In this proposal we will design, fabricate and employ a novel multiple materials additive manufacturing (MMAM) equipment to enable us to make optical fibre preforms (both in conventional and microstructured fibre geometries) in silica and other host glass materials. In existing low-loss fibre preform fabrication methods, based on either chemical vapour deposition technique for conventional solid index guiding fibres or 'stack and draw' process for micro-structured fibre, it is very difficult to control composition in 3D. Our proposed MMAM can be utilised to produce complex preforms, which is otherwise too difficult or time consuming or currently impossible to achieve by the existing fabrication techniques. This will open up a route to manufacture novel fibre structures in silica and other glasses for a wide range of applications, covering from telecommunications, sensing, lab-in-a-fibre, metamaterial fibre, to high-power laser, and subsequently we are expected to gain significant economic growth in the future.

The magneto-optic effect is the core part of optical isolators and widely used in optical sensors. The market of optical isolators was estimated to be $0.7B in 2016 and is expected to grow at 5% per annum while that of optical fibre sensors has grown continuously in the last two decades and from $3.38B in 2016 it is expected to reach $5.98B in 2026. To date fiberized devices and sensors based on the magneto optic effect have relied on simple telecom fibres or hybrid solutions with expensive crystals. This project proposes new manufacturing technologies for high performance optical isolators and current/magnetic field sensors aimed to replace the traditional hybrid approach based on crystals with novel glasses/fibres. This approach relies on our recent discovery that slightly-doped Gd-doped glass fibres exhibit a giant magneto-optic coefficient, similar to crystals, yet maintaining low-cost, low loss and high compatibility with fibres. This proposed programme spans from the investigation of giant magneto-optic effect in slightly doped glasses to the manufacture of specialty silica fibres, through the design of fiberized isolators and novel fibre based frequency conversion devices, and their combination in suitable systems for applications in security, industry and medicine. Although the initial effort will relate to the fabrication and characterization of novel glass compositions for glasses and fibres with giant magneto-optic response, the newly developed fibres will then be used to manufacture novel sensors and devices for selected practical industrial implementations in optical isolators and magnetic/current sensing.

Composite materials, such as those based on carbon and glass fibre reinforced polymer play an important role in driving global decarbonisation, through corrosion resistant and high-performance products and light-weighting sectors such as transport that lead to improved fuel economy and so reduce emissions. Our proposal targets sustainability of high value composite components, through embedding ultra-thin glass planar sensors, that can be used during manufacture and through a component's life to assess parameters linked to structural performance. Hence informed decisions can be made to extend useable life and reduce the scrappage associated with manufacture. This makes most efficient use of our limited resource of energy and raw materials. In addition to environmental sustainability, this work will also have economic advantages enabling the UK economy to continue to grow innovative technology and associated highly skilled jobs. Despite the huge lightweighting benefit of composites they are not utilised to their full potential due to variability caused at the manufacturing stage. Composite components and the composite material they are made from are produced together. To achieve the desired material geometry features are included in their laminated structure that generate defects. To realise their full set of advantages new methodologies must be devised that support sustainable deployment integrated during production. At the manufacturing stage, many composite components are consigned to scrap before they go into service because of defect evolution. We are proposing a new non-invasive means to better monitor defect evolution and their affect on the final structural performance of the part. Once a composite component goes into service it is often heavier than necessary due to the design parameters necessary for safety assurance. Having an effective means of monitoring critical regions would motivate a means to reduce structural mass by reducing material usage, which in turn would allow increasing payload and or support a shift to heavier but more efficient designs. We are proposing a sensing methodology that can indicate a reduction in structural performance, as our sensors allow changes in through thickness strain to be captured. A laminated composite structure is designed to carry the load in the plane of the laminations as it is weak through the thickness of laminate. Any change in through thickness strain would be a prime indicator of a reduction in performance. At the end of the composite component's life there are currently limited options for recycling composites with 15% of the 110,000 tonnes of composites produced in the UK each year being reused at their end of life. Our sensors would support reuse and repurposing of large composite structures because a complete history of the component life cycle would be available through monitoring informing designers of the suitability to be deployed in other structural applications. To highlight the advantages of using the novel sensors we have chosen three important case studies/exemplars. The first is in the manufacture of thermosetting composites replacing the costly and time-consuming autoclave with microwave processing, which reduces energy consumption significantly. Our planar glass sensors will be non-conducting and so permit comprehensive in process monitoring, supporting uptake of microwave curing. As described above the through thickness strength of laminated composite materials is limited, hence 3D fibre architectures are being explored. Our second case study focuses on braiding process exploiting the sensor's geometry to fix it into a known position during the consolidation of the 3D fibre architecture in a thermoplastic matrix. Finally, we demonstrate the versatility of our sensors in an infield retrofitting application to extend the life of concrete infrastructure using composite repair patches.

