Passively switched mid-infrared fibre lasers using saturable absorbers placed internally or externally to the geometry of the fibre. This project will create new pulsed mid-infrared fibre lasers based on original and recently developed passive switching techniques. An original class of fibre laser systems will be shown that is based on the internal placement of saturable absorbers within the optical fibre itself. A configuration such as this will enable the production of very simple pulsed laser ....Passively switched mid-infrared fibre lasers using saturable absorbers placed internally or externally to the geometry of the fibre. This project will create new pulsed mid-infrared fibre lasers based on original and recently developed passive switching techniques. An original class of fibre laser systems will be shown that is based on the internal placement of saturable absorbers within the optical fibre itself. A configuration such as this will enable the production of very simple pulsed laser systems of high efficiency and potentially high power. This will lead into the development of practical pulsed oscillator systems the output of which can be used directly or optically amplified for applications requiring high power.Read moreRead less
Asymmetric InP-based structures for high power laser diodes at 1400-1500 nm for pumping optical amplifiers used in communication systems. This project is aimed at obtaining high power, single mode 1400-1500 nm wavelength laser diodes using a novel design of asymmetric InP-based structures. These devices are in great demand for pumping of erbium-doped and Raman amplifiers for powering the next generation of dense wavelength division multiplexing optical networks. The low modal gain (confinement f ....Asymmetric InP-based structures for high power laser diodes at 1400-1500 nm for pumping optical amplifiers used in communication systems. This project is aimed at obtaining high power, single mode 1400-1500 nm wavelength laser diodes using a novel design of asymmetric InP-based structures. These devices are in great demand for pumping of erbium-doped and Raman amplifiers for powering the next generation of dense wavelength division multiplexing optical networks. The low modal gain (confinement factor) of this asymmetric structure is expected to reduce internal losses and hence increase the output power with better thermal dissipation. Single mode could be obtained by careful design in the trade-off between filamentation and threshold current. Ion implantation is also proposed to suppress higher order modes.Read moreRead less
Microwave-modulated optical systems for free-space and undersea communications. Although offering flexible, rapid deployment, free space and underwater comunications have not kept up with progress in optical fibre communications, and current systems are signficantly restricted in range and data rate. To address these needs, we will develop novel laser systems using coherent detection, with infrared output for eyesafe transmission in air, and blue-green output for transmission underwater. The s ....Microwave-modulated optical systems for free-space and undersea communications. Although offering flexible, rapid deployment, free space and underwater comunications have not kept up with progress in optical fibre communications, and current systems are signficantly restricted in range and data rate. To address these needs, we will develop novel laser systems using coherent detection, with infrared output for eyesafe transmission in air, and blue-green output for transmission underwater. The signal is a microwave modulation on the optical carrier, which permits longer-range transmission while maintaining signal coherence. Key advantages include increased detection sensitivity, and potential to scale up the modulation frequency and the power for higher data rates and longer propagation distance.Read moreRead less
Compact Tunable Visible Lasers - New Approaches to Phase-Matching. Australia will benefit significantly from this innovation in lasers and especially fibre lasers. Optical fibre devices are a major area of our capability in world-leading research and commercialisation. Through commercialisation we will directly benefit economically in terms of exports and jobs. We will also benefit from commercial exploitation of applications in biomedicine, security and environmental monitoring. Students will b ....Compact Tunable Visible Lasers - New Approaches to Phase-Matching. Australia will benefit significantly from this innovation in lasers and especially fibre lasers. Optical fibre devices are a major area of our capability in world-leading research and commercialisation. Through commercialisation we will directly benefit economically in terms of exports and jobs. We will also benefit from commercial exploitation of applications in biomedicine, security and environmental monitoring. Students will be trained in an area important for Australian research and high technology industry. Australia's position as a world-leader in optics and photonics will be strengthened .Read moreRead less
Micro-engineered Optical Fibre Clocks. Clocks and oscillators are crucial components of all communication, navigation and computing technologies. Improvements in the performance of these internal clocks results in improvement in the performance of the dependent system, and are thus of high economic and technological value. A great need presently exists for compact and high performance clocks for improving optical fibre communication systems. The goal of this project is join the expertise of t ....Micro-engineered Optical Fibre Clocks. Clocks and oscillators are crucial components of all communication, navigation and computing technologies. Improvements in the performance of these internal clocks results in improvement in the performance of the dependent system, and are thus of high economic and technological value. A great need presently exists for compact and high performance clocks for improving optical fibre communication systems. The goal of this project is join the expertise of the University of Western Australia group with that of the University of Bath team to develop a new type of clock to fulfil this need.Read moreRead less
