BAE SYSTEMS Pioneers Application Of New "Holey Fibre" In Powering Remote Sensors On Aircraft
13 Jun 2005
Optics experts at BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) are pioneering the practical application of microstructured fibres (MF) riddled with holes to help solve one of the big problems of airborne, laser based sensor systems.
Many defence systems, including state of the art jet fighters, use laser light sensors to counteract the threat of an enemy engagement such as a missile attack. In the past, powering up these systems required a heavy demand in the number of laser light sources required. Now, for the first time, BAE Systems scientists have shown that a power hungry optical system can be fed from a ‘holey fibre’ capable of delivering up to ten times more power than a normal fibre.
This development aims to allow avionics engineers to pipe a source of light around an aircraft which can be tapped at will by a host of different systems, without the need of a separate laser for each one.
“Using these fibres means we can position sensors in parts of an aircraft where they couldn’t be placed before,” said Elizabeth O’Driscoll, optical specialist at BAE Systems ATC. “Because you don’t need a laser for each sensor, they can be much lighter and small enough to be placed in confined spaces. The technology can be used on any platform where reduced weight, size, cost and power are important.”
Developed originally at the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics research centre (ORC) the key to the success of holey fibre are the tiny holes, smaller in diameter than a human hair, which are arranged in striking patterns around a central core of solid glass. Their presence enhances the light carrying capacity of the core allowing the passage of laser light with much greater power and wavelength content.
BAE Systems scientists are also working on another microstructured fibre (MF), the air guiding photonic band-gap fibre (PBGF) which also has great potential for delivery of high power radiation. Indeed the power handling ability of this fibre is potentially superior to that of holey fibre because all the light is confined in an air core.
Both of these MF types offer attractive qualities for beam delivery applications as their efficient, lightweight and high quality beam delivery offers many practical advantages over standard fibre and free space solutions.
Applications requiring microstructured fibre delivery span many sectors from aerospace and industrial processing through to medicine. A suitable delivery fibre will greatly help the integration of high power lasers into these industrial applications giving greater flexibility in system design. Specific industrial processing examples include micromachining, laser welding and in situ laser processing of conformal surfaces, e.g. surface treatment for corrosion protection.
The work is funded by the Electro-Magnetic Remote Sensing (EMRS) Defence Technology Centre, established by the UK Ministry of Defence and run by a consortium of BAE Systems Avionics, Thales Defence, Roke Manor Research and Filtronic
About BAE SYSTEMS
BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea and in space. The company designs, manufactures and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, fighting vehicles, radar, avionics, communications, electronics and guided weapon systems. It is a pioneer in technology with a heritage stretching back hundreds of years. It is at the forefront of innovation, working to develop the next generation of intelligent defence systems.
BAE Systems has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. The company has more than 90,000 people and generates annual sales of over 13 billion through its wholly-owned and joint venture operations.
For further information, please contact:
John Neilson, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 1252 384795 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383181
john.neilson@baesystems.com
or
Richard Coltart, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 7801 712042 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383794
richard.coltart@baesystems.com
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