Integrity prediction of ground precision surfaces. This project aims to establish a new approach to enable a reliable and accurate prediction of precision surface grinding. Precision grinding is often the final step in the manufacturing chains for a broad range of metal, ceramic, optical glass and semiconductor components, which must have ultra-high surface integrity and accurate dimensions. To date, the surface integrity of a ground component cannot be predicted due to the involvement of many r ....Integrity prediction of ground precision surfaces. This project aims to establish a new approach to enable a reliable and accurate prediction of precision surface grinding. Precision grinding is often the final step in the manufacturing chains for a broad range of metal, ceramic, optical glass and semiconductor components, which must have ultra-high surface integrity and accurate dimensions. To date, the surface integrity of a ground component cannot be predicted due to the involvement of many random factors and variables in a precision surface grinding process, resulting in high failure rates and processes requiring repeated surface measurements. The novel approach for surface integrity prediction developed by this project will make a vital step forward in advancing the discipline of precision surfacing, establish a new knowledge base and bring about significant technological impacts to the manufacturing industry.Read moreRead less
An integral approach enabling the defect-free manufacture of microlens arrays. Free-form microlens arrays are of central importance to the advancement of science and frontier technologies such as electronics, optics, telecommunication, biotechnology, medical surgery, energy generation, agriculture, resource exploration, environment protection and security. Using an integral approach coupling processing-microstructure-property modelling, multi-scale mechanics and damage-free mould development. Th ....An integral approach enabling the defect-free manufacture of microlens arrays. Free-form microlens arrays are of central importance to the advancement of science and frontier technologies such as electronics, optics, telecommunication, biotechnology, medical surgery, energy generation, agriculture, resource exploration, environment protection and security. Using an integral approach coupling processing-microstructure-property modelling, multi-scale mechanics and damage-free mould development. This research project will establish novel theories and technologies for the defect-free manufacture of microlens arrays. The research outcomes will lay the foundation for defect-free fabrication of a wide class of high-integrity systems.Read moreRead less
Enhancing and modelling the abrasive waterjet impact and erosion process. This project aims to understand and improve the ultrahigh pressure abrasive waterjet (AWJ) impact process. The current AWJ machining technology transfers less than 20% of the jet energy to the workpiece, mainly due to the damping effect of a stagnant layer at the jet impact site. This project attempts to remove this effect using ultrasonic vibration and explore the new impact micromechanics under the coupled effect of part ....Enhancing and modelling the abrasive waterjet impact and erosion process. This project aims to understand and improve the ultrahigh pressure abrasive waterjet (AWJ) impact process. The current AWJ machining technology transfers less than 20% of the jet energy to the workpiece, mainly due to the damping effect of a stagnant layer at the jet impact site. This project attempts to remove this effect using ultrasonic vibration and explore the new impact micromechanics under the coupled effect of particle impact and workpiece vibration. The expected outcome is a new AWJ technology for efficient, multi-scale machining, and to increase industry’s capability in fabricating high-integrity products.Read moreRead less
A brighter future: the pure-quartic soliton laser. This project aims to build an innovative, ultrafast laser based on the recent discovery of pure-quartic solitons, a new class of optical soliton. Investigating these solitons in their own right will provide new insights into the physics of soliton formation and propagation. The concept of the pure-quartic soliton laser is expected to lead to the transformation of ultrafast science and related applications with the benefit of to improving efficie ....A brighter future: the pure-quartic soliton laser. This project aims to build an innovative, ultrafast laser based on the recent discovery of pure-quartic solitons, a new class of optical soliton. Investigating these solitons in their own right will provide new insights into the physics of soliton formation and propagation. The concept of the pure-quartic soliton laser is expected to lead to the transformation of ultrafast science and related applications with the benefit of to improving efficiency, and significantly reducing the cost of high-energy ultrafast lasers. The project aims to provide benefits in ultrafast science, industrial materials processing, laser surgery, and molecular spectroscopy.Read moreRead less
