This Special Issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics brings together the contributions of various researchers working on theoretical and experimental aspects of fluctuational phenomena in photonics and quantum optics. The topics discussed in this issue extend from fundamental physics to applications of noise and fluctuational methods from quantum to classical systems, and include: • Quantum measurement • Quantum squeezing • Solitons and fibres • Gravitational wave inferometers • Fluorescence phenomena • Cavity QED • Photon statistics • Noise in lasers and laser systems • Quantum computing and information • Quantum lithography • Teleportation.Derek Abbott, Jeffrey H Shapiro and Yoshihisa Yamamot