Laser emission at the limit of glass transparency using nanocrystal doping . We will create a new composite glass providing strong fluorescence which fully exploits the high transmission of glass in the mid-infrared. When combined with emerging rare earth ion transitions and precise excitation processes, this project will help solve an important problem in optics; that the overall efficiency and power produced from deep mid-infrared light sources is not sufficient for all industries. The primary ....Laser emission at the limit of glass transparency using nanocrystal doping . We will create a new composite glass providing strong fluorescence which fully exploits the high transmission of glass in the mid-infrared. When combined with emerging rare earth ion transitions and precise excitation processes, this project will help solve an important problem in optics; that the overall efficiency and power produced from deep mid-infrared light sources is not sufficient for all industries. The primary outcome will be a series of robust fibre-based gain modules suitable for high power and very short optical pulses in the mid-infrared. These light sources will beneficially impact medicine, defence, sensing and manufacturing providing excellent opportunities for increasing Australian productivity and global competitiveness. Read moreRead less
Dynamic phased array antennas for terahertz detection and ranging. The project aims to create reciprocal electrically-tuneable phased array antennas for terahertz waves. The antennas will comprise varactor diodes, analogue phase shifters, and dielectric resonator arrays to rapidly transmit and receive beams with high directivity and performance. The intended outcome is an integrated platform for short-range terahertz detection and ranging. This platform could be used in personal radar and drone- ....Dynamic phased array antennas for terahertz detection and ranging. The project aims to create reciprocal electrically-tuneable phased array antennas for terahertz waves. The antennas will comprise varactor diodes, analogue phase shifters, and dielectric resonator arrays to rapidly transmit and receive beams with high directivity and performance. The intended outcome is an integrated platform for short-range terahertz detection and ranging. This platform could be used in personal radar and drone-based radar, and high-contrast standoff detection. The project could benefit public security and welfare.Read moreRead less
Quantum Nanostructure Positioning for Breakthrough Quantum Photonics. The integration of quantum nanostructures in optical devices has been proposed to improve the efficiencies of existing optical devices and create new classes of quantum photonics. Limiting progress is that many nanostructures are made through bottom-up processes with inherently randomly distributions, making integration into devices problematic. Lithographic nanostructure fabrication is rarely an option as it leads to diminish ....Quantum Nanostructure Positioning for Breakthrough Quantum Photonics. The integration of quantum nanostructures in optical devices has been proposed to improve the efficiencies of existing optical devices and create new classes of quantum photonics. Limiting progress is that many nanostructures are made through bottom-up processes with inherently randomly distributions, making integration into devices problematic. Lithographic nanostructure fabrication is rarely an option as it leads to diminishes performance. Here, we propose a new and unique nanostructure positioning technique incorporated directly into the growth process. It interfaces bottom-up technologies with device fabrication, facilitating incorporation of nanostructures in photonic devices, and may be transferrable to a variety of other systems.Read moreRead less
Comparative analysis of sensor noise for target detection in dragonfly eyes. Dragonflies hunt tiny prey in the low-light conditions of late dusk, a signal-to-noise problem that challenges any engineered system. Using a comparative approach across dragonfly species, we aim to use novel optical and physiological measures to determine how sensors with noise underlie target-detection, in varying scene brightness. The project outcomes will be a comparative characterisation of signal-to-noise measures ....Comparative analysis of sensor noise for target detection in dragonfly eyes. Dragonflies hunt tiny prey in the low-light conditions of late dusk, a signal-to-noise problem that challenges any engineered system. Using a comparative approach across dragonfly species, we aim to use novel optical and physiological measures to determine how sensors with noise underlie target-detection, in varying scene brightness. The project outcomes will be a comparative characterisation of signal-to-noise measures of dragonfly eye optics (including eye size) and early sensory neurons. We will match detection thresholds with downstream target-detecting neurons and dragonfly behaviour. This will provide insight into signal detection, which is a ubiquitous problem across information processing, computer vision and autonomous systems.Read moreRead less