Fabrication and design of spun and chiral microstructured fibres. Novel optical fibre devices and especially sensors have established and growing markets in sectors as diverse as medical, aerospace & defence, energy, scientific and process control. This project will build on our existing success in developing microstructured polymer optical fibres (mPOF), and create major new opportunities, both in fundamental science and in applications that could be commercialised. Australia is currently leadi ....Fabrication and design of spun and chiral microstructured fibres. Novel optical fibre devices and especially sensors have established and growing markets in sectors as diverse as medical, aerospace & defence, energy, scientific and process control. This project will build on our existing success in developing microstructured polymer optical fibres (mPOF), and create major new opportunities, both in fundamental science and in applications that could be commercialised. Australia is currently leading the world in mPOF. This project builds on these past successes but moves beyond telecommunications into biophotonics with potential applications in magnetic field sensors, biological sensors, optical tweezers, polarisation emulators and new types of linear and nonlinear modes. Read moreRead less
Next-Generation Optical Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) for long-haul telecommunications: building on recent research and commercialisation success. The provision of Broadband Internet services to the home also requires extremely-fast 'backbone' connections between cities to carry the additional traffic demands.
In a previous project funded by the ARC, Monash researchers developed Optical-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology to increase the information- ....Next-Generation Optical Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) for long-haul telecommunications: building on recent research and commercialisation success. The provision of Broadband Internet services to the home also requires extremely-fast 'backbone' connections between cities to carry the additional traffic demands.
In a previous project funded by the ARC, Monash researchers developed Optical-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology to increase the information-carrying capacity of optical fibers simply by plugging in new circuit boards at exchanges. This is now being commercialised by a new Australian company, to considerable international acclaim. This project aims to provide the next generation of this technology, which will support even faster internet and will ensure the long-term future of Australian telecommunications manufacturing.
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Embedded Dispersion Measurement for Fibre Optic Transport Systems. This project addresses an important problem in long-haul optical transport systems and a solution would simplify the deployment, faultfinding and operation of these systems. A positive outcome may lead to an opportunity to license the technology to existing equipment manufacturers. Furthermore, the proposed solution involves optical and electronic technology that is within the capability of Australian industry. There will also ....Embedded Dispersion Measurement for Fibre Optic Transport Systems. This project addresses an important problem in long-haul optical transport systems and a solution would simplify the deployment, faultfinding and operation of these systems. A positive outcome may lead to an opportunity to license the technology to existing equipment manufacturers. Furthermore, the proposed solution involves optical and electronic technology that is within the capability of Australian industry. There will also be the more certain but indirect benefit the research in this project will provide additional stimulus to active and established research community in Australia working on optical devices, subsystems and systems.Read moreRead less
Frozen linear and nonlinear light. Frozen light refers to the observation that light inside particular media can be much brighter than outside it, essentially because it bounced around many times before leaving. Such light has many advantages which have applications in optical signal processing, lasers, and in other optical devices. Until now frozen light has only been studied in a small range of geometries and only at low intensities. In this fundamental research project we will investigate fr ....Frozen linear and nonlinear light. Frozen light refers to the observation that light inside particular media can be much brighter than outside it, essentially because it bounced around many times before leaving. Such light has many advantages which have applications in optical signal processing, lasers, and in other optical devices. Until now frozen light has only been studied in a small range of geometries and only at low intensities. In this fundamental research project we will investigate frozen light, its generation and its properties at low and high intensities, systematically, and we will assess how it can be harnessed for potential applications.Read moreRead less
Silk Fibroin Optofluidic Chips. Unlike any other material, even any other biologically occurring material, silk is unique in being very transparent, able to be shaped on a very small scale and can keep natural chemicals like proteins and enzymes active. This project will use silk to make optical devices and sensors. Optics made from silk will have all these properties, which means that they can be used as sensors and devices in biochemistry applications that have never been possible before. Thes ....Silk Fibroin Optofluidic Chips. Unlike any other material, even any other biologically occurring material, silk is unique in being very transparent, able to be shaped on a very small scale and can keep natural chemicals like proteins and enzymes active. This project will use silk to make optical devices and sensors. Optics made from silk will have all these properties, which means that they can be used as sensors and devices in biochemistry applications that have never been possible before. These cost-effective devices will have the potential to enhance healthcare, emergency medicine and assist early medical diagnosis.Read moreRead less
