Optical Glass Amplifiers for High Capacity Networks

Data traffic carried by communication networks is exploding, driven by the coming era of artificial intelligence and internet-of-things. This interconnected world creates an accelerating demand for bandwidth that is fast outstripping the limits of currently available technologies. Next generation optical networks urgently need to multiply the transmission paths through optical fiber links. Optical amplifiers are at the heart of these networks, allowing information to flow through transparent networks for thousands of kilometers.

However, these key building blocks are currently limiting the performance of optical fiber transmissions. Optical amplifier design needs to be revisited to extend its coverage and open new windows in both the spectral and spatial domain. To address this challenge, this project proposes research in material science, photonic technologies and telecommunication applications. The outcomes of this project will lead to significantly increased capacity of future optical communications systems with optimized energy efficiency.