Africa has a long history in optics, but decades of turmoil have seen optical science in Africa advance only slowly, punching far below its weight. But a younger generation of scientists hold promise for the brighter future, addressing continental issues with photonics. In this Feature Issue on Optics in Africa we capture some of the exciting optical research from across the continent in 51 research reports, covering both fundamental and applied topics. The issue is supplemented by invited review articles that offer authoritative perspectives on the historical development of key research fields, from early advances in lasers to present-day progress in photonic materials. To encourage the exploration of new research directions, the issue has several tutorial articles that lower the entry barrier for emerging researchers, while highlighting the scope of research on the continent and its international context.

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非洲光学：简介

非洲的光学历史悠久，但数十年来的动荡使非洲的光学科学发展缓慢，远远低于其重量。但是，年轻的科学家们对光明的未来充满希望，他们将用光子学解决大陆问题。在本期《非洲光学特刊》中，我们从51个研究报告中涵盖了来自整个非洲大陆的一些激动人心的光学研究，涵盖基础和应用主题。通过邀请发表的评论文章对该问题进行了补充，这些评论文章对从激光的早期进展到光子材料的最新进展等关键研究领域的历史发展提供了权威的观点。为鼓励探索新的研究方向，本期有几篇教程文章降低了新兴研究人员的进入门槛，