Richardson is a pioneer in the field of photonics, best known for his work on fibre optics and their applications.[6] He has played a leading role in developing techniques to scale the data-carrying capacity of future optical communication networks to keep up with society's demand for ever increasing internet bandwidth.[6] He has developed optical fibres of high performance – capable, for example, of transmitting large quantities of data across the internet at high speed.[6]
Richardson was also one of the first to demonstrate the potential of compact, flexible, pulsed fibre lasers operating over a broad range of powers, pulse durations and wavelengths.[6] Over many years he has extended the performance limits of fibre lasers, making them strong contenders to conventional lasers and contributing to their commercial success.[6] His work extends to fibres capable of delivering kilowatts of optical power for manufacturing with lasers.[6]
^Richardson, D. J.; Nilsson, J.; Clarkson, W. A. (2010). "High power fiber lasers: current status and future perspectives [Invited]". Journal of the Optical Society of America B. 27 (11): B63. Bibcode:2010JOSAB..27B..63R. doi:10.1364/JOSAB.27.000B63. ISSN0740-3224.