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Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics · 47 journals ranked · top 40 listed

Best open-access journals for Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

The top 40 of 47 Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics journals, open-access only, ranked by Scimago quartile, then by whether OpenAlex and Scimago agree on the subject and how central Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics is to each journal, then OpenAlex cites/paper (2-year window), leaving out journals both place in another discipline, drawn from a 17,500-venue index. Predatory venues are excluded; the FAQ below gives the exact ranking rule. These are field-wide rankings — for a shortlist matched to your specific paper, paste your title and abstract into the Journal Finder (a free account starts with 25 welcome credits).

Data as of — the date our venue index was last rebuilt from OpenAlex and Scimago.

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AllBest open-access journals
  1. 1
    Light Science & Applications
    18.4 cites/paper · Q1 · Springer Nature
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  2. 2
    Physical Review X
    11.1 cites/paper · Q1 · American Physical Society
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  3. 3
    Optica
    8.4 cites/paper · Q1 · Optica Publishing Group
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  4. 4
    SciPost Physics
    6.5 cites/paper · Q1 · SciPost.org
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  5. 5
    APL Photonics
    6.1 cites/paper · Q1 · AIP Publishing
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  6. 6
    Nanophotonics
    6.0 cites/paper · Q1 · De Gruyter
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  7. 7
    Communications Physics
    5.9 cites/paper · Q1 · Nature Portfolio
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  8. 8
    Physical Review Research
    4.3 cites/paper · Q1 · American Physical Society
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  9. 9
    New Journal of Physics
    3.2 cites/paper · Q1 · IOP Publishing
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  10. 10
    Journal of Physics Communications
    1.3 cites/paper · Q2 · IOP Publishing
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  11. 11
    Comptes Rendus Physique
    2.1 cites/paper · Q2 · Académie des sciences
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  12. 12
    Open Physics
    3.6 cites/paper · Q3 · De Gruyter Open
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
  13. 13
    Atoms
    1.3 cites/paper · Q3 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  14. 14
    Revista Mexicana de Física
    0.7 cites/paper · Q3 · Mexican Society of Physics
    Open AccessScopusWeb of Science
  15. 15
    Laser and Particle Beams
    0.4 cites/paper · Q3 · Cambridge University Press
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
  16. 16
    AIP Advances
    2.5 cites/paper · Q3 · American Institute of Physics
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  17. 17
    TURKISH JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
    0.7 cites/paper · Q3 · Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of ScienceTR-Dizin
  18. 18
    Journal of the Magnetics Society of Japan
    0.6 cites/paper · Q3
    Open AccessScopus
  19. 19
    Acta Physica Polonica A
    0.8 cites/paper · Q4 · Polish Academy of Sciences
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  20. 20
    Acta Physica Sinica
    0.7 cites/paper · Q4 · Science Press
    Open AccessScopusWeb of Science
  21. 21
    Optica Pura y Aplicada
    0.5 cites/paper · Q4
    Open AccessScopusWeb of Science
  22. 22
    e-Journal of Surface Science and Nanotechnology
    1.0 cites/paper · Q4 · Japan Society of Vacuum and Surface Science
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
  23. 23
    Condensed Matter Physics
    0.8 cites/paper · Q4 · Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of NAS of Ukraine
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  24. 24
    Uspekhi Fizicheskih Nauk
    0.6 cites/paper · no Scimago quartile · Lebedev Physical Institute
    Open Access
  25. 25
    Scientific Herald of Uzhhorod University Series Physics
    0.5 cites/paper · no Scimago quartile
    Open Access
  26. 26
    Физика плазмы
    0.0 cites/paper · no Scimago quartile · MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica
    Open Access
  27. 27
    Advanced Photonics
    11.0 cites/paper · Q1
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  28. 28
    Optics Express
    3.6 cites/paper · Q1 · Optica Publishing Group
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  29. 29
    PRX Quantum
    11.8 cites/paper · Q1 · American Physical Society
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  30. 30
    npj Quantum Information
    7.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Nature Portfolio
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  31. 31
    Electromagnetic waves
    6.8 cites/paper · Q1
    Open AccessScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  32. 32
    IEEE photonics journal
    2.9 cites/paper · Q2 · Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  33. 33
    Photonics
    2.6 cites/paper · Q2 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  34. 34
    Applied Physics Express
    4.3 cites/paper · Q2 · Institute of Physics
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  35. 35
    Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology
    4.3 cites/paper · Q2 · Beilstein Institute for the Advancement of Chemical Sciences
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  36. 36
    Optics Continuum
    1.6 cites/paper · Q3
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
  37. 37
    Computer Optics
    1.6 cites/paper · Q3 · Samara National Research University
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
  38. 38
    East European Journal of Physics
    1.8 cites/paper · Q3 · V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University Publishing
    Open AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
  39. 39
    Applied Science and Convergence Technology
    1.4 cites/paper · Q3 · Korean Vacuum Society
    Open AccessScopusWeb of Science
  40. 40
    Nanosystems Physics Chemistry Mathematics
    0.9 cites/paper · Q3
    Open AccessScopusWeb of Science

“Cites/paper” is the OpenAlex 2-year citation rate — a transparent signal, not a licensed Impact Factor. Many regional and open-access journals are strong but aren’t covered by Scimago, so they show “no Scimago quartile”; that’s a coverage gap, not a quality judgement.

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Frequently asked

Light Science & Applications, Physical Review X, Optica, SciPost Physics, APL Photonics lead this list, drawn from a 17,500-venue index. The top 40 of 47 ranked venues are listed on this page; 14 are Scimago Q1, 6 Q2, 12 Q3, 5 Q4 and 3 have no Scimago quartile. Journals are placed by two independent classifications, OpenAlex's and Scimago's, plus any documented corrections. A journal both place under Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics ranks ahead, within its Scimago quartile, of one only OpenAlex places there — because Scimago does not cover it, files it as Multidisciplinary, or files it under a neighbouring subject or only under a broad “(miscellaneous)” category (which counts as agreement when Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics is the journal's main OpenAlex subfield). 1 journal OpenAlex files under Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics is left out because OpenAlex's main field for it and Scimago's categories both place it in another discipline. By Scimago quartile first (Q1 → Q4, then venues without one). Within a quartile, journals both sources place under Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics come first, then venues whose main OpenAlex subfield is Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics come before those that list it second or third, and ties go to OpenAlex cites/paper over a 2-year window. A venue whose main subfield is unrelated to Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics — fewer than a quarter of the venues filed under that subfield (or fewer than five) are also filed under Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics — is listed after all the others. Only open-access venues are included. Cites/paper is a transparent citation rate, not a licensed Impact Factor, and journals flagged as predatory are excluded. For a match to your specific paper use the Journal Finder (15 credits; free account starts with 25).

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