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Applied Optics

Optica Publishing Group · United States · Est. 1995

ISSN2155-3165

SJR Q2✓ WOS SCIE✓ Scopus / SJR

Impact Factor & Quartile · Web of Science (JCR)

✓ Indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (SCIE) — Clarivate publishes an official Journal Impact Factor and JCR quartile for this journal.

See the official Impact Factor & quartile on the journal’s page ↗

The Impact Factor & JCR quartile are licensed by Clarivate — we link you to the official source instead of reprinting a number that can go out of date. Open metrics below: SCImago Q2. Source: Clarivate Journal Citation Reports.

📊 Standing in its field

Where this journal ranks among others in the same subject area.

SJR · Scopus

Top 50% in field

Clarivate’s JCR quartile is a separate ranking and may differ

SJR Scorei

0.416

H-Indexi

100

SNIPi

0.803

Total Worksi

16,745

Total Citationsi

188,821

2yr Mean Citednessi

1.34

Open Impact Factor alternative

Retractions

Source: Retraction Watch

Aims & Scope✦ Compiled from public sources

Applied Optics offers applications-centered research in optics, photonics, imaging, and sensing. The journal concentrates on practical applications of science and technology, introducing new science or technology by increasing understanding of existing research or reporting novel applications. It also includes the development and performance of technologies when applying theories.

AI-compiled from public web sources · verify on publisher page →

General Information

Country / RegionUnited States

Primary LanguageEnglish

1st Year Published1995

Annual Volume~ 1,285 articles / year

StatusActive (last: 2026)

Total Publications16,745

Publisher OrgOptica Publishing Group

Visit Journal Website

Submission Info

Peer Review—

OA License—

OA Rate—

Ethics & Quality

COPE Member✗ No

OASPA Member✗ No

Not on Predatory Lists✓ Yes

Think.Check.Submit Compliance

thinkchecksubmit.org

6/11 · 55%

✅

Do you know the journal / publisher?

Optica Publishing Group

✅

Does the journal have a website?

✓ Linked

✅

Is the ISSN verified?

2155-3165

✅

Indexed in a trusted database?

WoS, Scopus

❌

Peer review process documented?

N/A

❌

Follows ethical publishing standards (COPE)?

N/A

✅

Not on predatory/blacklists?

✓ Clean

❌

Long-term digital preservation?

N/A

❌

Plagiarism detection in place?

N/A

❌

Listed in DOAJ (verified OA)?

N/A

✅

Primary language documented?

English

A twelfth criterion — whether APC fees are clearly disclosed — is not scored here; it is left out of the total rather than counted as a failure. Publication charges appear in the metrics card above.

Based on the Think.Check.Submit framework by DOAJ, COPE & OASPA. All data from verified open sources.

Publication & Citation Trend

Articles published

Citations received

1.5k

20k

2019

1.6k

18k

2020

1.6k

15k

2021

1.4k

10k

2022

1.3k

6.6k

2023

1.2k

3.8k

2024

1.4k

1.8k

2025

965

185

2026

Source: OpenAlex · Each year’s green bar = citations earned by that year’s papers, counted to date — so recent years look lower simply because their papers haven’t had time to be cited yet.

SJR Quartile by Discipline

Scimago ranks this journal separately in each subject category — its quartile can differ by discipline.

Electrical and Electronic EngineeringQ2

Engineering (miscellaneous)Q2

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsQ3

Subject Classification

Web of Science Categories

Optics

Scopus Categories

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsEngineering (miscellaneous)Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Research Topics (OpenAlex)

Photonic and Optical DevicesOptical measurement and interference techniquesAdvanced Fiber Laser TechnologiesAdvanced Fiber Optic SensorsDigital Holography and MicroscopyOptical Coatings and GratingsAdvanced Optical Imaging TechnologiesAdvanced optical system designAdaptive optics and wavefront sensingPhotonic Crystal and Fiber Optics

Frequently asked questions about Applied Optics

Is Applied Optics a predatory journal?

PubScope has no integrity flags on record for Applied Optics: it is indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and is not on DOAJ's withdrawn list. Indexing is a transparency signal, not a guarantee — always confirm fit and policies before submitting.

What is the impact factor of Applied Optics?

Applied Optics is indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection, so Clarivate publishes an official Journal Impact Factor for it (since the 2023 Journal Citation Reports, every Core Collection journal — including Arts & Humanities and Emerging Sources titles — receives one). PubScope links to Clarivate's official source rather than reprinting the number, which can be out of date. Its open 2-year mean citedness is 1.34.

Is Applied Optics indexed in Scopus and Web of Science?

Applied Optics is indexed in Web of Science, Scopus.