu.edu.sg

Co-Guest Editors
Dr. Fabien Sorin
Organization*: Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique, Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Institutional Email Address*: fabien.sorin@epfl.ch

Dr. Katrin Wondraczek
Organization*: Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany
Institutional Email Address*: katrin.wondraczek@leibniz-ipht.de

Special issue information:

We welcome you to submit your manuscript(s) at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, don't hesitate to get in touch with Executive Guest Editor Dr. Lei Wei via wei.lei@ntu.edu.sg.

If you encounter difficulties or any issues while submitting your manuscript(s), don't hesitate to contact the support desk. You can reach out to the Elsevier Support Center or our journal manager, Surjith Kumar, via the email addresses optmat@elsevier.com or s.kumar10@elsevier.com. They will be happy to assist you with your submission and resolve any difficulties you may encounter.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026

To submit your manuscript, please go to Optical Materials OPTMAT  (at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/optical-materials)  and follow the procedures for manuscript submission. When prompted for 'Enter Manuscript Information', please select our Special Issue Article type as ‘VSI: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Kao and Hockham' at  https://www.editorialmanager.com/om/default.aspx; otherwise, the paper will be processed as a regular paper.

Author Guidelines and Manuscript Submission can be found at: 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/optical-materials/publish/guide-for-authors.

Keywords:

    Optical fibres; 
    Emerging materials; 
    Fibre structures; 
    Fabrication techniques; 
    Multifunctional fibres