As of 2026-09-11 · the last 10 years
Research intensity stands at about 98% of the element’s all-time peak, a level reached within this window.
Research intensity ran from about 85% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 98% in 2026 — a steady climb, and the all-time peak (2024) falls inside this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements rose. Among the 118 elements, holmium has a mid-sized research literature.
The number of papers involving the element rose from about 977 in 2016 to about 2,198 in 2025 (2.25x). That matches the growth of the literature as a whole over the same years: the general tide of scientific output, not a surge specific to the element.
The dominant research community is Laser-Assisted Urological Procedures for Stone Removal and Prostate Treatment. In this field, holmium is central, appearing in about 39% of the community's papers. It accounts for about 67% of holmium’s recent research, a share that has been rising from 58% in the earlier period. The work involves distinctive applications such as holmium YAG lasers and procedures for prostate treatment. A key anchor is a 2024 study on flexible ureteral access sheaths, cited over 150 times, which highlights the element's role in modern urological surgery.
A second major area is Holmium-Doped Fiber Lasers for Mid-Infrared Applications. Here, holmium is a minor presence in a much larger community, involved in about 1% of its papers. It represents about 8% of holmium’s recent research, a share that has remained steady. This research focuses on holmium-doped fiber amplifiers and mid-infrared pulse generation. Notable work includes a 2017 paper on polarization-maintaining fiber laser architectures, cited over 310 times, and a 2024 study on ultra-low-noise amplifiers for gravitational wave detectors, cited about 23 times.
The third material community is Holmium-166 Radioembolization for Hepatic Tumors. Holmium is a minor presence here as well, involved in about 1% of the community's papers. It holds about 4% of holmium’s recent research, a steady share. This field centers on transarterial injection of Holmium-166 microspheres for liver cancer treatment. A 2022 review of the current status of this therapy, cited about 72 times, serves as a key reference point.
Overall, the composition of holmium research has shifted toward urological applications, which gained share, while the remainder of the literature, comprising other smaller communities, saw a declining share.
For a deeper look at the current state of research, see the element's Last 12 Months and Executive Brief reports.
What changed in the past year: new papers, shifting applications, emerging collaborators. See the momentum over a shorter window than the decade view.
Personal →See recent trends — Personal.
A by-topic status read of what changed and what's new — built for decision-makers, not search engines. Citation clusters, emerging applications, and the papers that matter most.
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Showing Holmium's three strongest connections. Personal opens the slider and the whole 118-element graph.