Today, optics and photonics are key elements for the further development of imaging and sensor technology. Their steady and continuous progress provides access to new knowledge and insights in structural and functional materials research and design. Optical techniques such as imaging, tomography, spectroscopy, etc. can often benefit from the transfer of knowledge from biological–optical imaging to materials testing with a rather technical background, but also vice versa. A major advantage of optical technologies is their ability to characterize the specimen non-invasively/non-destructively. The challenges for these methods of optical non-destructive testing (NDT) consist in a variety of aspects: enabling a high sensitivity and/or specificity, achievable high speed and (super-) resolution in the (sub-) micrometer range, but of course also following the miniaturization and digitalization trends to be integrated for production process monitoring and quality assurance steering. Furthermore, optical NDT is often affected by the need for cost-effective solutions in industrial surroundings.

The current Special Issue is dedicated to providing the reader with an overview of the current status and progress in the field of optical non-destructive testing, convincing strategies in imaging, sensing, and reconstruction, as well as an outlook on future developments in the respected field of optical NDT.

Dr. Bettina Heise
Guest Editor

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• non-destructive testing
• optical imaging and sensing
• spectroscopy
• tomography
• scattering media
• advanced reconstruction methods
• learning
• technical application