Applied Physics Letters (APL) is an international, peer-reviewed letters journal publishing concise papers in all areas of applied physics that communicate original research discoveries that justify rapid dissemination.

Cover Letter

Authors of APL are encouraged to provide a cover letter as part of their submission. It can help convey the importance of the research to the Editors, explain why you consider the paper appropriate for the broad readership of Applied Physics Letters, and specifically how it aligns with the criteria for publication. The cover letter should make a clear statement on the manuscript’s significance and list related work by the authors. The cover letter will not be shared with reviewers and is intended to aid in the editorial pre-screening of manuscripts.

Manuscript Length

At the time of initial submission, your paper must be 3000 words or less, including figure and table captions. This word count excludes the title, author list, abstract, acknowledgements, data availability statement, references, and non-text items including figures, tables, and equations. Normally, papers longer than 3000 words will be rejected, and the authors will be required to shorten the paper and submit it again as a new manuscript. Please also note that section headings are not permitted for letters.

Longer papers may be considered only in exceptional cases if the quality warrants special consideration and the authors justify the additional length in their cover letter.

Authors are encouraged to include up to five figures in the paper to illustrate their results. Images may be grouped together as separate panels in one figure if they are logically connected and clarity is not compromised.