Semiconductor surface-emitting lasers, such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs), and others have grown up to mature technology commercialization with various applications in optical networks, sensing, or laser printing. Numerous researches are still ongoing in the field, not only for improving laser performance, expanding wavelength and power span but also for embedding new functionalities allowed by the vertical integration of multiple layers. This includes using quantum dots, spin-dynamics, plasmonic effects, photonic crystals, cavity solutions, and multiple optical cavities. The aim of this special issue is therefore to highlight these recent advances.

We invite contributions of original research articles as well as review articles reporting on the progress achieved in field. This should give the general readership an overview of what the present problems are, which groups are working on them, and which challenges still remain and provide state-of-the art background for scientists working in the field of semiconductor lasers. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Long wavelength, visible, and mid-IR operation of surface-emitting lasers
• Wavelength-tunable lasers and laser arrays
• High-speed surface-emitting lasers
• Quantum Dots in surface-emitting lasers
• High-power semiconductor disk lasers
• Spin-injected surface-emitting lasers
• Single-photon surface-emitting sources
• Plasmonic surface-emitting lasers
• Photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers
• Nonlinear temporal and spatial dynamics of surface-emitting lasers
• Mode-locked surface-emitting lasers
• Modeling of surface-emitting lasers
• Cavity Solutions in surface-emitting lasers
• Integration of micro optics and photo detectors in surface-emitting lasers
• Recent developments in surface-emitting laser technologies
• Applications of surface-emitting lasers in optical interconnection, sensing and biophotonics, optical communications, or laser printing

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aot/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: