Bridging Optoelectronics and Nonlinear fibre physics to Develop a new frequency comb tool for eye imagING
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Department Name: Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Abstract
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Publications
Cai Y
(2023)
On the design of low phase noise and flat spectrum optical parametric frequency comb
in APL Photonics
Cai Y
(2023)
On the noise scaling of parametric frequency combs
in IET Conference Proceedings
Hänzi P
(2023)
Benefits of cascaded nonlinear dynamics in hybrid fibers for low-noise supercontinuum generation.
in Optics express
Nopchinda D
(2023)
Experimental Demonstration of Multiband Comb-Enabled mm-Wave Transmission
in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology Letters
Sohanpal R
(2022)
All-fibre heterogeneously-integrated frequency comb generation using silicon core fibre.
in Nature communications
| Description | This collaboration develops a unique repetition rate tuneable frequency comb source with ultra-low noise. Conventionally, expanding optical bandwidth of a frequency comb using a frequency comb leads to reduced coherence due to the interaction of various noise sources. This project innovates new approaches to expand the comb bandwidth with negligible degradation of noise performance. Importantly, our research shows that the shape of the optical spectra can be maintained while tuning the repetition rate, making the source a perfect tool for dual-comb spectroscopy, which has the potential to revolutionise optical measurements such as optical coherence tomography and optical ranging. |
| Exploitation Route | The new collaboration between UCL, UBern and DTU has identified a pathway towards future optical medical imaging systems based on the light source developed within this project, with the potential to overcome the resolution and scanning rate limit in conventional medical imaging systems. The consortium is applying for EC grants to develop the technologies to TRL4-5, with an aim for future uptake by medial and/or metrology instrument companies. |
| Sectors | Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | The outcome of this project is expected to achieve a high impact in the targeted application in the area of biomedicine, facilitating new imaging techniques that are faster, more precise and more compact than any presently in use. Furthermore, the highly coherent source, together with coherent receiver technology from the telecom industry and innovative use of DSP, could enable a pathway towards volume production of the new frequency comb-based imaging solutions for the highly cost-effective adoption of the technology. Beyond the target impact in medical imaging, we expect the new source will have applications in a wider area, including precision metrology, ultra-fast science, and communications, serving as an enabling tool for high-performance signal generation and measurement. We have developed unique tunable frequency comb sources with a record-high performance. This follows two routes to explore the applications in guided surgery, in collaboration with DTU, and ophthalmology, in collaboration with Moorfield Eye Hospital. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic |
| Description | 6G-Multiband Wireless and Optical Signaling for Integrated Communications, Sensing and Localization |
| Amount | € 4,900,000 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 101139176 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2026 |
| Description | UK - Switzerland Bilateral: Collaborative R&D |
| Amount | £174,088 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2025 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Bern on coherent supercontinuum comb generation |
| Organisation | University of Bern |
| Department | Institute of Applied Physics |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | In collaboration with researchers at the University of Bern, we develop fibre systems to significantly increase our frequency comb bandwidth from 10 nm to more than 100nm while still keeping low phase and intensity noise. The work leads to a travel grant funded by BBSRC for workshop, joint experiments and strategic partnerships. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Heidt at the University of Bern developed a simulation framework using our frequency comb signal and supported the development of the fibre system for frequency comb expansion with high coherence. |
| Impact | Publications Benefits of cascaded nonlinear dynamics in hybrid fibers for low-noise supercontinuum generation, Optics Express, DOI: 10.48350/178809 Sohanpal, R., Ren, H., Shen, L. et al. All-fibre heterogeneously-integrated frequency comb generation using silicon core fibre. Nat Commun 13, 3992 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31637-1 |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Comb for OCT collaboration with moorfield eye hospital |
| Organisation | Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Through bi-lateral visits, seminars and discussions with Prof. Marinko Sarunic's group at Moorfield Eye Hospital, we identify common interests and routes for experimental verification of the application of ultra-broadband comb for ophthalmology. We clearly designed and identified a route to the wavelength, converting our current comb source to 780nm, which is preferred for ophthalmology. This is an active collaboration enabled by this grant, and we are working on follow-up funding, joint PhD studentship and collaborative experiments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to state-of-the-art OCT imaging system at Moorfield Eye Hospital. Staff time for discussion and collaboration grant and joint experiments. |
