Development of infrared materials for fibres, lenses and windows for harsh environment

A number of aerospace applications require the use of visible and infrared systems. There is an increasing trend for the integration of such systems and the need for materials that can be transparent
across the complete UV to long wave IR wavelengths. In addition to the optical transparency and optical quality it will be important that the materials are robust to an aerospace environment. They will
need to withstand high temperatures, abrasive environments and varying humidity levels. The synthesis of new materials to address these requirements will form the heart of this research. Windows, lenses and fibres will each have a different combination of optical quality and physical size which may lead to materials optimised for given applications. This project will address the potential of such material systems within practical engineering limitations. This will enable us to exploit state-of-the-art technologies and design realisable platforms.