Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 20 Apr, 2026

The APS Journal Template is the REVTeX system the American Physical Society uses for submissions to Physical Review Letters, Reviews of Modern Physics, Physical Review A through E, Physical Review X, Physical Review Applied, Physical Review Fluids, Physical Review Materials, Physical Review Accelerators and Beams, and Physical Review Physics Education Research. The REVTeX home page is the authoritative starting point for the latest release and sample files.

What is the APS Journal Template?

The APS Journal Template is not a single Word or LaTeX file but a LaTeX macro package: REVTeX. REVTeX supplies \documentclass[...]{revtex4-2}, the class options that control layout, and markup macros for title, authors, affiliations, abstract, PACS codes, sectioning, equations, figures, tables, and references. Authors use preprint, reprint, or twocolumn to switch between review-ready and journal-approximate layouts, and the setup details live in the REVTeX FAQ.

A standard aps journal template usually includes:

• \documentclass[aps,pra,reprint,amsmath,amssymb]{revtex4-2} (or a similar option set)
• \title{...}, \author{...}, \affiliation{...}, \email{...}, \thanks{...}
• \begin{abstract} ... \end{abstract}
• \pacs{...} for PACS codes where the target journal still uses them
• \section, \subsection, \subsubsection plus figure, table, equation environments
• BibTeX with APS's style (apsrev4-2.bst) or the inline thebibliography environment
• Acknowledgements through \begin{acknowledgments}

A strong manuscript prepared with this template should:

• Compile cleanly on letter-size paper
• Use REVTeX markup for the front matter instead of manual centering
• Use amsmath, amssymb, and bm for equations and symbols
• Cite with \cite{key} and compile through BibTeX using apsrev4-2.bst for APS journals
• Resolve setup and class-option errors using the REVTeX FAQ before contacting the editorial office

What does this APS Journal Template include?

The REVTeX 4.2 package includes revtex4-2.cls, APS and AIP substyles, sample files (for example, apssamp.tex), the APS bibliography style (apsrev4-2.bst), and two canonical PDFs that authors keep open while writing. Policy and submission-workflow questions that are not REVTeX-specific are answered by the APS Submission FAQ.

Steps to Use the APS Journal Template with Scispace Agent

1. Click Start Writing on this template page. You are redirected to the Scispace Agent prompt page with this APS Journal Template and a starter prompt already loaded.
2. On the prompt page, choose whether to use the existing template shown in the side panel or upload a new template if you already have a venue-specific copy.
3. Modify the prompt with your custom message: the topic, target outlet, article or document type, contribution claim, and any specific constraints such as page limits, declarations, or review mode.
4. Run the prompt. Scispace Agent generates the draft directly in the APS Journal Template structure — front matter, main sections, figures or chapter scaffolding, and references — without hand-editing layout code.
5. Use View Outputs to review what the agent produced. Iterate on the prompt or regenerate specific sections if the first pass needs tightening.
6. When the draft is ready, save it to your library inside Scispace Agent or download it in Word or LaTeX format so it drops straight into your submission workflow.

This keeps REVTeX mechanics on Scispace Agent's side so you can focus on the physics narrative and numerical results.

APS Journal Template Structure at a Glance

Quick Tips for Using the APS Journal Template

• Start with APS's sample file and edit it; do not craft REVTeX from scratch
• Use preprint during writing; switch to reprint/twocolumn only if the journal accepts two-column submissions
• Use \eqref{eq:name} for equation references to match APS style
• Consult the APS Author's Guide (PDF) for front-matter conventions

Best Practices

• Compile on letter-size paper; APS refuses A4 submissions
• Use bm for bold vectors/matrices rather than \mathbf for better APS rendering
• Declare each author with a \author{} \affiliation{} pair so REVTeX can group affiliations correctly
• Resolve LaTeX warnings before submission — the APS Style/Compuscript Guide (PDF) lists the formatting conventions APS re-applies in production

APS Journal Template Tips

REVTeX is the APS Journal Template. Write in preprint mode for drafting, use REVTeX macros for the front matter, rely on amsmath/amssymb/bm for equations, manage references with apsrev4-2.bst, and confirm letter-size output. When REVTeX throws errors, the FAQ and the author's guide resolve most issues before you need to contact revtex@aps.org.