Applied Optics Template
Get your Applied Optics paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Applied Optics Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to Applied Optics goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Applied Optics guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Applied Optics Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Applied Optics. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Applied Optics journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a AO submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Applied Optics guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Applied Optics guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Applied Optics Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through Prism (Optica submission).
Steps to Use This Template with Scispace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The Scispace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for AO.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Applied Optics guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through Prism (Optica submission).
Applied Optics Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | AO requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured; approximately 100 words. Must be an explicit summary stating the problem, methods used, and major results and conclusions. If another publication is referenced in the abstract, abbreviated information must be given in the abstract itself without a reference number. |
| Main text | Section order and length per article type |
| Declarations | Ethics, competing interests, funding, data as required |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Keywords are displayed on published articles (typically 6 keywords) but are not mentioned in the author guidelines or submission requirements. OCIS codes are no longer used. The journal uses auto-assigned 'Optics and Photonics Topics' via classification software. Keywords appear to be editor-assigned rather than author-submitted. |
| References | Numbered consecutively in order of first mention in the text. Uses Optica Publishing Group's custom numbered citation style. List first three authors and use 'et al.' if additional authors. Format examples: journals include author(s), article title in quotes, journal abbreviation in italics, volume in bold, page range, and year in parentheses. |
| Peer review | Single-blind peer review. Multiple Optica Publishing Group journals explicitly state 'single-blind' as their peer review model, including Chinese Optics Letters and Biomedical Optics Express. This is the standard for OPG journals. |
| Submission | opg.optica.org |
Quick Tips for Using the Applied Optics Template
Read the Applied Optics guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Applied Optics in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent AO papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Applied Optics journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Applied Optics guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Prism (Optica submission).
