ImpaQ Ecosystem•Clarivate, Scopus & CORE Data
Clarivate WoS 2024 / 2025 Data
IMPAQ
WoS SCIE Q2Scopus Q1SCImago #6,232Hybrid

Applied Physics Letters

Abbreviation (ISO):APPL. PHYS. LETT
•
Identifier (ISSN):0003-6951(Print)/1077-3118(Online)
•
Publisher:American Institute of Physics
Clarivate IF (2026)
3.8↑ +0.2
Journal Impact Factor
IF Trend↓
WoS Quartile
Q2
WoS SCIEJCR Quartile
Clarivate WoS JCR
WoS Categories↓
JCR Release Date: 2026-06-17

Impact Factor Trend (2018–2026)

Clarivate IF trend for Applied Physics Letters

WoS Q2
23563.520183.5220193.620203.7920213.972022420233.520243.620253.82026
Annual Impact Factor Metric
Current (2026):3.8
Scopus SJR & RankScopus Q1
0.856
#6,232

SCImago Journal Rank citation prestige weighting

Scopus Year: 2025
H-Index (2025)
498

498 papers with at least that number of citations each

WoS: SCIE / JCRQ2
Self-Citation Rate8.6%
Safe Level (< 15%)Warning Level (> 20%)
Self-citation below 15% indicates strong scholarly independence.
Volume & Open AccessHybrid
2,338articles/year
12.62% Gold OA•100% Original Research

Aims & Scope

Applied Physics Letters (APL) features concise, up-to-date reports on significant new findings in applied physics. Emphasizing rapid dissemination of key data and new physical insights, APL offers prompt publication of new experimental and theoretical papers reporting applications of physics phenomena to all branches of science, engineering, and modern technology. In addition to regular articles, the journal also publishes invited Fast Track, Perspectives, and in-depth Editorials which report on cutting-edge areas in applied physics. APL Perspectives are forward-looking invited letters which highlight recent developments or discoveries. Emphasis is placed on very recent developments, potentially disruptive technologies, open questions and possible solutions. They also include a mini-roadmap detailing where the community should direct efforts in order for the phenomena to be viable for application and the challenges associated with meeting that performance threshold. Perspectives are characterized by personal viewpoints and opinions of recognized experts in the field. Fast Track articles are invited original research articles that report results that are particularly novel and important or provide a significant advancement in an emerging field. Because of the urgency and scientific importance of the work, the peer review process is accelerated. If, during the review process, it becomes apparent that the paper does not meet the Fast Track criterion, it is returned to a normal track.

Topics Covered (Recognized by AI)
Physics96.4%Materials science95.5%Quantum mechanics92.6%Chemistry75.5%Optoelectronics73%Engineering71.7%Organic chemistry65%Optics60.7%Composite material56%Nanotechnology52.2%Condensed matter physics51.9%Electrical engineering49%Metallurgy38.6%Thermodynamics31%Computer science29.3%Biology27.1%Layer (electronics)26%Nuclear physics22.6%Laser22.6%Chemical engineering22%
Primary Research Areas

WoS Categories & Quartiles

Detailed JCR / JCI category rankings and quartile breakdown from Clarivate

Clarivate JCR & JCI
JCRSCIE2026

PHYSICS, APPLIED

Q2
Rank68/191
IndexSCIE
JCISCIE2026

PHYSICS, APPLIED

Q2
Rank60/191
IndexSCIE

Annual Historical Statistics & Publications

Track annual publication volume, total citations, and Impact Factor evolution

12 year
2026Latest
IF3.8
Articles / Year2,188
Total Citations930
2025
IF3.6
Articles / Year2,798
Total Citations9,477
2024
IF3.5
Articles / Year2,747
Total Citations20,576
2023
IF4
Articles / Year2,434
Total Citations27,392
2022
IF3.971
Articles / Year2,132
Total Citations29,691

SCImago & Scopus Journal Intelligence

Global SCImago ranking, SJR prestige index, Scopus coverage, and societal policy impact

Rank #6,232Scopus Q1SCImago Profile
Scopus Coverage:1962-2026
Scopus Broad Areas:Physics and Astronomy
Scopus Citation Rank (SJR)Q1
0.856

Weighted prestige citation metric per document indexed in the Scopus database.

Quartile: Scopus Q1
Citations / Doc (2 years)
3.67

Average citations received per document published in the 2-year window.

2-Year Citation Window
Estimated Publication Fee (APC)
$3,304 USD

Estimated Article Processing Charge for Open Access publication.

Estimated cost / article

Scopus 3-Year Publication & Citation Window

3-Year Citations25,902
3-Year Documents7,182
Citable Documents7,146

Aggregated from Scopus database across the 3-year SJR evaluation window.

Societal Impact & Inclusivity (SCImago)

Policy Citations (Overton)0

Citations in government and international policy documents

Female Author Rate28.9%

Percentage of female authors published in the journal

Real-world societal policy reach and author gender diversity tracked by SCImago.

Scopus Subject Categories

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)Q1
Academic Metric Intelligence

Journal Metrics & Citation Visualizations

Total Cites vs Self-Cites

Evaluation of scholarly independence and citation reach

Total citations steady growth
Self-citation: 8.6%

Citations per Document

Citation metric windows across 2, 3, and 4 years

Cites / Doc (4 years)Cites / Doc (3 years)Cites / Doc (2 years)

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Classification

Major / minor zone classification and CAS Early Warning List history

Major Category (Broad Field):
3区 (Zone 3)Physics & Astrophysics
Minor Category (Specific Field):
3区PHYSICS, APPLIED
CAS Early Warning List History:
Updated annually: 2020 – 2024
2020
Not warned
2021
Not warned
2022
Not warned
2023
Not warned
2024
Not warned

Academic Intelligence Overview & Context

ImpaQ Analysis

Applied Physics Letters (abbr: APPL. PHYS. LETT, ISSN: 0003-6951) is a peer-reviewed international scholarly journal in the field of Physics, published by American Institute of Physics in United States since 1962. The periodical holds a Journal Impact Factor (JIF) of 3.80, ranking in quartile Q2 of Web of Science (SCIE), a Scopus SJR indicator of 0.856 (Q1), an H-index of 498.

The journal enforces rigorous peer evaluation with a publication frequency of Weekly, an annual output of approximately 2,338 scientific articles. In terms of accessibility and author fees, it operates under the Hybrid model with an estimated APC of $3,304 USD. It serves as a benchmark publication platform for academics, researchers, and doctoral candidates seeking global research visibility.

Publishing & Editorial Information

Detailed publisher, peer-review turnaround, and publication cycle specifications

Open Access Model
Hybrid
Publisher
American Institute of Physics
Publication Language
English
Frequency
Weekly
Founding Year
1962
Indexing & Databases
SCIEScopusPubMed
Editorial Address
AMER INST PHYSICS, CIRCULATION & FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, USA, NY, 11747-4501

Similar Journals in Discipline

Journals in the same research field with comparable impact metrics

Record UUID: da5a74e5-e5b6-41ff-b953-a030187e98f1
Database Updated: 2026-09-28