Nature Publishing (NPG) announces the launch of Nature Photonics, a new research journal dedicated to the best photonics research from academia and industry
The first issue of Nature Photonics, published this week and available online, reflects the journal's broad scope by including topics as diverse as lasers, microphotonic circuitry, near-field imaging, and slow light.
Two papers report methods for slowing down and delaying light pulses, with one reporting the longest delay that has been achieved in a photonic crystal, of over one nanosecond.
There are also papers reporting the development of a room temperature continuous-wave microdisk blue laser, a near-field microscope that images the polarization of light as well its strength, and a microphotonic filter that is polarisation transparent.
These research articles are complemented by a review on the optical properties of metamaterials, a commentary on the intriguing optoelectronic properties of DNA, as well as a new article type, Out of the lab, reporting on the commercialisation and applications of photonic textiles.
The inaugural issue also contains the first Technology Focus on LEDs.
This is the start of a series of regular supplements devoted to important photonics technologies that are changing the world around us by enabling new applications or transforming existing ones.
Nature Photonics is also NPG's first research journal to have its core editorial base in the Asia-Pacific region.
Oliver Graydon, the Tokyo-based chief editor for Nature Photonics, joined NPG from the Institute of Physics Publishing where he was the editor for Optics and Laser Europe.
Rachel Pei Chin Won, also based in Tokyo, joined the journal from Aston University where she obtained her PhD in optical fibre sensing, microwave photonics and fibre nonlinearities.
"The decision to place the core editorial team in Tokyo reflects the strengths of the Asia-Pacific region in photonics research" said Jason Wilde, publisher for the physical sciences at NPG.
"Japan is leading the world in terms of photonics production accounting for almost one third of total global output".
The editorial team of the journal is completed by two associate editors based in San Francisco and London.
Amber Jenkins joined Nature Photonics from the journal Nature where she worked as a manuscript editor in the physical sciences team.
Prior to that Jenkins gained her PhD in particle physics from Imperial College London where she spent three years conducting research at the world's highest energy particle accelerator at Fermilab.
David Gevaux joined the journal from Toshiba Research Europe in Cambridge where his research interests included quantum dots, in particular their application as single photon sources, and photonic crystals.