Journal profile · Physics, Condensed Matter
Physical Review B
ISSN 1098-0121 · eISSN 2469-9969 · American Physical Society · UNITED STATES · Weekly · Founded 1998
Physical Review B: CAS Zone 2 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.82; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,675; median 155 days to acceptance (98 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: 50%; 5,426 articles a year; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Physical Review B is published by American Physical Society and is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Quantum and electron transport phenomena, Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism and Advanced Condensed Matter Physics, together about 35.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics and Condensed Matter Physics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Physical Review B is proud to announce the creation of an Early Career Researcher Advisory Board (ECAB). The 18 inaugural members are listed on the PRB Editorial Team page. We thank them for agreeing to serve. They will act as a focus group and provide advice from their perspective on how PRB can best serve the needs of early career researchers and maintain its important role in condensed matter and materials physics going into the future. The new board members are based in 10 different countries. Stephen Nagler, PRB Lead Editor, will chair the board. PRB Editorial Team page
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Condensed Matter
Editorial board by country: 14 in mainland China (about 11%); most named United States 36, Germany 17, Mainland China 14, Canada 11, France 8 (125 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Quantum and electron transport phenomenaPhysics and Astronomy13.4%
- Physics of Superconductivity and MagnetismPhysics and Astronomy13.2%
- Advanced Condensed Matter PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy8.4%
- Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materialsMaterials Science6.2%
- Magnetic properties of thin filmsPhysics and Astronomy5.5%
- Graphene research and applicationsMaterials Science5.1%
- Semiconductor Quantum Structures and DevicesPhysics and Astronomy4%
- Rare-earth and actinide compoundsPhysics and Astronomy3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
INSPECPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 3.82LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.24LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher)
- 1.24Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- h-index
- 397LetPub ·
- h-index
- 458OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 54,531OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 33.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 9.24%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 5,426LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 5,427Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 2,143,560Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 70,230 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
155 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 115 days – 235 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 0 days (100 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 156 days
- Sample
- 98 articles with submission and acceptance dates (323 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Desk decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 47 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 115 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication
- 135 daysPublisher 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 2,675 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted1
- editors' suggestionEDITORS' SUGGESTIONLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Open access, Peer review
- AI use American Physical Society releases updated AI policy for APS journals17 June, 2026
AI policy for APS journals Model summary
The policy allows authors and reviewers to use AI tools and establishes boundaries to preserve human oversight and accountability.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
At the core of APS's mission is a commitment to meeting the needs of physicists, a community that has been at the leading edge of open access. As a result, APS supports a variety of sustainable access options: Authors can pay an article publication charge (APC) to make accepted manuscripts immediately accessible on publication under a CC-BY (4.0 International) license. In keeping with APS's commun…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
APS journals follow a common set of Editorial Policies and Practices covering editorial oversight, authorship, submissions, peer review, ethics, post-publication, and open access. Model summary
All journals published by APS follow a common set of Editorial Policies and Practices, which cover Editorial Oversight and Decision Making, Authorship, Submissions, Resubmissions, and Transfers, Peer Review, Ethics and Research Integrity, Post Publication, and Open Access and Publications Rights.
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
- American Physical Society
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Weekly
- Founded
- 1998
- ISSN
- 1098-0121
- Print ISSN
- 2469-9950
- Electronic ISSN
- 2469-9969
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 114 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Physical Review B
What CAS zone is Physical Review B in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Physical Review B is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Materials Science, Multidisciplinary / Physics, Applied / Physics, Condensed Matter. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Physical Review B?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.82; CiteScore 6.2, h-index 458.
How long does peer review take at Physical Review B?
Based on the dates recorded on 98 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 155 days (interquartile range 115–235 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “50%”. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Physical Review B based?
Of the 125 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 14 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (36), Germany (17) and Mainland China (14). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Physical Review B?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Physical Review B is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists INSPEC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Physical Review B open access, and what is the APC?
Physical Review B is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,675.
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: .