Our modern society is underpinned upon advanced photonic networks that connect people, environment, data and things and expand from telecommunication into sensing, testing, monitoring and control in the form of the Internet of Everything. This expansion creates great need for new silica optical fibres of sophisticated structure designs and mixed material compositions for a great variety of functionalities including sensing, testing, computing, processing, storing, retrieving, as well as transmitting, massive data and information.
3D printing of silica preforms has great potential in fabricating special optical fibres by realising advanced fibre designs and material compositions and allowing fast prototyping and low cost production, with enhanced functionalities, essential for many new and important applications in areas such as medicine, industry and defence.
This project will investigate key material and process problems influencing the fabrication process and optical performance of these preforms. In particular, we will explore various factors, such as feedstock composition and process control parameters, in 3D printing and processing silica preforms by UV, thermal or extrusion techniques.
In this project, together with PhD students engaging similar research projects, the ToR student will study, design, fabricate and test fibre preforms using UV, thermal and / or extrusion related 3D printing techniques.
School
Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications
Research Area
Photonics | Optical communication
Suitable for recognition of Work Integrated Learning (industrial training)?
No
- Research environment
- Expected outcomes
- Supervisory team
- Reference material/links
The work will be conducted in Photonics and Optical Communications Group (POCG) in School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at UNSW. The POCG has the state-of-the-art photonic fibre fabrication and testing facilities and has been active at the forefront of photonics and optical fibres research and development for many years. As a member of POCG, the ToR student will have the opportunity to expose to real-world technical and research problems in an environment facilitating teamwork and active interaction.
- Sound understanding and practical demonstration in 3D printing of silica fibre preforms
- One technical report highlighting the main findings from the project work
- One presentation within the POCG reporting on progresses and problems in the project work
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- Kong, J., Wang, J., Han, Q., Li, G., & Peng, G. Effects of UV absorber in silica-loaded resin on DLP silica fibre preform fabrication, Applied Optics, Vol. 63, No. 14, 10.1364/AO.516246, 2024
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