Developing New Clocks for Australia: Testing the Assumptions of Modern Physics. Clocks lie at the heart of all precise measurement devices; for example, they are the crucial elements in modern navigation and telecommunications systems. This project will develop three new clocks for Australia: a laser clock at the leading edge of technology, a novel and compact clock with commercial potential, and a microwave clock for use in the next generation of satellites. The performance advantage conferre ....Developing New Clocks for Australia: Testing the Assumptions of Modern Physics. Clocks lie at the heart of all precise measurement devices; for example, they are the crucial elements in modern navigation and telecommunications systems. This project will develop three new clocks for Australia: a laser clock at the leading edge of technology, a novel and compact clock with commercial potential, and a microwave clock for use in the next generation of satellites. The performance advantage conferred by our new devices can deliver economic benefits while also giving the possibility for scrutinizing the laws of physics for evidence that there is something beyond our present formulation.Read moreRead less
Imaging of properties of coherent elastic light scattering from turbid biological media. Imaging with coherent, elastically-scattered light for visualisation of thick-tissue morphology in vivo, or of cells buried deep in a turbid medium, remains a major challenge. We adopt an alternative approach of imaging of properties of light scattering based on regarding cellular tissue as a spatially-varying refractive-index continuum which encodes scattered light. We propose new methodologies to infer t ....Imaging of properties of coherent elastic light scattering from turbid biological media. Imaging with coherent, elastically-scattered light for visualisation of thick-tissue morphology in vivo, or of cells buried deep in a turbid medium, remains a major challenge. We adopt an alternative approach of imaging of properties of light scattering based on regarding cellular tissue as a spatially-varying refractive-index continuum which encodes scattered light. We propose new methodologies to infer tissue state and morphology indirectly based on phase delay, speckle, and angle-resolved scattering. We will break new ground in correlating the structure and function of in situ epithelial tissue and cells to light scattering enabling, e.g., the detection of mitosis and apoptosis in cells buried in thick, turbid media, and of cancers and precancers in vivo.Read moreRead less
Investigation of vertical magneto-transport in infrared detector structures based on InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices. Infrared sensors and systems are finding increasing use in Australia's core industries: particularly defence, mineral exploration, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, homeland security, and medical diagnostics. Due to the reduced cooling requirements, the Infrared detector structures to be investigated in this project have the potential to deliver high performance in ....Investigation of vertical magneto-transport in infrared detector structures based on InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices. Infrared sensors and systems are finding increasing use in Australia's core industries: particularly defence, mineral exploration, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, homeland security, and medical diagnostics. Due to the reduced cooling requirements, the Infrared detector structures to be investigated in this project have the potential to deliver high performance infrared technology at a significantly lower cost and, hence, widening its applications. The new science proposed in this project, and new technological knowledge expected from its application, will allow Australian researchers to participate and significantly contribute to the international effort in this field and to exploit any developed intellectual property. Read moreRead less
Resonant Nanostructures for Adaptive Optoelectronics. The science and technology outcomes of this project will create new, innovative solutions to current and future challenges facing industry, the community, and Australian national and strategic interests. Adaptive, resonant optoelectronics technologies will create new industries and enable, for the first time, advanced, low-cost, hand-held, spectroscopic systems for chemical/biological/process sensing for industries as diverse as food processi ....Resonant Nanostructures for Adaptive Optoelectronics. The science and technology outcomes of this project will create new, innovative solutions to current and future challenges facing industry, the community, and Australian national and strategic interests. Adaptive, resonant optoelectronics technologies will create new industries and enable, for the first time, advanced, low-cost, hand-held, spectroscopic systems for chemical/biological/process sensing for industries as diverse as food processing to pharmaceuticals manufacturing, portable biomedical diagnostics, and precision agriculture. The technologies will enhance Australia's ability to address defence and security needs related to surveillance, chemical/biological threat monitoring, border protection, and target identification.
