The Optical Networks Group focuses on the fundamental analysis and design of optical networks, high-speed transmission, and techniques for optical, electronic and quantum signal processing. This combination of experimental and theoretical research into networks, transmission and devices makes for a rich and stimulating research environment and is unique in the UK. The group has a strong international presence and is recognised as an internationally leading research group.

Recent groundbreaking highlights include experimentally demonstrating uncompensated 40 Gbit/s transmission over a record 6400km of standard fibre using a digital coherent receiver, gaining international acceptance of ONG’s proposed wavelength-routed optical burst-switched network architecture, establishing cascadability conditions for all-optical regenerators and achieving the first effective mitigation of fibre nonlinearities at 40 Gbit/s using multichannel optical equalisers.  The Group is increasingly exploring non-telecommunications areas including quantum information processing and plasmonics (both EPSRC signposted areas).

The group has built up a unique and well-equipped research laboratory enabling high-speed experiments up to 160 Gbit/s per channel and combines this with strengths in analytical techniques and modelling, covering both the physical propagation as well as network and algorithm analysis and design.

We have successful and productive collaborations with industry and academia - both in the UK and internationally. Our group is very international and we welcome research collaborations, exchanges and applications at the postdoctoral, postgraduate and undergraduate levels

The research in the group is in three areas: optical networks, optical transmission and optical signal processing. The optical networks research area is focused on dynamic optical networks architectures and algorithms and physical layer subsystems for next generation optical networks. The optical transmission work includes high-speed multi-wavelength (WDM) optical fibre transmission. Within the optical signal processing area and techniques for optical, and electronic signal processing in optical communications systems and advanced opto-electronic devices.