About the project
Hollow-core optical fibres (HCFs) offer a radically new solution for laser delivery as they guide light in a gas-filled core, as opposed to glass in conventional optical fibres. HCF-based mid-infrared laser delivery systems could open exciting possibilities for diverse and valuable applications, including surgical treatment, gas sensing, and materials processing.
You will work with our world leading HCF group, which designs, fabricates and characterises state-of-the-art HCFs in our specialist cleanrooms and labs at the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC).
In this specific project you will develop:
- an in-depth knowledge of optical fibres
- a wide range of fibre characterisation skills
- novel and creative solutions to integrate HCFs with emerging mid-infrared lasers
These solutions will be tailored for emerging medical applications such as:
- high-precision surgery, where a new fibre beam delivery system for therapeutic mid-infrared lasers will be developed to enhance system robustness and flexibility, allow sharing of expensive laser sources, and application for minimally invasive surgery.
- breath analysis for non-invasive diagnosis, where an HCF-integrated laser system will have enhanced sensitivity for gas detection with applications in breath analysis, for instance, ethane, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide as biomarkers for asthma, oxidative stress, and pulmonary diseases.
In the first year of your PhD, a structured training programme will run alongside the research project, providing a gradual transition from taught degree to open-ended research. You will collaborate within an interdisciplinary team working across photonics, medicine, chemistry and industry to maximise the impact of your work. You will present your work at international conferences and first-author papers in leading academic journals. These skills will enable you to develop your career at the forefront of glass and fibre optics research.