Diamond Single Photon Source. This project will enhance Australia's international profile in the area of quantum technology and will link, for the first time, diamond single photon capability with fibre optics technology, building on the strengths of both fields. The innovative steps in photonics and materials science which we are initiating place us in a unique position to exploit the emerging niche market for single photon sources. A provisional patent application for this technology is bein ....Diamond Single Photon Source. This project will enhance Australia's international profile in the area of quantum technology and will link, for the first time, diamond single photon capability with fibre optics technology, building on the strengths of both fields. The innovative steps in photonics and materials science which we are initiating place us in a unique position to exploit the emerging niche market for single photon sources. A provisional patent application for this technology is being lodged by the applicant and University of Melbourne colleagues in conjunction with QUCOR Pty Ltd. Success in researching and developing this device will help consolidate Australia's reputation as a global contributor to leading edge science and technology. Read moreRead less
Efficient and tailored supercontinuum generation using dispersion management. Imagine a laser beam, but not with just one colour, but containing all colours. The light beam thus looks white, somewhat like a search light, except that it is much brighter. We now know how to generate such bright white beams of light, but it is expensive, requiring a small specialized laboratory full of equipment. Through a better understanding, we will make it easier and cheaper to generate these light beams. All k ....Efficient and tailored supercontinuum generation using dispersion management. Imagine a laser beam, but not with just one colour, but containing all colours. The light beam thus looks white, somewhat like a search light, except that it is much brighter. We now know how to generate such bright white beams of light, but it is expensive, requiring a small specialized laboratory full of equipment. Through a better understanding, we will make it easier and cheaper to generate these light beams. All kinds of applications that have been known for years, such as medical imaging and chemical analysis, then suddenly become practical. We anticipate that in the future these bright white light beams will be used on a routine basis in Australian hospitals and industry. Read moreRead less
Fabrication of complete photonic band gap structures by two-photon polymerization and subsequent infiltration with high refractive index materials. The ability to shrink photonic circuits by orders of magnitudes by the integration of photonic crystals offers many stimulating possibilities for novel device designs. A speculative view is that this miniaturisation can have a similar impact to that experienced in electronic components in the 1960s. However, the fabrication of 3D photonic crystals re ....Fabrication of complete photonic band gap structures by two-photon polymerization and subsequent infiltration with high refractive index materials. The ability to shrink photonic circuits by orders of magnitudes by the integration of photonic crystals offers many stimulating possibilities for novel device designs. A speculative view is that this miniaturisation can have a similar impact to that experienced in electronic components in the 1960s. However, the fabrication of 3D photonic crystals remains a major challenge and the development of new, flexible, and fast nano-fabrication techniques is vital. The realization of an innovative technique for the fabrication of 3D complete photonic band gap structures as it is suggested will make an essential contribution to the emerging field of all-optical tele- and data-communications and will deliver major economic benefit to Australia. Read moreRead less
A Laser Guide Star using a High Power, Synchronously Pumped Optical Parametric Oscillators. We will develop a novel high power source of 589nm coherent (laser) light to be used to create a laser guide star by exciting sodium atoms in the earth's upper atmosphere (the mesosphere). This is needed to determine the distortion caused by the atmosphere on an optical beam propagating through it and generate the information needed to correct those distortions using an adaptive optics telescope. This pr ....A Laser Guide Star using a High Power, Synchronously Pumped Optical Parametric Oscillators. We will develop a novel high power source of 589nm coherent (laser) light to be used to create a laser guide star by exciting sodium atoms in the earth's upper atmosphere (the mesosphere). This is needed to determine the distortion caused by the atmosphere on an optical beam propagating through it and generate the information needed to correct those distortions using an adaptive optics telescope. This project focuses on the development of a novel high power 589nm source based on a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354519
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Network for Optical and Quantum Science and Technology. This Network links world-class researchers involved with the investigation and application of light and atoms, particularly at the quantum level. Three ARC Centres of Excellence* will be linked and networked with other successful research groups in optics, including atom optics and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), quantum computing, optical switching, imaging, and interferometry. The Network-facilitated interactions will foster multidisci ....Network for Optical and Quantum Science and Technology. This Network links world-class researchers involved with the investigation and application of light and atoms, particularly at the quantum level. Three ARC Centres of Excellence* will be linked and networked with other successful research groups in optics, including atom optics and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), quantum computing, optical switching, imaging, and interferometry. The Network-facilitated interactions will foster multidisciplinary approaches linking the majority of the Australian optics community, and harnessing Australia's existing research excellence in optics to address major questions in optical and quantum science and technology.
* Quantum-Atom Optics (ACQAO), Quantum Computing Technology (CQCT), Ultrahigh Bandwidth Devices and Optical Systems (CUDOS).
Read moreRead less