Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0221428
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$530,000.00
Summary
A Transportable Optical Frequency Counter, Synthesizer and Super-Continuum Generator (OFCSSG). The generation of ultra-short light pulses of just a few femtoseconds (one thousand-trillionth of a second) in duration has enabled applications in a wide range of fields, but complexity and cost has limited availability. This project will employ recently developed optical fibre and solid-state laser technology to create a cost-effective compact transportable facility of highly coherent, ultra-broadba ....A Transportable Optical Frequency Counter, Synthesizer and Super-Continuum Generator (OFCSSG). The generation of ultra-short light pulses of just a few femtoseconds (one thousand-trillionth of a second) in duration has enabled applications in a wide range of fields, but complexity and cost has limited availability. This project will employ recently developed optical fibre and solid-state laser technology to create a cost-effective compact transportable facility of highly coherent, ultra-broadband radiation. The source will enable new research and substantially enrich existing research in optical time standards and metrology, in-vivo biological imaging, and ultrafast spectroscopy. No such facility is presently available in AustraliaRead moreRead less
Terahertz and optical coherence tomography for improved cancer imaging. This project aims to improve cancer imaging by combining two complimentary, novel techniques. Its success will create an internationally leading position for Australia in cutting-edge research in optical and terahertz biomedical imaging. This innovative, fundamental research will expand Australia's research capacity in imaging sciences. The nation will benefit from new medical diagnostic techniques that will improve the dete ....Terahertz and optical coherence tomography for improved cancer imaging. This project aims to improve cancer imaging by combining two complimentary, novel techniques. Its success will create an internationally leading position for Australia in cutting-edge research in optical and terahertz biomedical imaging. This innovative, fundamental research will expand Australia's research capacity in imaging sciences. The nation will benefit from new medical diagnostic techniques that will improve the detection and treatment of cancer; as well as aid the clinical assessment of burns. This multidisciplinary, internationally collaborative research has additional wide ranging benefits in biology, medicine, pharmaceutical science and national security.Read moreRead less
Super-resolution in microscopy and optical recording. The classical resolution limit imposes severe restrictions on the performance of optical instruments, especially in optical microscopy and optical recording. Improved understanding of the fundamental principles involved in super-resolution should allow substantial increases in resolution to be achieved. We aim to explore theoretically and experimentally the performance of different super-resolution schemes alone and in combination, including ....Super-resolution in microscopy and optical recording. The classical resolution limit imposes severe restrictions on the performance of optical instruments, especially in optical microscopy and optical recording. Improved understanding of the fundamental principles involved in super-resolution should allow substantial increases in resolution to be achieved. We aim to explore theoretically and experimentally the performance of different super-resolution schemes alone and in combination, including optical masks, near-field optics, detector arrays, multi-photon imaging and digital deconvolution. Selected methods will be demonstrated with practical examples in multi-photon microscopy. Applications in super-high density optical recording will also be studied.Read moreRead less
Design and Construction of Novel Thermal Interferometers. This project aims to invent thermal interferometers, which take advantage of the interference effect of thermal waves to display standing temperature interference fringes on a surface of prism. Two coherent thermal waves are input from two other surfaces of the prism in a similar way as an optical interferometer does. By inventing such a device, the project will demonstrate a new instrumentation mechanism which may lead to its applicati ....Design and Construction of Novel Thermal Interferometers. This project aims to invent thermal interferometers, which take advantage of the interference effect of thermal waves to display standing temperature interference fringes on a surface of prism. Two coherent thermal waves are input from two other surfaces of the prism in a similar way as an optical interferometer does. By inventing such a device, the project will demonstrate a new instrumentation mechanism which may lead to its application in medical technology. Furthermore, the principle of temperature localisation due to thermal interference may provide new insights to account for the cause of conformational changes of proteins that result in diseases.Read moreRead less
