About the project
Optical fibre is the pinnacle of silica glass technology and has revolutionised worldwide communication. You will look at the next chapter of optical fibre fabrication through use and development of ‘melt-pool’ Additive Manufacture (AM).
Benefits of AM is well acknowledged, including reduced waste, short production cycles and new design capability. However, due to many challenges, glass 3D printing is still in the early stage of development. Using the newly developed approach of quill-free additive manufacturing of fused silica glass, you will explore new, unconventional ways for glass-based device fabrication. You will focus on highly customised materials and feedstocks, suitable for laser-based glass 3D printing.
The project will develop your skills in cleanroom manufacture including optical fibre drawing, laser processing, additive manufacture and material analysis.
The research shall be conducted in collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm, Sweden) and University of Southampton, with opportunities for international conference travel and research in Sweden.
