Precise atomic-scale structure determination in thick nanostructures. This project aims to tackle a great challenge of atomic-scale characterisation: quantitative structure determination. Powerful new electron microscopes offer a window into the atomic world, but complex electron multiple scattering has limited reliable structure determination to ultrathin materials. This project expects to overcome this barrier. Anticipated outcomes include methods that use the latest detector technology to det ....Precise atomic-scale structure determination in thick nanostructures. This project aims to tackle a great challenge of atomic-scale characterisation: quantitative structure determination. Powerful new electron microscopes offer a window into the atomic world, but complex electron multiple scattering has limited reliable structure determination to ultrathin materials. This project expects to overcome this barrier. Anticipated outcomes include methods that use the latest detector technology to determine structure and interatomic bonding in much thicker nanostructures than hitherto possible. This should benefit academic and industrial researchers by giving them new tools to understand and design high-performance materials for applications ranging from catalysis to energy storage to next-generation electronics.Read moreRead less
Novel advances in sub-nanometer imaging. After two decades of research the first wave of applications in nanotechnology and nanobiology is breaking. Immediately key to further progress in both areas is the ability to characterise the structure of such systems and also their evolution on very short time scales. This research project places Australia at the forefront in this endeavour.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100739
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,958.00
Summary
Deterministic coherent diffractive imaging for the nanosciences. The technological trend towards nanoscale device fabrication demands picoscale measurements which will only be possible with the development of novel and advanced imaging techniques. This project will develop and implement cutting edge approaches to lensless imaging using both electrons and x-rays and will enable real-time imaging at the picoscale.
Bragg-Edge neutron transmission strain tomography. This project aims to use neutron strain tomography to improve solid mechanics research and advanced manufacturing techniques. The investigators have developed a tensor reconstruction algorithm, similar to an enhanced CT or MRI scan, which can determine the finely grained three-dimensional triaxial stress distribution inside solid objects by measuring neutron transmission. Using energy-resolved neutron detector technology, this project intends to ....Bragg-Edge neutron transmission strain tomography. This project aims to use neutron strain tomography to improve solid mechanics research and advanced manufacturing techniques. The investigators have developed a tensor reconstruction algorithm, similar to an enhanced CT or MRI scan, which can determine the finely grained three-dimensional triaxial stress distribution inside solid objects by measuring neutron transmission. Using energy-resolved neutron detector technology, this project intends to realise and extend this technique to transform several areas of applied mechanics research.Read moreRead less
Complex Interfaces and Solid-State Precipitation in Advanced Materials. Solid-state precipitates are key features of the microstructures of many natural and artificial materials and govern their properties. Yet understanding, let alone designing, the microstructures of materials remains a formidable challenge. The recent discovery of a new class of embedded interfaces in aluminium alloys offers the prospect of determining the atomic-scale mechanisms of precipitation. This project aims to apply t ....Complex Interfaces and Solid-State Precipitation in Advanced Materials. Solid-state precipitates are key features of the microstructures of many natural and artificial materials and govern their properties. Yet understanding, let alone designing, the microstructures of materials remains a formidable challenge. The recent discovery of a new class of embedded interfaces in aluminium alloys offers the prospect of determining the atomic-scale mechanisms of precipitation. This project aims to apply the latest microscopy and computational techniques synergistically to characterise such interfaces and develop atomic-scale mechanisms of nucleation and growth in model alloy systems. It is expected that this work will constitute a major step towards practical control of solid-state precipitation in technologically important materials.Read moreRead less
Dynamic multi-modal x-ray imaging. This project aims to create sensitive new methods of x-ray imaging that capture multiple image modalities with a single snapshot. Conventional x-ray imaging is widely used in a range of industries, but captures only a fraction of the rich information that is available in the x-ray wavefield. This project expects to extract additional image modalities to reveal x-ray-transparent features, and detect microscopic textures. By combining these capabilities with the ....Dynamic multi-modal x-ray imaging. This project aims to create sensitive new methods of x-ray imaging that capture multiple image modalities with a single snapshot. Conventional x-ray imaging is widely used in a range of industries, but captures only a fraction of the rich information that is available in the x-ray wavefield. This project expects to extract additional image modalities to reveal x-ray-transparent features, and detect microscopic textures. By combining these capabilities with the ability to capture images of a moving sample, this project will enable innovative biomedical and materials research studies, and develop new imaging technologies for use in security, hospitals and manufacturing. New methods of x-ray imaging will have wide-ranging benefits for society, the economy and healthcare.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100104
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,175,000.00
Summary
An aberration corrected analytical Transmission Electron Microscope for nanoscale characterisation of materials. This new-generation scanning transmission electron microscope enables selective determination of atomic and chemical structure within sub-nanometre regions of materials. It will enable cutting-edge developments in nanotechnology, materials science and engineering; technologies which underpin progress in our modern society.
Single spin molecular microscope. This project aims to create a new tool for imaging and analysing material at the atomic level. The tool is based on individual quantum coherent spins in diamond which can be manipulated and optically read. The project expects to generate knowledge in quantum metrology and an understanding of molecular dynamics at the nanoscale. The expected outcome is a new type of device capable of imaging complex physical systems at the level of their individual constituent co ....Single spin molecular microscope. This project aims to create a new tool for imaging and analysing material at the atomic level. The tool is based on individual quantum coherent spins in diamond which can be manipulated and optically read. The project expects to generate knowledge in quantum metrology and an understanding of molecular dynamics at the nanoscale. The expected outcome is a new type of device capable of imaging complex physical systems at the level of their individual constituent components. This has significant benefits in improving designer materials, energy production, information storage, and drug design.Read moreRead less
Ultrafast Photonic Electron Microscopy: Visualising dynamics at the nanoscale. The dynamics of molecular processes are too fast to observe with any microscope so science has instead relied on recording the static before and after states of these changes, inferring what happens in between. This project aims to combine the advantages of ultrafast photonic laser control and electron microscopy to allow the direct visualisation of dynamics at the nanoscale in physical and biological systems. By prov ....Ultrafast Photonic Electron Microscopy: Visualising dynamics at the nanoscale. The dynamics of molecular processes are too fast to observe with any microscope so science has instead relied on recording the static before and after states of these changes, inferring what happens in between. This project aims to combine the advantages of ultrafast photonic laser control and electron microscopy to allow the direct visualisation of dynamics at the nanoscale in physical and biological systems. By providing a view into how order emerges from the thermal chaos of molecular objects this project aims to help to reveal the physical basis for life.Read moreRead less
Understanding graphitization: developing a model for activated carbons. For over 60 years it has remained a puzzle why some carbons graphitise under heating while others do not. The question is of practical importance as oxidation of non-graphitising carbons produces activated carbon, a product of high value with industrial, medical and environmental applications. Using computational and experimental techniques the project will study the graphitisation process and pinpoint the structural element ....Understanding graphitization: developing a model for activated carbons. For over 60 years it has remained a puzzle why some carbons graphitise under heating while others do not. The question is of practical importance as oxidation of non-graphitising carbons produces activated carbon, a product of high value with industrial, medical and environmental applications. Using computational and experimental techniques the project will study the graphitisation process and pinpoint the structural elements which inhibit it. Based on these findings the project aims to develop a nanoscale atomistic model for activated carbons. This is expected to be an important contribution to the field of chemical engineering in which current models of activated carbon neglect either curvature in the network or the presence of oxygen.Read moreRead less