LATEX skips numbers in numbering when putting several figures in the same figure environment - latex

Question

Here are the package I am using:
\documentclass[twocolumn,showpacs,preprintnumbers,amsmath,amssymb,superscriptaddress]{revtex4}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{bm}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\usepackage{SIunits}
\captionsetup{justification=raggedright, singlelinecheck=false}
\bibliographystyle{approve}
In order to put two figures next to each other, using the full width of the page even with the twocolumn option, I use this syntax:
\begin{figure*}
\centering
\begin{subfigure}[b]{0.5\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{mfploglog_A.eps}
\end{subfigure}%
\begin{subfigure}[b]{0.5\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{mfploglog.eps}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{XXX}\protect\label{Eloglog}
\end{figure*}
The probleme is that using this the numbering is incorrect. For each figure, a number is skipped as if the subfigure environment was counting as one figure. For example if I put just this figure in my code, it is going to be labeled as figure number 2.
Does someone already encountered this kind of problem ?

Answer 1

Don't use the caption package (or subcaption) with revtex4-1. You'll note in the .log that there are compatibility issues between the package and the class. Instead, place the two images side-by-side in the same figure* without using a subfigure environment:
\documentclass[twocolumn,showpacs,preprintnumbers]{revtex4-1}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure*}
\centering
\includegraphics[width=.3333\linewidth]{example-image-a} \qquad
\includegraphics[width=.3333\linewidth]{example-image-b}
\caption{XXX}
\end{figure*}
\end{document}
If you wish to add captions to the sub-figures, set the construction inside a tabular and enumerate them manually:
\documentclass[twocolumn,showpacs,preprintnumbers]{revtex4-1}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure*}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{c #{\qquad} c }
\includegraphics[width=.3333\linewidth]{example-image-a} &
\includegraphics[width=.3333\linewidth]{example-image-b} \\
\small (a) Left & \small (b) Right
\end{tabular}
\caption{XXX}
\end{figure*}
\end{document}