Journal of Lightwave Technology

Journal of Lightwave Technology
Title	Journal of Lightwave Technology
Discipline	Optical communications; Photonics; Electronics
Abbreviation	J. Light. Technol.
Publisher	IEEE Photonics Society and Optical Society (OSA)
Country	United States
Frequency	Biweekly
History	1983–present
Impact	4.2

Contents

Journal of Lightwave Technology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research on optical fiber communications, photonic systems, and related technologies. It serves as a forum for authors from institutions such as Bell Labs, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and California Institute of Technology, and is associated with professional societies including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Optical Society (OSA).

History

Founded in 1983 during a period of rapid development in fiber optics and semiconductor lasers, the journal emerged alongside milestones at Corning Incorporated, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Bell Communications Research, and Lucent Technologies. Early issues documented breakthroughs linked to prototypes at IBM Research, GTE, Nokia Bell Labs, and facilities such as Rockwell International. Editorial leadership has included figures from University of Southampton, University of Cambridge, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Technical University of Denmark, and University of Tokyo, connecting the journal to conferences like CLEO, ECOC, Photonics West, and SPIE Photonics West. Over time, publication practices adapted to policies influenced by National Science Foundation, European Research Council, and funding agencies such as NSF and DARPA.

The journal covers topics spanning optical fiber systems and components investigated at labs such as Corning Research, Nokia Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent, and Fujitsu Laboratories. Subjects include coherent transmission techniques developed in projects at University of Southampton and Technical University of Munich, nonlinear optics research tied to teams at Harvard University and Columbia University, and integrated photonics platforms researched at MIT, EPFL, and University of Glasgow. Papers often reference standards and activities by ITU-T, IEEE 802.3, 3GPP, and collaborations with industry players like Cisco Systems, Huawei, NEC Corporation, Samsung Electronics, and Intel Corporation.

Published by the joint efforts of IEEE Photonics Society and Optical Society (OSA), the editorial board has included editors affiliated with Princeton University, University of Oxford, Yale University, Imperial College London, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Tsinghua University. The journal follows peer review practices common to periodicals such as Nature Photonics, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Optics Letters, Applied Physics Letters, and Physical Review Letters. Submission systems integrate with repositories like IEEE Xplore and archives supported by arXiv, and the journal aligns copyright policies comparable to those of Springer Nature, Wiley-Blackwell, and Elsevier.

The journal is indexed in major databases and services including Science Citation Index Expanded, Scopus, Inspec, Ei Compendex, and ProQuest. It appears in aggregators utilized by institutions such as Harvard University Library, British Library, Library of Congress, National Diet Library (Japan), and Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, and is discoverable via platforms like Google Scholar, Web of Science, CrossRef, and PubMed Central for eligible content. Citation metrics are tracked by entities including Clarivate Analytics and Elsevier Scopus.

The journal has influenced research programs at universities such as University of California, San Diego, University of Toronto, Nanyang Technological University, Peking University, and Seoul National University, and informed industry roadmaps at IEEE Standards Association, ITU, and corporate R&D labs like Bell Labs, Corning, and Fujitsu. Reviewers and commentators in venues such as Nature, Science, IEEE Spectrum, Optics & Photonics News, and Physics Today have cited the journal’s role in disseminating advances in coherent communications, wavelength-division multiplexing, and silicon photonics. Its articles contribute to award-winning work recognized by honors like the Edison Medal, IEEE Fellow distinctions, and Optica Fellow appointments.

Noteworthy papers published in the journal include influential reports on dispersion compensation linked to research at Bell Labs and Corning, coherent detection schemes connected to studies at University of Southampton and Ciena Corporation, and silicon photonics integration efforts from teams at MIT and Intel. Special issues have focused on themes showcased at conferences like ECOC, CLEO, Photonics West, and Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC), and on topics coordinated with initiatives by DARPA, EU Horizon 2020, and Japan Science and Technology Agency. The journal has featured contributions from researchers affiliated with Rennes University, University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, Politecnico di Milano, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Monash University.

Category:Optics journals Category:IEEE academic journals