Optical Glass Amplifiers for High Capacity Networks

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Data traffic carried by communication networks is exploding, driven by the coming era of artificial intelligence and internet-of-things. This interconnected world creates an accelerating demand for bandwidth that is fast outstripping the limits of currently available technologies. Next generation optical networks urgently need to multiply the transmission paths through optical fiber links. Optical amplifiers are at the heart of these networks, allowing information to flow through transparent networks for thousands of kilometers. However, these key building blocks are currently limiting the performance of optical fiber transmissions. Optical amplifier design needs to be revisited to extend its coverage and open new windows in both the spectral and spatial domain. To address this challenge, this project proposes research in material science, photonic technologies and telecommunication applications. The outcomes of this project will lead to significantly increased capacity of future optical communications systems with optimized energy efficiency. Our team is composed of three elite researchers with complementary expertise from the Center for Optics and Lasers (COPL), which is a recognized research center that supports multi-disciplinary research and is a stronghold of Canadian expertise in optics and photonics. The varied background of our research team and the high quality of our laboratories provide an exceptional research and training environment for highly qualified personnel. This partnership project focuses on accelerating innovation in the field of optical amplifiers. An important by-product will be strengthening the material, photonic and communication expertise at Université Laval, which will contribute to other application areas such as fiber lasers, sensors, and access networks. This project will provide key advance to the innovative research program of our industrial partner and will help to grow its activities, providing economic benefits in Ottawa and Québec City areas.