We design and fabricate advanced optical fibres that deliver capabilities well beyond conventional telecommunications fibre, with a particular focus on industrial and medical applications. Our work exploits microstructured fibres, such as photonic crystal fibres (PCF) and hollow‑core fibres, to precisely control light propagation, nonlinear interactions, and light–matter coupling.
Using our in-house fabrication and fibre-processing facilities, we develop multicore imaging fibres for high-resolution endoscopy, solid-core PCFs for high intensity nonlinear applications, multimode fibres for advanced beam delivery, speciality fibres for next-generation laser sources, and hollow-core fibres that guide light in air with minimal interaction with glass. These fibres enable the delivery of short, high power laser pulses and spectrally tailored light for clinical uses, as well as sensing and spectroscopic techniques where conventional fibres are unsuitable.
Working closely with clinicians, engineers, industry, and regulatory partners, we apply these technologies to endoscopic diagnosis, imaging, and minimally invasive treatments. Our research includes multicore fibres for high-resolution endoscopic imaging and hollow-core fibre probes for in-vivo Raman spectroscopy, enabling compact, low-background, and clinically compatible fibre.
Staff working in this area
- Prof Tim Birks, Professor, Department of Physics
- Dr Joe Chen, Lecturer, Department of Physics
- Dr Alex Davis Research Fellow, Department of Physics
- Prof Jonathan Knight, Professor, Head of Group, Optical Fibres, Department of Physics
- Dr Peter Mosley, Senior Lecturer, Department of Physics
- Dr Jim Stone, Reader, Department of Physics
- Prof William Wadsworth, Professor, Department of Physics
- Dr Stephanos Yerolatsitis, Lecturer, Department of Physics