Nobody doubts that optical fibres are an incredibly useful technology, particularly when it comes to transporting information over large distances with little attenuation. But in this 100 Second Science film, Jonathan Knight points out some of the limitations of the conventional optical fibres available on the market today.
An optics researcher at the University of Bath in the UK, Knight is developing new forms of optical fibre where the light is guided in air or vacuum, rather than being reflected off the walls of a glass tube within the inner part of the fibre. As he explains in the film, these fibres could be used in specific applications, such as medical surgery, that require light to be delivered at unusual wavelengths.
To find out more about the latest light-related research, take a look at the Physics World Focus on Optics & Photonics. This free-to-read issue includes a special feature about the vital role that optics and photonics play in the UK’s new £270m Quantum Technologies Programme.
