Micromachines Webinar | Glass and Micro/Nano Devices (G-MIND) - Speciality Optical Fibers and their Application
the chair
I am pleased to introduce the first event in the G-MIND (Glass and Micro/Nano Devices) webinar series, organized under the D4 Section of the Micromachines journal. This series is designed to foster scientific discussion on key topics in the field while also promoting related Special Issues and Topical Collections. For more details on these publications and submission deadlines, please visit the MDPI D4 Section website.
This inaugural webinar brings together two leading experts to explore cutting-edge developments in the structure and applications of glass optical fibers.
- Blanc (University of Nice, France) will explain how nanoparticles can modify the properties of optical fibers, enabling both enhanced performance and novel optical functions. Traditionally, heterogeneities in fibers have been minimized to reduce optical losses. However, Dr. Blanc will show that nanoparticle-induced light scattering holds significant promise for applications in sensors and lasers. He will also discuss the manufacturing and characterization challenges associated with these advanced fibers.
- Seddon (University of Nottingham, UK) will highlight the use of chalcogenide glass optical fibers, which can transmit mid-infrared (MIR) light, in cancer detection. A growing body of research demonstrates that MIR spectroscopy of excised tissues and body fluids reliably distinguishes between cancerous and non-cancerous samples across multiple cancer types. Since MIR light can penetrate the surface of biological tissues—and most cancers originate in epithelial layers—this approach also enables in vivo analysis. Prof. Seddon has therefore proposed a novel MIR spectroscopy endoscopy technique based on chalcogenide fibers.
Chair: Dr. Giancarlo C. Righini
Date: 27 October 2025
Time: 3:00 pm CET | 2:00 pm GMT
Webinar ID: 813 9229 7411
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Wilfried Blanc
Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INPHYNI, France;
Wilfried Blanc received an M.Sc. Degrees in Physics and a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University Claude Bernard, Lyon, France, in 1996 and 2000, respectively. He held a post-doctoral position at the University of Bordeaux (ICMCB laboratory), funded by Rhodia-Solvay. In 2002, he started working with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) at the Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée (now Institut de Physique de Nice), where his main interests are the design, realization, and characterization of silica optical fibers made using the modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) technique.
Prof. Dr. Angela Seddon
Faculty of Engineering. University of Nottingham, UK;
• Professor Angela B Seddon BSc (Hons), MPhil, PhD, FSGT, FIMM, FRSC, CChem, FSPIE
• President of Society of Glass Technology
• Chair of Inorganic Materials and Head of Mid-Infrared Photonics Group, GGIEMR, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Trustee of the Royal Institution, London
The first webinar in the G-MIND (Glass and Micro/Nano Devices) series, organized by the D4 Section of the MDPI Micromachines journal, was held on 27 October 2025 via Zoom.
The webinar focused on recent advances in optical fibers and featured presentations by two leading scientists in the field: Dr. Wilfried Blanc (CNRS and University of Nice) and Prof. Angela Seddon (University of Nottingham).
Dr. Blanc discussed how various applications can benefit from light scattering caused by purposefully introduced nanoparticles in optical fibers, while Prof. Seddon highlighted the use of chalcogenide glass fibers for biomedical sensing and potential in vivo cancer detection.
More than 120 participants from 21 countries registered for the event, and the two talks were very well received by the online audience.
Researchers are encouraged to submit manuscripts focusing on glassy materials, glass-based optical fibers, and related devices to the Micromachines Section D4 and its relevant Special Issues.
The full recording can be found below. In order to learn about future webinars, you can sign up to our newsletter by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of the page.
Topical Collection:
Microdevices and Applications Based on Advanced Glassy Materials
Editors: Dr. Giancarlo C. Righini, Dr. Luigi Sirleto and Dr. Francesco Enrichi
Special Issues:
Nanostructured Glasses and Composites: Innovations in Properties, Microfabrication and Applications
Editors: Dr. Dragana Marinkovic and Dr. Maurizio Ferrari
Laser-Based Fabrication of Glassy and Hybrid Micro/Nano Devices for Biomedical Applications
Editors: Dr. Ana Gomez-Varela and Prof. Dr. Carmen Bao-Varela