Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL150100019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,041,282.00
Summary
Precision laser levitation for quantum metrology and gravitational sensing. Precision laser levitation for quantum metrology and gravitational sensing: This fellowship project aims to levitate macroscopic objects using only laser beams, to provide a new tool to test physics theories. Strong laser beams can exert sufficient force to counteract gravity and make an object levitate. In contrast to other forms of levitation, laser levitation is scatter-free and can preserve system coherence. It has s ....Precision laser levitation for quantum metrology and gravitational sensing. Precision laser levitation for quantum metrology and gravitational sensing: This fellowship project aims to levitate macroscopic objects using only laser beams, to provide a new tool to test physics theories. Strong laser beams can exert sufficient force to counteract gravity and make an object levitate. In contrast to other forms of levitation, laser levitation is scatter-free and can preserve system coherence. It has superior optical and mechanical quality factors and complete information of the system dynamics is retained. This allows laser levitation to be turned into a highly controllable and ultra-sensitive device capable of detecting minute environmental changes. This research aims to probe the relationship between quantum and gravitational physics and develop laser levitation into a precision instrument for the sensing of gravity. Laser levitation has the potential to be developed into technology for mineral exploration and environmental sensing.Read moreRead less
Coherent Laser Levitation for Precision Sensing and Enabling Science. When light collides with matter, it may exert a force called radiation pressure. This project aims to use radiation pressure to levitate a small mirror. Using a tripod of laser beams, it is possible to levitate and trap the mirror in a stable position. Radiation pressure has been used before to levitate, but previous work has always involved scattering light from the levitating object. This project proposes the use of a high q ....Coherent Laser Levitation for Precision Sensing and Enabling Science. When light collides with matter, it may exert a force called radiation pressure. This project aims to use radiation pressure to levitate a small mirror. Using a tripod of laser beams, it is possible to levitate and trap the mirror in a stable position. Radiation pressure has been used before to levitate, but previous work has always involved scattering light from the levitating object. This project proposes the use of a high quality mirror, allowing the collection of the reflected light and the accurate measurement and control of the position of the mirror as it floats on the laser beams. Using the unique properties of the floating mirror, it will be possible to search for signatures of quantum gravity and develop tools for ultra-precision metrology.Read moreRead less
Probing the Universe with gravitational waves: from cutting-edge technology to astronomy. The direct detection of Einstein's elusive gravitational waves will not only confirm one of the most important theories in physics, it will unleash a new form of radiation (in addition to electromagnetic) with which to study the Universe. Our participation in this quest continues Australia's role in the vanguard of new astronomy and its exploitation. This proposal will produce scientists highly trained in ....Probing the Universe with gravitational waves: from cutting-edge technology to astronomy. The direct detection of Einstein's elusive gravitational waves will not only confirm one of the most important theories in physics, it will unleash a new form of radiation (in addition to electromagnetic) with which to study the Universe. Our participation in this quest continues Australia's role in the vanguard of new astronomy and its exploitation. This proposal will produce scientists highly trained in areas of national priority, including frontier technologies such as photonics and smart information use through GRID computing. Developing ways to build instruments of almost unimaginable sensitivity fosters innovation leading to spin-offs into other areas of optical sensing - fundamental research resulting in economic benefit.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882792
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
High Power Laser, Test Masses, Digital Control System and Vacuum System for High Optical Power Interferometry Experiments. Gravitational waves are expected to offer humanity a completely new spectrum with which to study the Universe. Australia has been a pioneer in the quest to open up this new spectrum. This project will allow Australia to play a key role in a world-wide project which aims for the first time to enable gravitational waves to be detected from black holes and neutron stars through ....High Power Laser, Test Masses, Digital Control System and Vacuum System for High Optical Power Interferometry Experiments. Gravitational waves are expected to offer humanity a completely new spectrum with which to study the Universe. Australia has been a pioneer in the quest to open up this new spectrum. This project will allow Australia to play a key role in a world-wide project which aims for the first time to enable gravitational waves to be detected from black holes and neutron stars throughout the universe. It will give Australia access to developed technologies, and will be a major boost to physical science research and education.Read moreRead less
Solid state optical quantum information technology. There is a significant effort in Australia and around the world to develop quantum information technologies. This project, by demonstrating a suite of critical building blocks for quantum information processing, will support Australia's strong position in this emerging technology.
