Dear Colleagues,

Beam propagation is a fascinating subject which includes several beam properties due to optical diffraction and can be applied in optical imaging and optical measurement. Optical diffraction, optical imaging, and optical measurement are central topics in many modern and scientific fields, which are closely related and have a wide range of applications, such as microscope, telescope, sensor, military, biological sciences, etc. Optical diffraction is a basic spatial coherence phenomenon that allows us to determine how rapidly a coherent beam spreads with distance, how fast a pulse spreads in time, and how sharply the beam can be focused, all critical in military systems. Usually, Fourier analysis and synthesis techniques are a unifying theme through this subject. Optical imaging uses light and special properties of photons to obtain detailed images of organs, tissues, cells, and even molecules. The techniques offer minimally or non-invasive methods for looking inside the body. Optical measurement is a measurement technique that relies on the use of optical sensors to collect measurements. Generally, optical imaging acts as the basis of optical measurement, optical imaging without lenses has many achievements and remaining challenges associated with wide-field on-chip microscopy, and optical measurement involves a rigorous and quantitative consideration of optical imaging results.

This subject covers a broad field of beam propagation, including the optical diffraction, advanced optical imaging, and precision optical measurement technologies (ranging from micro to macro, static to dynamic, single physical quantity to multiple), aiming to unite optical scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs.

Prof. Dr. Dongmei Deng
Guest Editor

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• beam propagation
• optical diffraction
• advanced optical imaging
• precision optical measurement