As the editor-in-chief of Photonics Research, I am honored to serve in this role as we celebrate our 10th anniversary. Since its launch in 2013, the journal has been dedicated to publishing and promoting high-quality research work in the field of optics and photonics. Our goal is to ensure that every paper accepted for publication is not only technically correct, but also adds new and important results to the field.

I feel grateful that we have received strong support from the community in helping us reach this goal. Our papers are accepted for publication only if they meet a rigorous set of criteria, including convincing evidence of new and important results. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the journal to ensure that we are publishing innovative and important research in the field. In November 2021, we made a major change to our review process. This new process involves an editorial review to determine whether a paper will proceed to external review or will be desk rejected. After this step, the paper is assigned to an associate editor for external review. The final decision is carefully made based on comments from experts on the topics relevant to the paper. If you have suggestions for other improvements to our journal, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

The past decade has witnessed rapid development in optics, which has played a vital role in shaping many of the technologies we rely on today. From high-speed internet to medical imaging for public health, from augmented reality (AR) to self-driving cars, optics has been at the forefront of technological advancement. As we look ahead to the next decade, it is clear that optics will continue to shape our future by playing a crucial role in driving innovation in technology development. Therefore, it is important to grow the community and engage more talents to this field. In 2021, we started a “Webinar Interview” series, which has been well received by the community. This series features conversations with distinguished research scholars who have made groundbreaking scientific discoveries in the field of optics and photonics. The interviews provide an in-depth look at the work of these leading scientists, as well as their personal opinions and visions on various topics relevant to their research interests. We also solicited additional questions from the community before the actual online interview. For many people, this type of webinar series is especially meaningful as it reminds us of the stories of scientists and their groundbreaking discoveries that have made a difference to the world and inspired us to pursue a career in science. The webinar interviews can be incredibly inspiring and educational for others as well, such as students and researchers who are just starting out in their careers, because of the invaluable information gained from the personal and professional experiences of those great scientists. They can learn about the dedication and perseverance it takes to make seminal contributions to a field, and can gain valuable insights into the process of scientific discovery. These interviews can also give young researchers and students a sense of the diverse paths that a career in science can take, and can help them to envision their own potential career paths. Furthermore, webinar interviews can also be an excellent way to learn about the history of an important field and new research in the field.

The past decade has been an exciting time for the Photonics Research journal, and I am honored to be part of it. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, I want to thank our editorial board members, authors, reviewers, and readers for their contributions and support. We also have an incredible team of staff who have been working hard to support the operation of our journal. From managing submissions to handling publishing, they show their professionalism and commitment throughout the process. I am constantly impressed by their efforts and dedication to ensure the success of Photonics Research.

Overall, I am proud of the journal’s achievements over the past decade, and I am excited to continue working with our team to publish innovative and impactful research in the field of optics and photonics. Although we have faced challenges in the past, I believe these experiences have only made us stronger and more determined to make a positive impact to society. Let’s keep growing our community and supporting each other, stay motivated and inspired in our journey pursuing scientific discoveries and advancements. I believe that with hard work dedicated to our research, we can continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of optics and photonics to make the world a better place to live for our generation and generations to come. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.