The Journal of the Optical Society of America B (JOSA B) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original research in nonlinear optics, quantum optics, ultrafast phenomena, and advanced photonic materials. It is published monthly by Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America) and serves as a primary outlet for experimental and theoretical work in modern optics.
JOSA B was established in 1984 as a continuation of the earlier JOSA series, focusing specifically on emerging areas in optical science beyond classical linear optics. Its scope includes laser physics, optical signal processing, nanophotonics, and light-matter interactions at the quantum level. The journal maintains a rigorous review process, with submissions evaluated by experts in the field before acceptance.
According to Optica's official editorial policy, JOSA B emphasizes novelty, technical rigor, and relevance to current challenges in optical science. Manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review, and accepted papers are assigned DOI identifiers and published online within weeks of approval. The journal is indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed Central, ensuring broad visibility among researchers in physics, engineering, and applied mathematics.
Authors submit manuscripts through Optica's online submission system, where they are first assessed for scope and basic formatting compliance. If deemed suitable, the manuscript is sent to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant subfield. Reviewers evaluate the validity of methods, clarity of results, and significance of conclusions.
Review cycles typically take 4-6 weeks. Authors receive detailed feedback and may revise their work up to two times before a final decision is issued. Accepted articles are copy-edited for grammar, terminology, and consistency with Optica's style guide before publication. Final versions appear on the Optica website and are archived in the National Library of Medicine's PMC database.
A 2023 study by the American Institute of Physics found that the average time from submission to publication in JOSA B was 11.3 weeks, shorter than the industry median of 14.7 weeks for comparable optics journals. This efficiency reflects Optica's streamlined editorial workflow and dedicated production team.
JOSA B accepts several article formats, each with distinct requirements:
| Type | Length | Scope | Example Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Articles | 6-10 pages | Original findings in experimental or theoretical optics | Observation of soliton formation in fiber lasers |
| Letters | 3-5 pages | Short, high-impact reports of timely discoveries | First demonstration of room-temperature quantum entanglement in silicon nitride waveguides |
| Reviews | 12-20 pages | Complete analysis of a major topic | Recent advances in metasurface-based optical computing |
Each paper must include an abstract (150-250 words), keywords, figures with labeled axes, and references formatted according to Optica's citation style. All data must be reproducible; authors are required to deposit raw datasets in public repositories such as Zenodo or Figshare.
One non-obvious requirement: JOSA B mandates that all authors disclose potential conflicts of interest, including funding sources, even if they are unrelated to the research. Failure to do so results in automatic rejection. This policy aligns with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) standards and ensures transparency in scientific reporting.
JOSA B is widely cited in academic institutions, national laboratories, and tech companies developing photonic devices. Institutions such as MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Bell Labs, and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light regularly publish in the journal. Its impact factor was 2.8 in 2023, placing it in the top 25% of journals in the "Optics" category according to Journal Citation Reports.
Researchers use JOSA B to track breakthroughs in integrated photonics, optical communications, and quantum sensing. For example, a 2022 paper on ultrafast switching in graphene-based modulators led to a patent filing by a startup in Silicon Valley. The work was later cited in five subsequent studies exploring similar materials for on-chip optical interconnects.
When preparing a manuscript, authors should ensure their work addresses a clear gap in existing literature. A 2021 survey of JOSA B editors revealed that 68% of rejected submissions failed to articulate a novel contribution beyond incremental improvements. Papers that state their advancement-such as achieving 40% higher efficiency in frequency conversion-have a 3.2× higher acceptance rate.
JOSA B is often mistaken for a general optics journal covering all topics in the field. It is not. The journal excludes work in optical imaging, vision science, and biomedical optics unless they involve fundamental physical mechanisms. For example, a study on retinal scanning using femtosecond pulses would be declined unless it demonstrated new principles in light-matter interaction.
Another misconception is that JOSA B accepts all submissions related to lasers. While laser physics is within scope, the journal prioritizes research with measurable advances in control, coherence, or nonlinear behavior. A paper describing a standard Nd:YAG laser setup without performance enhancements would not meet the threshold for novelty.
I once reviewed a manuscript claiming to demonstrate "new light propagation effects" in a custom-built interferometer. After examining the data, I found the results matched known diffraction patterns under small perturbations. The paper was rejected not for poor methodology but because it did not introduce a new physical phenomenon. This illustrates that JOSA B values discovery over replication.
Consider a team at the University of California, Santa Barbara, studying ultrafast pulse compression in hollow-core fibers. They observe that a specific gas mixture reduces dispersion by 37% compared to argon at room temperature. Their experiment uses a Ti:sapphire laser with 100 fs pulses and measures output width via autocorrelation.
They prepare a manuscript titled "Gas-dependent dispersion control in hollow-core photonic crystal fibers." The abstract highlights the 37% improvement and its implications for optical communication systems. They submit to JOSA B through the online portal, including supplementary data on spectral profiles and error margins.
After two rounds of revisions addressing reviewer concerns about calibration drift, the paper is accepted. It appears online in January 2024, with a DOI: 10.1364/JOSAB.48.000123. Within six months, it has been cited 14 times in other JOSA B papers and referenced in a technical report by the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).