World Wide Welfare:
high BRIGHTness
semiconductor lasER for
gEneric Use
high BRIGHTness
semiconductor lasER for
gEneric Use
Partner 7 - University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 12,000 undergraduates and 6,000 postgraduate students and employs approximately 8,500 staff. It has a turnover of approximately 750M Euro, of which 300M Euro is spent on research. It is the centre of Europe’s largest concentrations of start up activity – the so-called “Silicon Fen” – with over 1000 high-tech companies, generating approximately 3B Euro in revenues.
The Department of Engineering is the largest department in the University of Cambridge, representing approximately 10% of the University's activities by the majority of common metrics. It is one of Europe's largest integrated engineering departments, which includes approximately 1200 undergraduate and 500 PhD students.
Within the Department of Engineering, there is an active research activity in Photonics, with over 100 researchers working in the fields of soft materials, liquid crystals and photonic systems. The research group is housed in the new purpose-built Electrical Engineering Division building which provides custom office, laboratory and clean room space.
The Photonics Systems Research activity has grown from approximately 15 people at its formation in the year 2000 to more than 40 people now. Results to date in Cambridge include the observation of spontaneous emission with anomalously high polarisation extinction in quantum dot laser diodes, the world’s first mode-locked InGaAs quantum dot laser diodes leading to world-record repetition rates, pulse widths and jitter, the development of the world’s first uncooled DWDM laser, the invention of a new form of variable gain, gain clamped SOA, the demonstration of ultrashort 250 fs pulses from laser diode based systems along with ultra-low jitter, and a new form of analogue to digital converter operating at 80 GSamples/s.
The group has successfully demonstrated practical RF links over MMF at carrier frequencies well beyond the fibre bandwidth (up to a world leading 20 GHz to date) and the development of 3G and WLAN Distributed Antenna System (DAS) networks, which are now being commercialised.
Particularly relevant to the BRIGHTER project is their work on high-power lasers incorporating integrated Fresnel lenses and the development of uncooled laser diodes with ultra-high linearity for RF signal distribution and also work on advanced modulation formats.
The Department of Engineering is the largest department in the University of Cambridge, representing approximately 10% of the University's activities by the majority of common metrics. It is one of Europe's largest integrated engineering departments, which includes approximately 1200 undergraduate and 500 PhD students.
Within the Department of Engineering, there is an active research activity in Photonics, with over 100 researchers working in the fields of soft materials, liquid crystals and photonic systems. The research group is housed in the new purpose-built Electrical Engineering Division building which provides custom office, laboratory and clean room space.
The Photonics Systems Research activity has grown from approximately 15 people at its formation in the year 2000 to more than 40 people now. Results to date in Cambridge include the observation of spontaneous emission with anomalously high polarisation extinction in quantum dot laser diodes, the world’s first mode-locked InGaAs quantum dot laser diodes leading to world-record repetition rates, pulse widths and jitter, the development of the world’s first uncooled DWDM laser, the invention of a new form of variable gain, gain clamped SOA, the demonstration of ultrashort 250 fs pulses from laser diode based systems along with ultra-low jitter, and a new form of analogue to digital converter operating at 80 GSamples/s.
The group has successfully demonstrated practical RF links over MMF at carrier frequencies well beyond the fibre bandwidth (up to a world leading 20 GHz to date) and the development of 3G and WLAN Distributed Antenna System (DAS) networks, which are now being commercialised.
Particularly relevant to the BRIGHTER project is their work on high-power lasers incorporating integrated Fresnel lenses and the development of uncooled laser diodes with ultra-high linearity for RF signal distribution and also work on advanced modulation formats.
Activities within WWW.BRIGHT-EU
Within the BRIGHTER project, the University of Cambridge is taking part in the following activities. Fabrication of Novel Laser Structures
The Cambridge group was a pioneer in the modification of lasers using focussed ion beam etching, successfully developing integrated Fresnel lenses for enhancing laser brightness within the BRIGHT project. Within the BRIGHTER project, Cambridge will develop beam steering and gain levering lasers via contact separation.
- High-Power Dynamic Laser Simulations
Cambridge will develop their dynamic laser model to study coupled laser arrays and further adapt it so that it can study the high bandwidth modulation properties of tapered high-power laser structures.
- Optical Wireless Applications
Cambridge will develop optical wireless systems using the high-power lasers being developed by other partners within BRIGHTER. Here advanced modulation schemes, designed to overcome the effects of turbulence, will be studied and line-of-sight links between buildings will be demonstrated.
- Display Applications
Cambridge will provide specifications and feedback on the performance requirements of high-power visible lasers for display applications. They will also provide a test bed where the visible lasers can be tested as part of a holographic projection display demonstrator.
- Further Information
Further information can be obtained from:
Prof. Richard Penty
Tel: +44 1223 748358
Email: rvp11@cam.ac.uk
Web: http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/photonic_comms
Within the BRIGHTER project, the University of Cambridge is taking part in the following activities. Fabrication of Novel Laser Structures
The Cambridge group was a pioneer in the modification of lasers using focussed ion beam etching, successfully developing integrated Fresnel lenses for enhancing laser brightness within the BRIGHT project. Within the BRIGHTER project, Cambridge will develop beam steering and gain levering lasers via contact separation.
- High-Power Dynamic Laser Simulations
Cambridge will develop their dynamic laser model to study coupled laser arrays and further adapt it so that it can study the high bandwidth modulation properties of tapered high-power laser structures.
- Optical Wireless Applications
Cambridge will develop optical wireless systems using the high-power lasers being developed by other partners within BRIGHTER. Here advanced modulation schemes, designed to overcome the effects of turbulence, will be studied and line-of-sight links between buildings will be demonstrated.
- Display Applications
Cambridge will provide specifications and feedback on the performance requirements of high-power visible lasers for display applications. They will also provide a test bed where the visible lasers can be tested as part of a holographic projection display demonstrator.
- Further Information
Further information can be obtained from:
Prof. Richard Penty
Tel: +44 1223 748358
Email: rvp11@cam.ac.uk
Web: http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/photonic_comms
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