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Coherent optical tissue biopsy and analysis targeting muscle pathology. This international, interdisciplinary collaborative research should change the way structures in tissues are characterised with broad impact on health, biotechnology, and the meat industry. Specific benefits include: a large reduction in the time/effort required for the ubiquitous process of histology of muscle and other tissue sections and samples; a large reduction in the number of animals required in experimentation and ....Coherent optical tissue biopsy and analysis targeting muscle pathology. This international, interdisciplinary collaborative research should change the way structures in tissues are characterised with broad impact on health, biotechnology, and the meat industry. Specific benefits include: a large reduction in the time/effort required for the ubiquitous process of histology of muscle and other tissue sections and samples; a large reduction in the number of animals required in experimentation and the possibility of time sequential studies of the same animal; and in muscular dystrophy in humans, a new capability in the direct assessment of muscle tissue and the disease treatment and progression. This suite of advances should generate intellectual property of major commercial importance.Read moreRead less
Modelling and Measurement of Flow-Structure Dynamics in the Human Upper Airway. Sleep disruption due to the common and disabling conditions of snoring and obstruction of the human upper airway can result in chronic fatigue, lost work and accidents caused by daytime drowsiness. To date the behaviour of the upper airway has not been adequately studied in terms able to reveal the mechanical causes of these conditions. This deficiency is addressed through the development and use of simulation tools ....Modelling and Measurement of Flow-Structure Dynamics in the Human Upper Airway. Sleep disruption due to the common and disabling conditions of snoring and obstruction of the human upper airway can result in chronic fatigue, lost work and accidents caused by daytime drowsiness. To date the behaviour of the upper airway has not been adequately studied in terms able to reveal the mechanical causes of these conditions. This deficiency is addressed through the development and use of simulation tools and measurement techniques that will elucidate the flow-structure dynamics leading to new diagnostic and improved treatment methods. Simulating the effect of treatment on any individual will permit it to be chosen to maximise its efficacy for a problem that costs the nation an estimated $2 Billion per year in lost productivity.Read moreRead less
Infrared optoelectronic sensors based on p-type molecular beam epitaxy grown HgCdTe. The ability of infrared detectors to directly sense the thermal output of an object has applications in medicine, search and rescue, bushfire detection and in the defence and surveillance industries. The highest performing infrared detectors are photon detectors based molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown HgCdTe. The primary aims of this project relate to the fundamental understanding of p-type doping in MBE grown ....Infrared optoelectronic sensors based on p-type molecular beam epitaxy grown HgCdTe. The ability of infrared detectors to directly sense the thermal output of an object has applications in medicine, search and rescue, bushfire detection and in the defence and surveillance industries. The highest performing infrared detectors are photon detectors based molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown HgCdTe. The primary aims of this project relate to the fundamental understanding of p-type doping in MBE grown HgCdTe, a current and major difficulty in HgCdTe technology, and the use of such p-type MBE grown layers in conjunction with a newly developed plasma process based n-p junction formation technology to realise novel and innovative infrared detector structures. Such structures would have the ability to revolutionise the use of HgCdTe in infrared detectors and focal plane array applications.Read moreRead less
New multiplexed optical read-out technologies for micromachined cantilever sensor arrays. Passive sensing of chemical and biological agents is an essential capability in fields as diverse as national security, agriculture, mining and medicine. In many cases, generic sensing (e.g. are there pesticides present) as well as specific sensing (which pesticide) are both important. While sensors based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have shown extremely high performance at low cost, they have ....New multiplexed optical read-out technologies for micromachined cantilever sensor arrays. Passive sensing of chemical and biological agents is an essential capability in fields as diverse as national security, agriculture, mining and medicine. In many cases, generic sensing (e.g. are there pesticides present) as well as specific sensing (which pesticide) are both important. While sensors based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have shown extremely high performance at low cost, they have been limited to detection of a specific substance. Success in this project will make low cost generic MEMS-based sensors a reality, allowing, for the first time, wide-spread use of sensitive sensing systems in applications such as farming, container transport security, general medical practice and national security.Read moreRead less
Exploring Synergies between Frontier Microphotonics and Advanced Time and Frequency Technology. Recently scientists have developed the means to manufacture objects that are on the same microscopic scale as light itself. These structures can deliver exquisite control of the properties of the light beams. Our existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and the pure colours generated by lasers. By combining these two technologie ....Exploring Synergies between Frontier Microphotonics and Advanced Time and Frequency Technology. Recently scientists have developed the means to manufacture objects that are on the same microscopic scale as light itself. These structures can deliver exquisite control of the properties of the light beams. Our existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and the pure colours generated by lasers. By combining these two technologies, both of which lie at the extreme limit of precision, we will develop a new generation of technology for fundamental science objectives as well as for industrial needs.Read moreRead less
New generation of hyperspectral infrared photon detectors. Although highly desirable for many applications, tuneable, on chip, infrared photon detectors are not yet available. The approach described in this application aims to develop a technology for high performance, on chip, infrared photon detectors that can be tuned over a wide wavelength range. By applying a novel in-house developed semiconductor process and a multi-disciplinary approach, this project aims to develop such devices by combin ....New generation of hyperspectral infrared photon detectors. Although highly desirable for many applications, tuneable, on chip, infrared photon detectors are not yet available. The approach described in this application aims to develop a technology for high performance, on chip, infrared photon detectors that can be tuned over a wide wavelength range. By applying a novel in-house developed semiconductor process and a multi-disciplinary approach, this project aims to develop such devices by combining, for the first time, micromachined tuneable optical microcavities with high performance HgCdTe-based infrared detectors.Read moreRead less