Cold-container processing promises improved fibre optics for medical imaging

Now, in an EPSRC-funded project, researchers at Nottingham University are developing a new technique to produce these fibres far more quickly and cost-effectively than existing methods, opening up the possibility of using the technology in a range of applications.

Mid-infrared light waves oscillate at frequencies that match the typical range of vibrations of molecular bonds. This makes them ideal for analysing the molecular makeup of a range of samples, including greenhouse gases, explosives, food, and biological tissue.

However, existing mid-infrared spectrometers emit only a very weak light signal, meaning they are only suitable for use in laboratory settings where the sample can be placed close to the detector.

Laser-pumped optical fibres, in contrast, have the potential to emit much brighter mid-infrared light. And in a paper published in the journal Nature Photonics in 2014, a team led by Prof Angela Seddon at Nottingham University, alongside researchers at the Technical University of Denmark, produced a long wavelength optical fibre that emitted a record broad range of frequencies of mid-infrared light.