Journal profile · PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Physical Review X
ISSN 2160-3308 · American Physical Society · UNITED STATES
Physical Review X: CAS Zone 1 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 16.22; fully open access; APC about USD 4,685; median 220 days to acceptance (111 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 342 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Physical Review X is published by American Physical Society and is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Quantum Information and Cryptography, Topological Materials and Phenomena and Quantum many-body systems, together about 29.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Physical Review Journals want to be a home for chemists. It is our aim to publish work on electrochemistry and energy science (batteries, supercapacitors, and photocatalysis), nanoparticles and nanotechnology, metrology for analytical chemistry, and quantum information science for computational chemistry. This retrospective Collection brings together influential research previously published across the portfolio. These papers, selected by our editors for their contribution to the field, have all undergone our standard peer-review process.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Editorial board by country: 7 in mainland China (about 11%); most named United States 22, Germany 8, Mainland China 7, France 7, Netherlands 7 (65 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Quantum Information and CryptographyComputer Science10.3%
- Topological Materials and PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy10%
- Quantum many-body systemsPhysics and Astronomy9%
- Quantum and electron transport phenomenaPhysics and Astronomy8.3%
- Physics of Superconductivity and MagnetismPhysics and Astronomy6.7%
- Quantum Computing Algorithms and ArchitectureComputer Science6.3%
- Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein CondensatesPhysics and Astronomy5.6%
- Advanced Condensed Matter PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- 16.22LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 16.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 23.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 23.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 6.49LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher)
- 6.49Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 3.78LetPub ·
- h-index
- 86LetPub ·
- h-index
- 216OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,632OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 10.63OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.59%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 309LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 309Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 781,343Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,416 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 240 | 240 | 233 |
| 2025 | 342 | 342 | 3,212 |
| 2024 | 245 | 245 | 5,347 |
| 2023 | 198 | 198 | 10,252 |
| 2022 | 225 | 225 | 12,200 |
| 2021 | 274 | 274 | 17,785 |
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
220 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 162 days – 322 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 31 days (111 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 251 days
- Sample
- 111 articles with submission and acceptance dates (650 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 64 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication
- 243 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 44 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 4,685 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 4,200 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 4,200 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- comments and repliesComments and Replies (length limit: 3500 words) Comments criticize or correct papers by other authors that were previously published in Physical Review X.Length not stated
- editorialResearch Articles (no length limit) Research Articles consist of original research that meets Physical Review X’s editorial criteria and scope. Perspectives (le…Length not stated
- erratumAn Erratum notifies readers about errors or omissions in previously published papers.Length not stated
- original researchResearch Articles (no length limit) Research Articles consist of original research that meets Physical Review X’s editorial criteria and scope. Perspectives (le…Length not stated
- perspectiveResearch Articles (no length limit) Research Articles consist of original research that meets Physical Review X’s editorial criteria and scope. Perspectives (le…main text ≤ 7,500 words
- perspectivesPerspectives (length limit: 7500 words) Perspectives are forward-looking articles that present an illuminating view on the near- and long-term future developmen…Length not stated
- research articleResearch Articles (no length limit) Research Articles consist of original research that meets Physical Review X’s editorial criteria and scope. Perspectives (le…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles (no length limit) Research Articles consist of original research that meets Physical Review X’s editorial criteria and scope.Length not stated
- reviewResearch Articles (no length limit) Research Articles consist of original research that meets Physical Review X’s editorial criteria and scope. Perspectives (le…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Data availability, Open access, Peer review, Self-archiving
- AI use Appropriate Use of AI Tools
AI tools may be used to assist with aspects of research and manuscript preparation, but AI tools cannot replace authors’ expertise, judgment, or accountability. An AI program cannot be held accountable and cannot be listed as an author. Authors are fully responsible for accuracy and must review and refine all AI-generated content. Moreover, they must disclose in the paper any substantive uses of A…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Availability Statements
All published articles must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) that explains whether and how authors are sharing their data. Authors are asked to enter a complete data availability statement during the submission process, including relevant citations. See Guidelines for Data Availability Statements in Physical Review.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Open access with CC-BY (4.0 International) license, authors retain copyright. Model summary
This journal is fully open access with all articles freely available for readers anywhere in the world. This journal is funded through article publication charges (APCs), which are due once an article is accepted for publication. All articles are published with an open CC-BY (4.0 International) license with authors retaining copyright. This license permits anyone to copy, distribute, transmit, and…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
Single-anonymized peer review. Model summary
All APS journals follow the single-anonymized peer review procedures outlined in the Editorial Policies and Practices. Comments and Replies Physical Review X follows standard Policy and Practice in handling Comments and Replies. Responding to Referee Reports These standard tips will help you respond effectively to a referee report. When resubmitting your paper in response to a positive editorial i…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving Press Office and Embargo Policy
APS issues a weekly tip sheet for reporters that highlights upcoming newsworthy research from the APS portfolio of journals. Unless otherwise noted, papers submitted to APS journals are not embargoed. Visit this information page about the APS Press Office to find out more about the tip sheet and the APS Embargo Policy.
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
- ISSN
- 2160-3308
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Physical Review X
What CAS zone is Physical Review X in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Physical Review X is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Physics, Multidisciplinary; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Physical Review X?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 16.22; CiteScore 23.2, h-index 216.
How long does peer review take at Physical Review X?
Based on the dates recorded on 111 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 220 days (interquartile range 162–322 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”. 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 X based?
Of the 65 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 7 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (22), Germany (8) and Mainland China (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Physical Review X?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Physical Review X is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists INSPEC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Physical Review X open access, and what is the APC?
Physical Review X is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 4,685.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .