Free-Space Optical (FSO) systems offer the ability to distribute high speed digital links into remote and rural communities where terrain, installation cost or infrastructure security pose critical hurdles to deployment. A challenge in any point-to-point FSO system is initiating and maintaining optical alignment from the sender to the receiver. In this paper we propose and demonstrate a low-complexity self-aligning FSO prototype that can completely self-align with no requirement for initial manual positioning and could therefore form the opto-mechanical basis for a mesh network of optical transceivers. The prototype utilises off-the-shelf consumer electrical components and a bespoke alignment algorithm. We demonstrate an eight fibre spatially multiplexed link with a loss of 15 dB over 210 m.

Photovoltaics (PV) are a versatile and compact route to harness solar power. One critical challenge with current PV is preserving the optimal panel orientation angle with respect to the sun for efficient energy conversion. We experimentally demonstrate a bespoke multi-element lenslet array that allows for an increased power collection over a wide field of view by increasing the effective optical interaction length by up to 13 times specifically at large angles of incidence. This design can potentially be retrofitted onto already deployed amorphous silicon solar panels to yield an increased daily power generation by a factor of 1.36 for solar equivalent illumination. We 3D printed an optical proof of concept multi-element lenslet array to confirm an increase in power density for optical rays incident between 40 and 80 degrees. Our design indicates a novel optical approach that could potentially enable increased efficient solar collection in extreme operating conditions such as on the body of planes or the side of buildings.

3D printers suffer from the inverse relationship between throughput and minimum feature size; with smaller features inducing a cubic increase in print time. Here we introduce Nano-3DP, a hybrid process that combines digital light projection 3D printing with nanoscalerelief patterning. The tool enables large volume (cm 3 ) prints with nanoscale details at a truly rapid rate (~120 mm/hour). 40 nm features, half the size of the finest printed details to date, are produced across a scalable print volume. We address the intrinsic issues of throughput and pixel induced surface inhomogeneity. To demonstrate the unique potential realized by this printing method across different areas of science optical lenses, injection molding tools and bio-implants originally acquired by x-ray CT are produced with functional nanoscale surface details. Notably, in vitro bone cell analysis delivered a profound 4.5-fold increase in osteogenesis purely through the inclusion of nanoscale features on the printed surfaces.

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We propose a new free-space mode-sorter that can distinguish 15 spatial-modes with high efficiency, high fill factor and low crosstalk in non-perfect optical systems through the integrations of custom mode filter coupled with software-controllable photonic-mesh.

Structured optical fields have interesting interactions with free-space channels due to their continuously evolving environmental conditions. We will discuss our recent work on modelling, mitigation and measurement of changes in weather conditions with twisted light.

The desire to increase the efficiency of solar panel has driven research into various approaches to trap-light. We present additive multi-element optical designs that improve daily solar absorption beyond leading integrated light-trapping techniques.

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