Source: University of Sydney
Alex Argyros, Sydney University medallist in physics and doctoral candidate, won the Tertiary Student prize as part of the biannual Dupont awards for delivering a hollow-core polymer fibre that could transform the optical fibre industry.
“Up until now, optical fibres - used to reflect and carry light - have usually been made of glass or silica. This has restricted their use in some fields, such as medicine or surgery as thicker glass fibres are not flexible and they might shatter inside a persons body, making it very dangerous,” explains Alex.
In contrast, hollow-core polymer optical fibres - made of a single material that transmits light even at wavelengths where the polymer is not transparent - are made from plastic, enabling them to be used for medical applications with a greater ease and less risk.
“Because it’s plastic, it’s safe to use internally, there is no danger of it shattering. It’s also far more supple than glass, making it easy for surgeons to probe and see into hard to reach parts of the body and its cheaper, so you could make it more hygienic by manufacturing more disposable products - using it on one person and then throwing it out,” he says.
Another unique aspect of this polymer optical fibre is its hollow core, which allows light to travel through without the material needing to be as transparent as you normally would in other types of optical fibres. This gives you more flexibility, allowing you to change the plastic to suit each specific application. For example, you can use a plastic that is stable at a higher temp, more flexible, cheaper or stronger. The material you use around the core is less important than before.”
Alex and his research team from the University’s Optical Fibre Technology Centre were awarded the Australasian Science Prize for 2005, which recognised their success in polymer optical fibres. Now, they are taking it further, with a new fabrication method which allows them to produce larger quantities at a reduced price.
Before, we started off with a large piece of plastic and drilled a large number of holes into it to create the hollow core. We drilled that many holes that it took us up to two weeks to create a preform – a large 7cm version of the fibre, which is stretched out to make the fibre. The new fabrication method allows us to create ones that are 40cm-50cm in 1 -2 days, making it cheaper and faster to produce, he explains. The new method simply involves stacking polymer tubes inside a larger tube to create the pattern of holes needed to guide the light.
These new fibres offer “many unique properties which will find important applications when they can be made more readily. This work is an important step in that direction. Furthermore, being easier to work, it will be possible to produce many unique structures in polymer fibres, which would be impractical in glasses,” said Professor Simon Fleming, Technical Director of the Optical Fibre Technology Centre.Place main text here.
More Information:
The DuPont Innovation Awards Program is an Australian and New Zealand independently judged competition and recognises innovation and advances in industry, science and agriculture. The Tertiary Student prize was sponsored by ABB Australia.
Byline: Mandy Sacher
