About the project
Hollow-core optical fibres create new opportunities to engineer the glass itself for performance, manufacturability and functionality. This PhD will explore alternative glass materials that could lower processing temperatures, reduce manufacturing costs, and enable new functionalities, combining glass design, materials characterisation and fibre fabrication across glass science and advanced fibre photonics.
Hollow-core optical fibres offer new freedom in the choice of glass materials because light propagates predominantly through the hollow core rather than through the glass itself. This creates an opportunity to develop alternative glasses specifically for hollow-core fibre technology, with properties tailored for fabrication, performance and future applications.
This PhD will investigate new glass materials for anti-resonant hollow-core optical fibres. You will explore how glass composition influences key material properties and how these properties affect fibre fabrication and performance.
The project will combine glass design and synthesis with thermal, structural and optical characterisation, followed by fibre fabrication and testing.
A key aim will be to identify glass systems that can enable more flexible and potentially lower-cost manufacturing routes while maintaining the properties required for high-performance hollow-core fibres.
The work will also explore how alternative glass compositions could introduce new functionality for applications beyond conventional optical communications.
The project will be based at the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton, providing access to specialist facilities and expertise in glass science, optical fibre fabrication and photonic characterisation. You will work in a multidisciplinary environment with links to academic and industrial partners interested in next-generation hollow-core fibre technologies.
The project will provide broad training across materials science, glass chemistry, fibre fabrication and experimental photonics.
You will receive training and develop expertise in:
- hollow-core optical fibre fabrication and fibre drawing
- optical and mechanical characterisation of hollow-core fibres
- advanced thermal, structural and optical characterisation of glass materials
- translating glass properties and processing behaviour into optical fibre fabrication
- experimental design, data analysis and scientific communication
- interdisciplinary research across glass science, materials engineering and photonics
In addition to the University supervisory team, the project will benefit from the involvement of external supervisors, Mariana Fatobene Ando and Ghafour Amouzad Mahdiraji from Microsoft, providing wider expertise and industry research collaboration opportunities.
The School of Optoelectronics (ORC) is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