Moving-beam phase retrieval - a route to better microscopy! This research will benefit the nation by improving the quality of x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy techniques available to Australian scientists. It will make it possible to examine microscopic structures in more detail and therefore gain more information about the atomic positions in these structures. This will greatly benefit research that depends on finding the structure of very small objects. Such research areas include ....Moving-beam phase retrieval - a route to better microscopy! This research will benefit the nation by improving the quality of x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy techniques available to Australian scientists. It will make it possible to examine microscopic structures in more detail and therefore gain more information about the atomic positions in these structures. This will greatly benefit research that depends on finding the structure of very small objects. Such research areas include nanomaterials, biological engineering, medical science and materials science. The work is also expected to have industrial applications and to make an important contribution to the development of the synchrotron science industry in Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,000.00
Summary
Ultra-precision cutting and polishing machines for fabricating high-Q crystalline resonators. The proposed facility will equip Australian researchers with the capability to machine and polish optical crystalline materials down to atomic-level smoothness. The availability of this technology will enable the fabrication of ultra-sensitive metrological sensors, state-of-the-art photonic components, and quantum devices. Precision metrology is an integral component of many industries and it underpins ....Ultra-precision cutting and polishing machines for fabricating high-Q crystalline resonators. The proposed facility will equip Australian researchers with the capability to machine and polish optical crystalline materials down to atomic-level smoothness. The availability of this technology will enable the fabrication of ultra-sensitive metrological sensors, state-of-the-art photonic components, and quantum devices. Precision metrology is an integral component of many industries and it underpins a modern, technically advanced society. With this facility Australian researchers will lead the world in the fabrication of optical crystalline devices for a broad range of industrial and research applications.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
Narrowband coherent light sources for spectroscopic sensing. The project will develop optical instruments and sensing techniques based on novel high-performance tunable optical parametric oscillator devices. These laser-like devices will be designed to monitor gases in a highly sensitive, molecule-specific way and thus indicate the presence and concentration of particular species with characteristic spectroscopic signatures. Useful applications will include optical sensing in science, industry ....Narrowband coherent light sources for spectroscopic sensing. The project will develop optical instruments and sensing techniques based on novel high-performance tunable optical parametric oscillator devices. These laser-like devices will be designed to monitor gases in a highly sensitive, molecule-specific way and thus indicate the presence and concentration of particular species with characteristic spectroscopic signatures. Useful applications will include optical sensing in science, industry, medicine, agriculture, community security, and the environment. In addition to making significant scientific discoveries and technological advances, the project will provide training for postgraduate research students and will develop intellectual property that may be of commercial benefit.Read moreRead less
Ringed photonic crystal fibres for broadband nonlinear optics. The technology developed from this project will enable organic molecules to be detected, identified and quantified. Because the technology is compact, easily engineered and low cost, it will lead to a dramatically increased capability for infrared spectroscopic measurement throughout biology and medicine, with specific benefits in agriculture, the food industry and defence.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100164
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
GNOSIS: a new window on the early universe using revolutionary photonic technology. Australian astronomers have a long history in innovative instrumentation and are some of the early pioneers in infrared astronomy. The GNOSIS project brings together leading Australian astronomers to build on past success. This facility instrument makes use of recent technological advances in photonics—a key strength of Australian research and industry—to provide a dramatic improvement in observational sensitivit ....GNOSIS: a new window on the early universe using revolutionary photonic technology. Australian astronomers have a long history in innovative instrumentation and are some of the early pioneers in infrared astronomy. The GNOSIS project brings together leading Australian astronomers to build on past success. This facility instrument makes use of recent technological advances in photonics—a key strength of Australian research and industry—to provide a dramatic improvement in observational sensitivity at these wavelengths. This will allow Australian astronomers to carry out new science programmes that have not been possible to date. These programmes include unprecedented observations of very cool low mass stars, the first chemical information on dust-embedded star clusters, and accurate ages for distant galaxies.Read moreRead less