Smart Fibre-Optic High Power Photonics (HiPPo)

The Smart Fibre Optics High-Power Photonics (HiPPo) programme is a new EPSRC funded 5-year programme pursuing fibre-based phased-array lasers at the Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton. The HiPPo programme is focused on understanding how to control the properties of fibre lasers, to go beyond the “fixed” fibre lasers that are currently used in manufacturing and towards “smart” fibre lasers that are automatically reconfigured and optimised in real-time. The aim is to revolutionise manufacturing by developing the next generation of reconfigurable, scalable, resilient, power efficient, 'smart' fibre laser tools for modern day manufacturing.

The field of high-power photonics has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with the development of new technologies and applications. HiPPo aims to leverage the power of smart fibre optics to push the boundaries of what is possible in this field.

Our research vision for HiPPo includes the development of new smart fibre optic technologies that can handle high-power photonics applications. This includes the design and fabrication of novel fibre optic components and systems that can withstand high optical powers and enable new functionalities.

In addition, we aim to explore new applications of high-power photonics enabled by smart fibre optics. This could include areas such as laser-based manufacturing, medical treatments, and sensing.

Overall, our goal is to advance the state-of-the-art in high-power photonics through the use of smart fibre optics, and to drive innovation in this exciting field.