RESEARCH AREA: Optical components, amplifiers and fibre-based sensors

Area Leader Prof. Fabrizio Di Pasquale

Our main goal consists of studying and exploiting new practical solutions for optical amplification and component technology for communication, as well as for sensing applications. Optical amplifiers are key elements for optical communication systems and networks. Although standard Erbium-Doped Fibre Amplifiers (EDFAs) still provide the best trade-off between cost and performance, new amplification technologies are sought for next generation optical networks and systems. In particular, low-cost, integrated optical amplifiers would provide great benefits for metro and access applications, as well as for optical interconnection. To this end, we are focussing our attention on silicon photonics, especially studying the integrated amplifiers based on new CMOS compatible materials, in which silicon nanoclusters are used as efficient sensitisers for rare-earth elements, providing optical gain in the infrared. Such devices can be optically pumped by low-cost LEDs or electrically pumped. On the other hand, well-established amplification technologies - EDFA and Raman amplifiers, as well as semiconductor optical amplifiers - are being deeply investigated for their efficient deployment in the field. As regards the optical fibre sensors, they offer great opportunities for practical industrial applications and are extremely competitive in comparison with standard electronic sensors. We are focussing our attention on the development of low-cost and high-performance Raman and Brillouin-based distributed sensors for monitoring the temperature and/or strain distributions. Possible applications include: fire alarm systems in tunnels, temperature monitoring in electrical and nuclear power stations, along electrical power cables, in oil and gas pipelines. On the other hand, strain can also be monitored on large engineering structures, such as bridges, buildings, dams and tunnels.