Current techniques used to produce optical fibre preforms give a consistent structure along the length of the preform but make it difficult to control the shape and composition of the fibre in 3D. This limits the degree of flexibility in the design of the fibre and consequently, the capabilities that the fibres can offer.
The technique, being developed by Professor Jayanta Sahu, his colleagues from the University of Southampton's Zepler Institute and the Faculty of Engineering and Environment, will allow engineers to manufacture preforms with complex structures and different features along their lengths.
"We will design, fabricate and employ multiple materials additive manufacturing equipment to enable us to make optical fibre preforms in silica and other host glass materials," Prof Sahu said: "Our proposed process can be utilised to produce complex preforms, which are otherwise too difficult, too time-consuming or currently impossible to be achieved by existing fabrication techniques."
Currently, most microstructured fibres are made using the 'stack and draw' process which involves stacking several smaller glass capillaries or canes together by hand to create the preform. However, using the additive manufacturing technique, the researchers say they will be able to form complex fibre structures layer-by-layer, gradually building up the shape to create a preform several tens of centimetres in length.
Prof Sahu added: "This is something that has never been tried before and we are excited about starting this project."
