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Postgraduate research project

Wideband fiber optical parametric amplifiers for Space Division Multiplexing technology

Funding
Competition funded View fees and funding
Type of degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Entry requirements
2:1 View full entry requirements
Faculty graduate school
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Closing date

About the project

Space Division Multiplexing (SDM) has recently emerged as a promising breakthrough technology to boost the data transmission speed of the Internet network to unprecedented levels. 

 

In SDM each spatial mode of an optical fiber carries an independent data channel, so that exploiting for example 10 modes can increase the data transmission speed up to 10 times.

However, in order to move from a pure academic research to a fully exploitable commercial technology, SDM requires the development of novel devices that must be urgently addressed. The most important are multimode optical amplifiers, capable of amplifying simultaneously several different spatial modes.

We aim at developing a novel idea of fiber optical multimode parametric amplification where four-wave-mixing between different fiber modes is exploited to amplify several modes in a wide bandwidth covering the main telecom windows (C+L bands).

This is done through the design of novel optical fibers having special refractive-index profile. You will work in a world-leading team, measuring and optimising high-power fibre amplifiers that you design and build, for example, with fibres fabricated in-house in ORC’s state-of-the-art cleanrooms.

Throughout your PhD, you will have access to state-of-the-art laboratories at the ORC. At the end of your PhD project, you will have developed knowledge and skills in cutting-edge fibre and laser technology and advanced characterization techniques.