What Is IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics?

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (JQE) is a peer-reviewed monthly publication of the IEEE Photonics Society and one of the longest-running specialized journals in the field of quantum electronics and photonics. Founded in 1965, JQE has served since its first issue as the primary archival venue for research on the generation, amplification, modulation, detection, and propagation of coherent electromagnetic radiation at submillimeter wavelengths and shorter, encompassing the terahertz, infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectral regions. The journal celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2025, a milestone documented in a special commemorative issue on IEEE Xplore. All members of the IEEE Photonics Society receive electronic access to JQE as part of their membership.

JQE draws its disciplinary roots from the laser physics community that emerged in the early 1960s following the demonstration of the first operating laser by Theodore Maiman in 1960. The journal was established precisely to provide a dedicated publication channel for the expanding community of researchers working on laser sources, optical amplifiers, and the interaction of coherent light with matter, topics that had grown too specialized for broader physics or electrical engineering journals.

Laser Sources and Optical Amplifiers

The journal covers semiconductor lasers, fiber lasers, solid-state lasers, and gas lasers across their many configurations and operating regimes. Articles address threshold conditions, modal structure, modulation bandwidth, linewidth, and noise properties that determine how lasers perform in applications from high-speed optical communications to precision spectroscopy. Optical amplifiers, particularly erbium-doped fiber amplifiers and semiconductor optical amplifiers, receive substantial coverage because of their role in wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission systems. Work on ultrashort pulse generation through mode-locking, chirped-pulse amplification, and frequency comb techniques also appears prominently, reflecting the ongoing importance of these methods in both metrology and fundamental science.

Nonlinear Optics and Light-Matter Interaction

JQE publishes research on the nonlinear optical phenomena that arise when intense coherent light interacts with materials: second and third harmonic generation, parametric amplification and oscillation, stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering, and four-wave mixing. These processes underpin a range of technologies including optical frequency converters, entangled photon sources for quantum information experiments, and high-field physics investigations. The journal also covers the quantum-mechanical aspects of light-matter interaction, including cavity quantum electrodynamics, photon statistics, squeezed light generation, and the coherent control of atomic and molecular transitions. Research on photodetectors, including avalanche photodiodes and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, sits at the boundary between the optical and electronic domains that JQE has historically bridged.

Photonic Devices and Integrated Optics

In parallel with research on bulk optical phenomena, JQE covers integrated photonic components: waveguide lasers, modulators, photodetectors, and passive routing elements fabricated in silicon, III-V semiconductor, lithium niobate, and other material platforms. Articles examine the design and fabrication of these components as well as their integration into systems for sensing, communications, and computing. The IEEE Photonics Society positions JQE alongside its companion publication, the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, as the two primary archival journals for photonics research, with JQE focusing on fundamental device physics and the broader scope of quantum electronic phenomena. Full article archives going back to the journal's 1965 founding are indexed on IEEE Xplore.

Applications

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics covers research with applications in a range of areas, including:

• High-speed optical fiber communications and wavelength-division multiplexing
• Laser-based manufacturing, including cutting, welding, and materials processing
• Precision optical frequency metrology and atomic clocks
• Quantum information processing and quantum key distribution
• Medical diagnostics and therapeutic systems using laser sources
• Remote sensing, lidar, and environmental monitoring