The journal is sponsored by the Chinese Optical Society (COS), and undertaken by Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOM), Chinese Academy of Sciences.

COS was established in December 1979.
Chief Director of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd COS Council:
Professor Daheng Wang (Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Chief Director of the 4th and 5th COS Council:
Professor Guoguang Mu (Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

COS sponsors 7 journals, they are:
Chinese Optics Letters, Acta Optica Sinica, Chinese Journal of Lasers, Journal of Infrared and Millimeter Waves, Acta Photonica Sinica, Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis, Chinese Journal of Laser Medicine & Surgery.

SIOM was established in 1964. It is the earliest and the largest institute in China specializing in laser science and technology. It has now developed into a comprehensive scientific research institute with modern optics as the leading orientation, with the exploring of significant fundamental science frontiers and development of large engineering techniques and pioneering laser and optoelectronic application as the focal point, with high-tech innovation and basic research for application as the major task.

The main research fields are: High Power Laser Technique, Strong-Field Physics and High Intensity Optics, Information Optics, Quantum Optics, Laser & Optoelectronic devices, and Optical Materials, etc..

There are 3 basic research laboratories (the Key Laboratory for High Intensity Optics of CAS, the Key Laboratory for Quantum Optics of CAS, and the Laboratory for Information Optics), 3 high-tech. application and innovation research laboratories (the National Laboratory for High Power Laser Physics, the High Density Optical Storage Laboratory, and the Novel Laser Technique and Application System Laboratory), and 4 R & D centers (the High Power Laser Unit Technique R & D Center, the Laser Application Engineering R & D Center, the Laser & Optoelectronic Functional Material R & D Center, and the Optical Coating Technology R & D Center), one Quality Management Center and One Information Center. The staffs are nearly 1,000. About 500 are researchers and technicians including over 200 professors and senior engineers. Annually, SIOM has an enrollment of 250 graduate students.

As one of the initial institutes for the Pilot Project of Knowledge Innovation Program of CAS, for meeting national strategic demands and international advanced research requirements, SIOM devotes to not only basic research but also high-tech. application and innovation research, which are strategic and basic and foresighted.

SIOM undertakes the journals of Chinese Optics Letters, Acta Optica Sinica, Chinese Journal of Lasers, and Laser & Optoelectronics Progress.