Journal decision profile

Photonics

Engineering · Physics and Astronomy

Photonics' 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 2.3, ranking Q2 in Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteSwitzerlandeISSN 2304-6732
Checking system sharing availability.Visit homepage

Bookmark this page — track observed submission-to-acceptance timing, FWCI and field-normalized citation data for this journal in one view.

Journal Metrics Score
i
Journal Metrics ScoreThe raw score is citations received in the latest complete year by works from the two previous years, divided by the number of those works. It is calculated from OpenAlex open data (CC0) and is not a percentage grade.
2026
2.3

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 2.24.

Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceCalendar days between the received and accepted dates reported in recent PubMed records. This interval includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
PUBMED

Not available — there are not enough recent PubMed records with both received and accepted dates.

Indicative APC
i
Indicative APCThis journal-level estimate comes from the OpenAlex source record. It is not a verified quote and may exclude taxes, waivers, society discounts, or article-type charges. Check the journal's official website before deciding.
OPENALEX · VERIFY
$2,896

Journal-level estimate only. Verify current charges, taxes, waivers, discounts, and article-type fees with the journal.

Free preview · no sign-in

Does your manuscript fit Photonics?

Paste your title to see which of this journal's published topics it overlaps with. Your title stays in your browser for this preview and is not sent anywhere.

Want ranked journals with fit reasons, risks and a submission strategy instead? See a sample AI report.

At a glance

Journal decision profile

Each spoke is a 0–100 percentile within a comparable journal cohort—not a percentage grade or a single black-box rating.

Relative profile

Metrics ScoreThe raw 2026 Journal Metrics Score is the recent two-year citation average shown above. The radar converts it to a 0–100 cohort percentile: farther out means a higher score than more comparable journals. It is not a percentage grade.iSource outputThe raw rank compares lifetime output inside the journal’s leading-topic source set. The radar then compares that rank position across Decision Profile journals in the same primary OpenAlex field; when that field has too few profiles, it uses the broader profile set. Farther out means relatively more output, not better research quality.iTop 10% shareThe share of recent papers in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield. The radar converts that share to a 0–100 cohort percentile; it does not predict how a new paper will perform.iMedian FWCICitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected citation level for comparable papers; the radar shows its 0–100 cohort percentile.iOutput volumeAverage works published per year in the recent analysis window, converted to a 0–100 cohort percentile. Farther out means the journal publishes more papers; it does not mean those papers are better.i
Cost is intentionally excluded. Missing APC data is never converted to a zero-dollar fee or a fabricated cost score.

Raw values behind the shape

Always visible
Metrics Score
i
Metrics ScoreThe 2026 raw Journal Metrics Score shown above. The bar is its 0–100 percentile within the radar's comparable journal cohort; it is not a percentage score.
2.32026 · OPENALEX
Source output rank
i
Source output rankThis lifetime journal-wide output rank compares works published by the OpenAlex source with sources associated with the journal’s leading topic. More output does not mean higher quality.
#60 / 1,018LIFETIME OUTPUT
Highly cited papers
i
Highly cited papersShare of recent works in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield.
3.3%FIELD-NORMALIZED TOP 10%
Field-normalized impact
i
Field-normalized impactCitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected level for comparable work.
0.41MEDIAN FWCI
Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceReceived-to-accepted calendar days from qualified PubMed records. It includes editorial handling and author revisions; it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
—NOT AVAILABLE
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
1063 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share3.3%

142 of 4,249 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share0.1%

6 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI0.41×

Below field-year expectation

Source output rank#60

of 1,018 topic-associated OpenAlex sources by lifetime output

What does Median FWCI mean?

FWCI compares papers with the same publication year, type, and field. 1.0 is the world average; above 1.0 is above expectation. This journal's median is 0.41, so its typical recent paper runs about 59% below its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

3.3% of recent papers rank in the global top 10% after field normalization. This is easier to compare across specialties than raw citation totals.

Publishing pattern

Publication volume and article mix

Volume is separated from citation accumulation so newer papers are not presented as weaker simply because they are newer.

Works published by year

OpenAlex source records · 2016–2025

712016
962017
612018
1312019
1372020
6402021
10262022
13932023
11912024
12622025

Recent work-type mix

4,249 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article98.2%
Book chapter0.6%
Editorial0.4%
Erratum0.4%
Paratext0.2%
Review0.2%
OpenAlex article is broader than “original research.” PubMed Publication Types can add case-report and clinical-study detail.
Fit signals

Topics and research coverage

OpenAlex topics show the research communities this journal serves.

Leading OpenAlex topics

2021–2024 works
Optical Wireless Communication Technologies243
Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics225
Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications186
Advanced Fiber Optic Sensors185
Photonic and Optical Devices184
Semiconductor Lasers and Optical Devices152
Photonic Crystal and Fiber Optics149
Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research124
Advanced Photonic Communication Systems114
Optical Network Technologies104
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-10-16. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 4,249 works published 2021–2024. Radar normalization is versioned in the cached profile, and no cost score is assigned without reliable APC data.

Subject Category Quartiles

Quartiles computed within each OpenAlex subfield
CategoryQuartile
Electrical and Electronic EngineeringQ3
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsQ2
Q2
Subfield Quartile
B4
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#1,839
of 3,811 Engineering field journals
#570
among Q2 Engineering journals

Confirm the exact title and ISSNs against the publisher homepage before a high-stakes submission decision.

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
7,018
H-Index
59
Fully Open Access
Yes
Recent OA Works
7,018
Subject Areas
Electrical and Electronic EngineeringAtomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Source: the current OpenAlex source record. OpenAlex works can include multiple work types. Fully Open Access is a source-level flag. Recent OA Works is summed from OpenAlex's counts_by_year series (up to the latest ten years); it is not a lifetime OA percentage. Any APC shown here is an indicative OpenAlex value—verify current charges on the journal's official website.

Common questions about Photonics

What is Photonics' Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

Photonics' 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 2.3, from the August 2026 data release. The score is a two-year citation average computed from OpenAlex (CC0) data: citations received in the most recent complete year to works published in the two prior years, divided by the number of those works.

What quartile is Photonics in?

Photonics' best quartile is Q2. By OpenAlex subfield: Q3 in Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Q2 in Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics. Quartiles rank journals by Journal Metrics Score within each subfield.

Is the Journal Metrics Score the same as other journal citation metrics?

No. Journal Metrics computes the score independently from OpenAlex open data. Other providers use different citation databases, document types, and counting rules, so their published figures for Photonics will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

How much does it cost to publish in Photonics?

OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $2,896 USD for Photonics. This journal-level estimate may exclude taxes, waivers, discounts, or article-type fees, so confirm the current charge on the journal's website.

Which journals are alternatives to Photonics?

Comparable journals include Ieee Photonics Journal, Advanced Photonics, Chinese Optics Letters, and Journal of Lightwave Technology. Compare their scores, acceptance times, and costs in the recommended alternatives on this page before choosing where to submit.

Back to Search