A major motivation for the effort directed at quantum information technologies is the impact they will have on the security of data transmission, both in breakin ....Solid state optical quantum information technology. There is a significant effort in Australia and around the world to develop quantum information technologies. This project, by demonstrating a suite of critical building blocks for quantum information processing, will support Australia's strong position in this emerging technology.
A major motivation for the effort directed at quantum information technologies is the impact they will have on the security of data transmission, both in breaking existing encryptions and implementing new encryption systems. The successful completion of this project will provide the essential components for a secure long distance quantum communication network. Read moreRead less
Interferometry beyond the Standard Quantum Limit. This research aims to realise measurements below the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) using advanced quantum optic and opto-mechanical techniques. This is of fundamental interest as the SQL is yet to be observed for a macroscopic object. It is also of particular significance to second generation gravitational wave detectors which are expected to be limited by the SQL. This project will develop an opto-mechanical sensor capable of achieving SQL sensit ....Interferometry beyond the Standard Quantum Limit. This research aims to realise measurements below the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) using advanced quantum optic and opto-mechanical techniques. This is of fundamental interest as the SQL is yet to be observed for a macroscopic object. It is also of particular significance to second generation gravitational wave detectors which are expected to be limited by the SQL. This project will develop an opto-mechanical sensor capable of achieving SQL sensitivity as well as develop and test techniques to surpass the SQL. These techniques will be directly applicable to long base-line gravitational wave detectors.Read moreRead less
Quantum-Inspired Machine Learning. This project aims to develop new machine learning techniques based around the close correspondence between
neural networks used in deep learning, and tensor networks used in quantum physics. Tensor networks are a form of information compression that is useful in machine learning to construct a compact representation of a large data set in a way that is more amenable to understanding the internal structure than a deep neural network. Expected outcomes of this pr ....Quantum-Inspired Machine Learning. This project aims to develop new machine learning techniques based around the close correspondence between
neural networks used in deep learning, and tensor networks used in quantum physics. Tensor networks are a form of information compression that is useful in machine learning to construct a compact representation of a large data set in a way that is more amenable to understanding the internal structure than a deep neural network. Expected outcomes of this project include more resilient algorithms for machine learning, and new ways to represent quantum states that will impact fundamental physics. The resulting benefits include enhanced capacity for cross-discipline collaboration, and improved methods for future industrial applications.
Read moreRead less
Quantum spatial modes and their use in imaging, measurement, and communication. Quantum optics has the potential to provide highly accurate physical measurements, and to improve the speed and security of communication. The spatial modes of a light field provide a new and interesting basis for these investigations.
This fellowship proposes to generate spatially correlated quantum light beams, applying them to spatial positioning applications, such as atomic force microscopy, and to quantum ....Quantum spatial modes and their use in imaging, measurement, and communication. Quantum optics has the potential to provide highly accurate physical measurements, and to improve the speed and security of communication. The spatial modes of a light field provide a new and interesting basis for these investigations.
This fellowship proposes to generate spatially correlated quantum light beams, applying them to spatial positioning applications, such as atomic force microscopy, and to quantum communication protocols. I will experimentally develop general techniques to losslessly combine multiple quantum spatial modes, and demonstrate multi-mode quantum correlations in a light beam. I will investigate the potential of this light to cryptography, densecoding, and atomic force microscopy.
Read moreRead less
Quantum Photonics and Imaging. Photonics is an expanding industry and its technology to date is essentially all classical, it uses light as a wave. In Quantum Photonics we want to carry out fundamental research that makes full use of the quantum properties of photons. We want to demonstrate novel and better ways to create, transfer, store and manipulate information both in space and time. This will lead to new applications such as quantum-cryptography, optical teleportation, and quantum-imagin ....Quantum Photonics and Imaging. Photonics is an expanding industry and its technology to date is essentially all classical, it uses light as a wave. In Quantum Photonics we want to carry out fundamental research that makes full use of the quantum properties of photons. We want to demonstrate novel and better ways to create, transfer, store and manipulate information both in space and time. This will lead to new applications such as quantum-cryptography, optical teleportation, and quantum-imaging, initially with a few, later with many pixel. All these are particularly suitable for our proven technology of nonclassical continuous laser beams.Read moreRead less
Solid-state quantum communication technology. This project will develop the quantum information devices required to create a quantum communication network for the ultra-secure transmission of data. The key technological challenge is to entangle the quantum state of two crystals separated by kilometres, and maintain this entanglement for many seconds.