My research aims to understand the physics of light propagation in optical fibres, with a particular emphasis on the properties of photonic crystal fibres (PCF). PCFs are novel optical fibres that have a structured array of air-holes running along their length, where the size of these air-holes is of the same order as the wavelength of light. My research involves the development of analytic and computational solutions of Maxwell’s equations, and the aim is to build a theoretical understanding of the underlying physics to design fibres with novel and useful properties. This research is carried out in close collaboration with experimentalists in the Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, who are world leaders in the fabrication and use of PCF.