| Impact | on-going. Currently we have submitted a joint grant and a joint PhD studentship. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Inter-disciplinary reserach on dual-comb optical coherent tomogrphy |
| Organisation | Technical University of Denmark |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Develop ultra-wideband coherent frequency comb and dual-comb source for spatial-offset OCT. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Host our visit and develop a suitable spatial-offset OCT system working at a 1550nm centred wavelength region. |
| Impact | This is a new ongoing collaboration. Currently, we are working on preliminary results and applying for new funding from European Commission. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Title | OPTICAL FREQUENCY COMB GENERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD |
| Description | Frequency combs have found applications in numerous fields, for example, metrology, spectroscopy, microwave electronics, sensing, medical imaging, instrumentation, wireless and optical communications. For example, in the field of optical communications, significant cost and energy savings can be made by replacing a bank of N lasers (for example N=64, but N can be several hundred) with a single frequency comb. The coherent nature of the comb lines (phase of comb tones are correlated) as well as the equal frequency spacing of the comb tones, offers the prospect of ultra-high spectral efficiency (thus high capacity, fast networks), and the generation of electronic radio-frequency carriers with high purity, for linking optical systems to wireless systems. In many applications, the comb source needs to have sufficiently high optical power, low noise, and flat spectrum (i.e. similar power for all the tones) to enable these benefits to be achieved. There is a problem with generating a frequency comb with these properties, such as a large number of tones, each with adequate and similar optical power, over a relatively wide band of frequencies. It can also be a problem to generate a comb that is tunable in wavelength, bandwidth, and tone spacing. The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems. |
| IP Reference | 2212004.2 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | No commercial impact yet. However, as a new tool it has potential impact in metrology, spectroscopy, sensing and microwave applications, |
| Description | Frequency comb workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Give invited talk and participate in expert symposia in FreQcomb workshop. My talk influenced people's view and opinion about coherent tuneable frequency comb and how they can be used in communication and precision measurement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Joint research, lab visit and seminar at NICT |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Joint experiments at NICT in Japan followed by seminar and presentation about comb and comb-based long-haul transmission, facilitating mutual understanding for further collaboration and bi-lateral visit |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Organise ECOC workshop on frequency comb for optical communications |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Organise workshop at the European Conference of Optical Communications (ECOC) 2023 in Glasgow. The workshop invited experts in both academia and industry to discuss and debate the role of optical frequency comb in long-haul optical communications and short-reach intra-data centre interconnections. The highly successful workshop sparked discussion and established mutual understanding between academia and industry, fostering direction for future comb technology and transceiver development for optical communications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Seminar for DTU Electronics and Photonics researchers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar given to researchers at DTU Electronics and Photonics, fostering new collaboration, debate and research concepts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Seminar for DTU Healthcare Technologies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Purpose: About 40 professionals attended the seminar about cavity-less frequency comb and its application. Discussed scientific questions and collaborations. Outcomes or impact: New collaboration with DTU Healthcare Technology Department |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Visit and Seminar at Chalmers Advanced Photonic Technology Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Two days visit to Chalmers for discussion and workshop, where Dr Zhixin Liu gave seminars and had one-to-one discussion with academics and students about research directions and technologies related to phase locking and mm-wave. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Workshop and seminar at KEIO University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 8 academics and 20 undergraduate and postgraduate students attended workshop and the Dr Zhixin Liu's keynote seminar at KEIO university in Japan. Engaged KEIO future photonics open lab, including joint research, lab visits, individual meeting and guest seminars. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |