Optical Reference Systems via Additive Manufacturing

ORSAM will demonstrate the use of Additive Manufacturing to deliver cost-effective and resilient frequency reference systems for the national telecommunications core and mobile access networks. ORSAM brings together expertise from Metamorphic, the University of Birmingham, BT, Helia Photonics, M Squared Lasers and 3T Additive Manufacturing Ltd to develop a lightweight optical reference cavity made from Invar that is insensitive to environmental influences and can be operated outside lab settings. Optical reference cavities are resonators for light and provide a way to precisely define an optical frequency.

Metamorphic will demonstrate the unique opportunities for mass reduction, vibration control and thermal management of opto-mechanical components, enabled by the unprecedented geometric freedom that Additive Manufacturing has to offer. We will be using our expertise in advanced computational and mechanical design for AM, alongside multi-physics simulation to provide innovative component solutions that meet the increasing system requirements for timing holdover and synchronisation in telecommunication networks.

ORSAM is being co-funded by Innovate UK as part of the “Innovation in time resilience, dissemination and application” competition, in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).