It is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America). The journal specialises in optics and photonics and publishes articles on the latest research and technological developments, including experimental, theoretical and applied optics. Optics Express is an open access journal, making it widely available to researchers and others interested in optical innovation.
According to Mindaugas, the position given by this publishing house is not only a great recognition of his work as a scientist, but also a global recognition of the entire Lithuanian laser sector and FTMC, which is developing laser technologies in Lithuania and promoting Lithuania as a world leader in laser technologies:
"This serves as proof that the path I chose as a scientist was the right one. Furthermore, it is as a strong motivation and responsibility to persist in achieving my scientific goals and to actively engage in the work of the editorial board."
Optics Express is the world's most cited journal in optics. According to the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), it was cited 131,556 times in 2023, ranking first among 120 journals. JCR provides data that Optics Express has a relative impact index (Eigenfactor) of 0.10018, which measures a journal's citation volume by singling out frequently cited journals and avoiding self-citations.
"This index provides a more complete picture of a journal's long-term impact. The journal is ranked first among the 120 journals in the field of optics, and according to other data, it is one of the most influential and important journals of its kind in the world," says M. Gedvilas.
(Dr Mindaugas Gedvilas. Photo: Hernandez & Sorokina / FTMC)
The open access periodical is edited by Prof. James Leger (University of Minnesota, USA) as Editor-in-Chief and Prof. Thomas E. Murphy (University of Maryland, USA) as Deputy Editor-in-Chief. The editorial board consists of 9 Deputy Editors and 104 Associate Editors.
"The Associate Editor is responsible for assessing the initial suitability of the manuscript received from the authors for further review, identifying and communicating with reviewers, collecting confidential evaluations, and making the final decision on publication.
The editor's work is an integral part of maintaining the prestige of the journal, while being accountable to the journal owners and publishers. In addition, the editor is responsible for presenting the content to the journal's readers and the scientific community, and contributes to shaping scientific progress. By using his or her expert insight, the Associate Editor can highlight the most significant work in a field, emphasising the relevance of the articles to a wide readership.
Editing a journal is one of the most significant contributions a scientist can make to a field, but unfortunately, the editor is not always given the academic recognition for this work," says the FTMC scientist.