Hollow Core Fibres | ORC Southampton

The Hollow Core Fibre research group is based at the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), University of Southampton, UK. We are a world leading research group that has been making hollow core fibre since 1999. We have state-of-the-art fibre preform preparation and drawing towers in the ORC’s Zepler cleanroom complex. We have extensive fibre characterisation labs and a wide collaboration network with academic and industrial application groups around the world. Hollow core fibres are a special type of optical fibre that guide light in a vacuum or gas-filled core which is surrounded by a precise microstructure providing optical confinement. The geometry of this microstructure determines the optical qualities such as the wavelengths guided, or how much light is lost along the length. Since the light travels in air these fibres open up a world of opportunities such as ultra-low latency communications, high power laser transmission or light-gas interactions in the hollow core. In the HCF group we work on all aspects of this fascinating fibre, including fundamental physics of light guidance, novel fibre designs, fabrication, and characterisation. We currently have several fully funded PhD projects available, check our website for more details