Unified digital networking for wireless and optical access. The provision of broadband services is a high priority for the Australian government as evidenced by the various initiatives around Australia. The merging of backbone infrastructures for access environment will overcome unnecessary cost of maintaining and upgrading two separate networks for wired and wireless applications. The merged infrastructure will potentially provide inexpensive and cost-effective solutions for truly broadband ser ....Unified digital networking for wireless and optical access. The provision of broadband services is a high priority for the Australian government as evidenced by the various initiatives around Australia. The merging of backbone infrastructures for access environment will overcome unnecessary cost of maintaining and upgrading two separate networks for wired and wireless applications. The merged infrastructure will potentially provide inexpensive and cost-effective solutions for truly broadband services with a choice of wired or wireless connectivity to customers and will remove the rural-urban broadband divide that has been challenging Australia. The outcomes of this project can lead to new business ventures and will further strengthen the telecommunication industry.Read moreRead less
A silicon-compatible light source on a silicon-on-insulator platform. Silicon is emerging as an important photonic material owing to the cheap processing methods developed for electronics. This project aims to capture key technology for integrating photonic components onto silicon. It can bring social and commercial benefits to Australia such as high-level research as well as opportunities for commercialisation.
Topology Optimisation for Three-dimensional Periodic Nanophotonic Structures. Three-dimensional dielectric and/or metallic nanophotonic structures are of critical importance to a wide variety of applications ranging from sensing and biomedicine to imaging and information technology. This project aims to establish effective and efficient topology optimisation algorithms for the designs of nanophotonic structures with specific functional properties. The expected outcome will be a new methodology a ....Topology Optimisation for Three-dimensional Periodic Nanophotonic Structures. Three-dimensional dielectric and/or metallic nanophotonic structures are of critical importance to a wide variety of applications ranging from sensing and biomedicine to imaging and information technology. This project aims to establish effective and efficient topology optimisation algorithms for the designs of nanophotonic structures with specific functional properties. The expected outcome will be a new methodology and an advanced design tool for scientists and engineers to create novel nanophotonic structures to improve capabilities in devices such as waveguides, sensors, optical computer chips, superlenses and so on.Read moreRead less
Networked control systems: harnessing an emerging technology. Drive-by-wire cars, fly-by-wire aircraft and sensor/actuator wireless networks in process and manufacturing industries are just a few examples of emerging networked control technologies that are currently reshaping our world. These technological advances have a vast potential to reduce the cost, weight and volume of engineered systems, simplify their maintenance and installation and their novel architectures and features may enable u ....Networked control systems: harnessing an emerging technology. Drive-by-wire cars, fly-by-wire aircraft and sensor/actuator wireless networks in process and manufacturing industries are just a few examples of emerging networked control technologies that are currently reshaping our world. These technological advances have a vast potential to reduce the cost, weight and volume of engineered systems, simplify their maintenance and installation and their novel architectures and features may enable us to address significant environmental and socio-economic challenges, such as an increased demand for energy and other limited resources. This project will develop a systematic design methodology for networked control systems that will be essential in ensuring that its full potential is exploited.Read moreRead less
Broadband quantum networking with trapped ions. Banks and governments are now using short-range quantum communication to transmit data with secrecy guaranteed by the laws of physics. This project aims to develop the key ingredient for future broadband quantum networks: high-speed transmitters delivering quantum light pulses over present-day fibre-optic telecom infrastructure.
Towards an intercontinental quantum network. This project aims to address the security vulnerabilities of online data transmission. Cyber attacks and data stealing are threatening the daily operations of public and private organisations worldwide, and the privacy of individuals. This project expect to realise the key element for a new global network architecture where security is guaranteed by the fundamental laws of physics. This element is the quantum node and it will be implemented through th ....Towards an intercontinental quantum network. This project aims to address the security vulnerabilities of online data transmission. Cyber attacks and data stealing are threatening the daily operations of public and private organisations worldwide, and the privacy of individuals. This project expect to realise the key element for a new global network architecture where security is guaranteed by the fundamental laws of physics. This element is the quantum node and it will be implemented through the development of new techniques for the control and manipulation of individual atoms and innovative integrated optical devices for the interface with fibre networks. The development of this technology will lead to intrinsically secure online communication for organisations in the health and defence sectors and private individuals worldwide.Read moreRead less
Plasmon mode lasers; smaller, faster, better. High speed Information Technology (IT) communication is using more and more of our global energy. Energy efficiency of IT hardware can be improved by incorporating small, high performance lasers for short distance optical communication. New metallic and plasmonic nano-lasers lasers are indeed smaller and in theory can have performance advantages over current dielectric cavity lasers. This project looks at developing new electrically pumped plasmonic ....Plasmon mode lasers; smaller, faster, better. High speed Information Technology (IT) communication is using more and more of our global energy. Energy efficiency of IT hardware can be improved by incorporating small, high performance lasers for short distance optical communication. New metallic and plasmonic nano-lasers lasers are indeed smaller and in theory can have performance advantages over current dielectric cavity lasers. This project looks at developing new electrically pumped plasmonic lasers with nano scale semiconductors that satisfy requirements for short distance optical communications. Complex systems of these small, fast lasers will also be investigated, with the aim of providing high speed digital processing capabilities exceeding those of electronics.Read moreRead less
Routing shapes of light for the next generation of fibre optic networks. In 2016, the United Nations declared access to the Internet as basic human right. Our communication networks are facing a capacity crunch, which will transform a basic human right for everyone into a privilege for a few. This project aims to avoid a capacity crunch by creating innovative solutions for the next generation of optical fibre communication networks. This project stands to generate new knowledge in photonics, opt ....Routing shapes of light for the next generation of fibre optic networks. In 2016, the United Nations declared access to the Internet as basic human right. Our communication networks are facing a capacity crunch, which will transform a basic human right for everyone into a privilege for a few. This project aims to avoid a capacity crunch by creating innovative solutions for the next generation of optical fibre communication networks. This project stands to generate new knowledge in photonics, optical communication and advanced manufacturing. The expected benefits are new academic collaborations, enhancing Australia’s international standing and economic benefit through commercialisation and training of students for the growing photonics industry in Australia.Read moreRead less
Energy-efficient storage and delivery solutions for video-rich services over next-generation broadband access networks. This project harnesses sustainable technologies to develop a design framework for energy-efficient broadband infrastructures. Key outcomes will contribute towards lowering the energy footprint of future broadband deployments, creating business opportunities in this emerging market and informing policy makers of sustainable strategies.
Broadband compensation of nonlinear signal distortion in optical fibre communications. This project will investigate novel optical technologies for overcoming the approaching data capacity limits of global optical communication networks that are caused by transmission errors from nonlinear signal distortion in optical fibre. The research will show that light propagation through specially designed waveguides can cancel the distortion.