Journal profile · Optics
Optics and Lasers in Engineering
ISSN 0143-8166 · eISSN 1873-0302 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1980
Optics and Lasers in Engineering: CAS Zone 2 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.18; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,020; review about 88 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy (Elsevier website: 30%); 695 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Optics and Lasers in Engineering is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 2 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Optical measurement and interference techniques, Advanced Measurement and Metrology Techniques and Digital Holography and Microscopy, together about 33.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Optics and Lasers in Engineering aims at providing an international forum for the interchange of information on the development of optical techniques and laser technology in engineering. Emphasis is placed on contributions targeted at the practical use of methods and devices, the development and enhancement of solutions and new theoretical concepts for experimental methods.Optics and Lasers in Engineering reflects the main areas in which optical methods are being used and developed for an engineering environment. Manuscripts should offer clear evidence of novelty and significance. Papers focusing on parameter optimization or computational issues are not suitable. Similarly, papers focussed on an application rather than the optical method fall outside the journal's scope. The scope of the journal is defined to include the following:Optical Metrology Optical Methods for 3D visualization and virtual engineering Optical Techniques for Microsystems Imaging, Microscopy and Adaptive Optics Computational Imaging Laser methods in manufacturing Integrated optical and photonic sensors Optics and Photonics in Life Science Hyperspectral and spectroscopic methods Infrared and Terahertz techniques
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Optics
Editor-in-chief Luigi BrunoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 20%); most named Mainland China 8, United States 7, Italy 6, India 3, United Kingdom 2 (41 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Optical measurement and interference techniquesComputer Science20.2%
- Advanced Measurement and Metrology TechniquesEngineering7.7%
- Digital Holography and MicroscopyPhysics and Astronomy6%
- Image Processing Techniques and ApplicationsEngineering5.9%
- Surface Roughness and Optical MeasurementsEngineering5.3%
- Laser Material Processing TechniquesEngineering4.7%
- Advanced Fiber Optic SensorsEngineering4.1%
- Photonic and Optical DevicesEngineering3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.18LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.82LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.53LetPub ·
- h-index
- 77LetPub ·
- h-index
- 148OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,229OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.27OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 14.07%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 642LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 8,684 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 497 | 114 | 201 |
| 2025 | 695 | 106 | 2,276 |
| 2024 | 699 | 114 | 5,599 |
| 2023 | 455 | 103 | 5,585 |
| 2022 | 433 | 83 | 6,799 |
| 2021 | 327 | 66 | 7,260 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
88 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 3 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 30%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 88 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,020 / EUR 3,760 / GBP 3,220 / JPY 498,600 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,470 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Required
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
free preprint posting service on SSRN Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1980
- ISSN
- 0143-8166
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-0302
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Optics and Lasers in Engineering
What CAS zone is Optics and Lasers in Engineering in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Optics and Lasers in Engineering is in Zone 2 of Engineering, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Optics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Optics and Lasers in Engineering?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.18; CiteScore 7.1, h-index 148.
How long does peer review take at Optics and Lasers in Engineering?
The publisher reports about 88 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy (Elsevier website: 30%)”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Optics and Lasers in Engineering?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Optics and Lasers in Engineering based?
Of the 41 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 20%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (8), United States (7) and Italy (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Optics and Lasers in Engineering?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Optics and Lasers in Engineering is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Optics and Lasers in Engineering open access, and what is the APC?
Optics and Lasers in Engineering is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,020.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .