We are pleased to share that our latest research paper has been published in Optics Letters, a leading journal of the Optica Publishing Group.
🔗 Read the paper:
https://opg.optica.org/ol/fulltext.cfm?uri=ol-50-23-7304
Research highlights
In this work, we report a new photonic approach that advances the state of the art in ultrafast optical signal acquisition and processing. In particular, we demonstrate an all-optical ultrafast user localisation method for beam-steered optical wireless communication, achieving update rates of 50 MHz. User position is encoded in optical wavelength and retrieved from the time delay between optical pulses, eliminating the need for high-speed electronics or digital signal processing and enabling a simple, low-cost, and energy-efficient solution.By combining high-speed photonic hardware with innovative signal processing concepts, the study demonstrates how optical-domain techniques can overcome fundamental bandwidth and latency limitations faced by conventional electronic systems.
The results highlight the potential of photonics to enable real-time, high-throughput measurement and information processing, which is increasingly important for applications where speed, sensitivity, and scalability are critical.
Why this matters
Ultrafast photonic technologies underpin a wide range of emerging applications, including:
- High-speed optical sensing and instrumentation
- Advanced imaging and diagnostic systems
- Microwave photonics and RF signal processing
- Intelligent photonic systems for data-intensive tasks
By pushing processing and measurement into the optical domain, photonic systems can achieve performance levels that are difficult or impossible to reach using electronics alone.
Connection to our broader research
This publication aligns closely with the Photonics Lab’s ongoing research themes in:
- Ultrafast optical imaging and time-stretch systems
- Microwave photonics and wideband signal processing
- Optical intelligent computing for sensing and imaging
It also contributes to our longer-term vision of developing integrated, application-ready photonic platforms for biomedical, industrial, energy, and defence-related applications.
📌 If you are interested in collaborating with us, or in PhD and postdoctoral opportunities related to ultrafast photonics and optical signal processing, please get in touch via the [ Contact ] page.