The properties of light are already exploited in communications, the Internet of Things, big data, manufacturing, biomedical applications, sensing and imaging, and are behind many of the inventions that we take for granted today. Nevertheless, there is still a plethora of emerging applications with the potential to effect positive transformations to our future societies and economies. UK researchers develop cutting-edge technologies that will make these applications a reality. The characteristics of these technologies already surpass the operating wavelength range and electronic bandwidth of our existing measurement equipment (as well as other facilities in the UK), which currently forms a stumbling block to demonstrating capability, and eventually generating impact. Several important developments, relating for example, to integrated photonic technologies capable of operating at extremely high speeds or the invention of new types of optical fibres and amplifiers that are capable of breaking the traditional constraints of conventional silica glass technology, necessitate the use of ever more sophisticated equipment to evaluate the full extent of their capabilities. This project aims at establishing an open experimental facility for the UK research community that will enable its users to experiment over a wide range of wavelengths, and generate, detect and analyse signals at unprecedented speeds. The new facility will enable the characterisation of signals in time and will offer a detailed analysis of their frequency components. Coherent detection will be possible, thereby offering information on both the amplitude and phase characteristics of the signals. This unique capability will enable its users to devise and execute a range of novel experiments. For example, it will be possible to experiment using signals, such as those that will be adopted in the communication networks of the future. It will make it possible to reveal the characteristics of novel devices and components to an extent that has previously not been possible. It will also be possible to analyse the response of experimental systems in unprecedented detail. The facility will benefit from being situated at the University of Southampton, which has established strong experimental capabilities in areas, such as photonics, communications and the life sciences. Research at the extended cleanroom complex of Southampton's Zepler Institute, a unique facility in UK academia, will benefit from the availability of this facility, which will enable fabrication and advanced applications research to be intimately connected. Furthermore, this new facility will be attached to EPSRC's National Dark Fibre Facility - this is the UK National Research Facility for fibre network research, offering access and control over the optical layer of a dedicated communications network for research-only purposes. The two together will create an experimental environment for communications research that is unique internationally.

Currently, special fibres are a crucial enabling technology that communicates worldwide, navigates airliners, monitors oil wells, cuts steel, and shoots down missiles (and even mosquitoes!). New classes of special optical fibres have demonstrated the potential to extend the impact of optical fibres well beyond the telecommunications arena, in areas as diverse as defence, industrial processing, marine engineering, biomedicine, DNA processing and astronomy. They are making an impact and commercial inroads in fields such as industrial sensing, bio-medical laser delivery systems, military gyro sensors, as well as automotive lighting and control - to name just a few - and span applications as diverse as oil well downhole pressure sensors to intra-aortic catheters, to high power lasers that can cut and weld steel. Optical fibres and fibre-related products not only penetrate existing markets but also, more significantly, they expand the application space into areas that are impossible by conventional technologies. To fulfil this potential and further revolutionise manufacturing, there is a strong need to continue innovating and manufacturing market-worthy fibres, in order to sustain the growth in the fast expanding fibre-based manufacturing sectors.From its inception in the 1960s, the UK has played a major role in shaping the optical fibre industry, and the highly regarded Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton is at the forefront. Our vision is to build upon the rich expertise and extensive facilities that are already in place to create a world-class, industry-led Centre for advanced manufacturing processes for new photonic components and materials that will fuel the growth of UK companies, enabling them to expand their product portfolio, enhance competitiveness and increase their market penetration and overall share. We will liaise closely with UK and other European Research Centres to advance further the fibre and related material technology, as well as increase the application space. The Centre is expected to play a key role in job and wealth creation in the expanding and highly competitive advanced technology and manufacturing sector. The UK industrial sector accounts for a production volume in photonics of EUR 5.2 billion, which corresponds to 12% of the European volume, and 2.3% of the world market. Particularly notable about the photonics industrial sector is that it comprises a majority of SMEs, who typically do not have the economies of scale nor the financial resources to invest heavily in infrastructure on their own. Use of the Innovative Manufacturing funding mechanism, complemented by industrial user-provided direct and in-kind contributions of ~4M (similar in amount to that sought from EPSRC for the establishment of this IMRC) , will supply the seed funding and focus needed to research and develop the next generation fibre material and technology platforms, which in turn will fuel the growth in photonics related manufacturing. The establishment of such a manufacturing research centre, working closely with existing key high-tech photonic UK companies as well as emerging companies and new start-ups, will make a substantive difference to their ability to develop and gain larger penetration in their respective markets. The IMRC strategy will follow multiple strands taking a number of initiatives to continuously expand and strengthen the initial research portfolio by moving it further up in the innovation and value-added spectrum. During its lifetime, the IMRC will make concerted efforts to further increase the user number and level of engagement.