Wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical transceivers and semiconductor optical amplifiers have been highly engineered for use within optical fibre networking and are a key enabling technologies that are at the heart of our optical communications systems. These technologies have yet to be widely used in other optical systems such as Free-space optical communications and optical metrology. Highly efficient, compact and integrable solid state amplifiers and laser sources could revolutionise both of these research fields. 

In this project, the student will develop novel proof of concept integrated multiwavelength optical laser bars and arrays of solid-state amplifiers that can be used in both high-speed communication and optical metrology systems. The lasers bars will be compatible with external modulation at minimum of 10 Gbps per channel with ON-OFF Keying, with exploration of increasing this to greater than 50-Gbps with the use of Phase Amplitude Modulation of the electrical signal, with power levels appropriate for FSO communications. Optical power, jitter and wavelengths will be tailored to match the optical response of air, so it can be integrated into future optical transceiver systems optimized for FSO communications.

A further issue that arises in the FSO systems is the loss arising from foggy conditions. Due to health and safety concerns, sampling increase optical power is not suitable. Hence, the student will development of optical amplifiers to mitigate these issues, where a proof of concept multichannel semiconductor optical amplifier will be therefore developed. Both the laser sources and amplifiers will have a novel feature of being tailored for use with Orbital Angular Momentum Multiplexed and WDM encoded signals to provide greater then terabit optical links. The novel developments will have direct application to communications, but the student will further explore the use of these technologies in optical metrology and ranging where amplification