Atomic Resolution Sensors for Imaging and Metrological Science. This project aims to create new sensing technologies for detecting motion on the atomic scale with Megahertz (MHz) bandwidth. Advanced signal processing and communication theory will be applied with the aim of developing new classes of capacitive, inductive and optical position sensors. The resolution and bandwidth are predicted to be a one-hundred fold improvement over the current state-of-the-art. Applications are expected to incl ....Atomic Resolution Sensors for Imaging and Metrological Science. This project aims to create new sensing technologies for detecting motion on the atomic scale with Megahertz (MHz) bandwidth. Advanced signal processing and communication theory will be applied with the aim of developing new classes of capacitive, inductive and optical position sensors. The resolution and bandwidth are predicted to be a one-hundred fold improvement over the current state-of-the-art. Applications are expected to include biomedical imaging, high-speed nanofabrication, high-resolution computer numerical control (CNC) machining, high-speed gas and chemical sensors, and ultra-precise seismometers and gyroscopes.Read moreRead less
Producing optimally short pulses at long wavelengths. This project aims to make the fluoride glass fibre platform the preferred material for generating ultrashort pulses at 2.8 nm and beyond. High power and efficiency from simple device architectures are essential for industry, medicine and defence. Modern sources of short pulses of light emitting mid-infrared wavelengths are complicated and inefficient. This project will improve fibre sources emitting short pulses and create the essential build ....Producing optimally short pulses at long wavelengths. This project aims to make the fluoride glass fibre platform the preferred material for generating ultrashort pulses at 2.8 nm and beyond. High power and efficiency from simple device architectures are essential for industry, medicine and defence. Modern sources of short pulses of light emitting mid-infrared wavelengths are complicated and inefficient. This project will improve fibre sources emitting short pulses and create the essential building blocks for future all-fibre arrangements that will be more robust. The sources are expected to have applications in non-linear optics and materials modification.Read moreRead less
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
Opening a New Era of High-Performance Microwave Devices. We propose a conceptually new method of manufacturing high-performance microwave components at the low-cost and short lead time using liquid form conductors and 3D printing technology. Innovation consists in developing surface roughness free waveguide- and coaxial-based RF and microwave devices, in one-single-piece. This technique can be further extended to create high-performance reconfigurable RF and microwave devices such as filters, an ....Opening a New Era of High-Performance Microwave Devices. We propose a conceptually new method of manufacturing high-performance microwave components at the low-cost and short lead time using liquid form conductors and 3D printing technology. Innovation consists in developing surface roughness free waveguide- and coaxial-based RF and microwave devices, in one-single-piece. This technique can be further extended to create high-performance reconfigurable RF and microwave devices such as filters, antennas, directional couplers, phase shifters and switches by manipulating the locations of the liquid conductors. Furthermore, the method will enable the management of heat generated in high-power applications. Australian telecommunication industry and defence will benefit from the outcome of this project.Read moreRead less
Cleaning of tough paints on advanced composites using laser technologies. This project researches fundamental knowledge and algorithms to underpin the deployment of a novel ablation technology using pulsed lasers to remove paints, in particular tough paints, from surfaces of advanced composite structures, e.g. airframes and turbine blades. It establishes thermal mechanical models to describe ablation mechanisms of pulsed laser removal of the paint using both IR and UV bands. Optimal processing p ....Cleaning of tough paints on advanced composites using laser technologies. This project researches fundamental knowledge and algorithms to underpin the deployment of a novel ablation technology using pulsed lasers to remove paints, in particular tough paints, from surfaces of advanced composite structures, e.g. airframes and turbine blades. It establishes thermal mechanical models to describe ablation mechanisms of pulsed laser removal of the paint using both IR and UV bands. Optimal processing protocols to clean paints with different properties, without damaging the underlying composites, will be determined and demonstrated. It meets a cleaning technology need for this paint-on-composites material system to support retrofitting and re-manufacturing in industry. These are crucial industry requirements. Read moreRead less
Characterising nanostructure functionality of conventional and advanced polymeric membranes using electrical impedance spectroscopy. Thin film membranes are an important separation process for industrial and municipal water treatment. This project will benefit Australian cities and industries by creating the tools to help reduce energy consumption associated with fouling of thin film membranes and indentify the next generation of efficient low fouling membranes.