Photonic routing with liquid crystals. Liquid crystals became a household item but their unequaled nonlocal optical properties are much less known and studied, although the breathtaking prospects of their future applications in photonics inspire many experts around the world. We will bring to Australia the state of the art research approach, theoretical and experimental, aiming to uncover and realize the potential of long range interaction between laser light and nonlocal liquid crystals for fut ....Photonic routing with liquid crystals. Liquid crystals became a household item but their unequaled nonlocal optical properties are much less known and studied, although the breathtaking prospects of their future applications in photonics inspire many experts around the world. We will bring to Australia the state of the art research approach, theoretical and experimental, aiming to uncover and realize the potential of long range interaction between laser light and nonlocal liquid crystals for futuristic all-optical devices. This project will promote and enhance the rapid development of photonics in Australia, as well as deliver foremost practical expertise and outstanding training of young researchers.Read moreRead less
Nonlinear photonic crystal fabrication in a high refractive index lithium niobate crystal. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to achieve 3D nonlinear PhCs in a high refractive index material. This project will expand the national knowledge in the area of nonlinear PhCs. The successful compensation of the spherical aberration will advance the optical microfabrication technique. It is expected that the project will provide many chances for postgraduate stu ....Nonlinear photonic crystal fabrication in a high refractive index lithium niobate crystal. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to achieve 3D nonlinear PhCs in a high refractive index material. This project will expand the national knowledge in the area of nonlinear PhCs. The successful compensation of the spherical aberration will advance the optical microfabrication technique. It is expected that the project will provide many chances for postgraduate students to become involved. Some newly developed devices based on nonlinear PhCs may find their commercial applications and we have a chance of securing the intellectual property related to these applications. In a long term, nonlinear PCs may be widely used in daily life and provide some opportunities to the industries.Read moreRead less
Miniaturised Adiabatic Light Processing Devices. The project will develop, model and analyse a range of miniaturised light-processing devices for optical communications applications that rely soley on their geometrical design for their optical functionality. Such devices are less complex than devices that rely on other physical phenomena for their operation, such as interference, resonance or grating phenomena. They have potential application to a wide range of applications including optical tel ....Miniaturised Adiabatic Light Processing Devices. The project will develop, model and analyse a range of miniaturised light-processing devices for optical communications applications that rely soley on their geometrical design for their optical functionality. Such devices are less complex than devices that rely on other physical phenomena for their operation, such as interference, resonance or grating phenomena. They have potential application to a wide range of applications including optical telecommunications, optical sensing and biophotonics. The major outcome will be a range of novel devices that are very compact, have very low optical power loss and process light signals in ways that either cannot be readily achieved by other approaches or are simpler than other approaches.Read moreRead less
Architectures and System Technologies for Intelligent Photonic Packet Routers. The photonic packet switching in future all-optical IP centric networks can provide the much needed bandwidth granularity and optimal data transport architectures. Through the adaptation of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) compatible photonic label switching concepts, photonic packet routers can be easily realised. As part of this project we will develop subsystem technologies for header processing with integrate ....Architectures and System Technologies for Intelligent Photonic Packet Routers. The photonic packet switching in future all-optical IP centric networks can provide the much needed bandwidth granularity and optimal data transport architectures. Through the adaptation of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) compatible photonic label switching concepts, photonic packet routers can be easily realised. As part of this project we will develop subsystem technologies for header processing with integrated ability to perform optical signal monitoring will be made. Based on these studies, optimal novel intelligent photonic router architectures incorporating these technologies will be developed and demonstrated. Performance optimisation will be carried out through computer modelling.Read moreRead less
Delivering Next-Generation Broadband Internet Access to Australia: Integration of Broadband Optical and Wireless Networks. Provision of broadband services is a high priority for the Australian government as evidenced by a range of initiatives costing more than $4 billion. Especially, the integration of optical and wireless broadband access will potentially provide inexpensive and efficient solutions to customers. Building on the strength of existing photonics and wireless industries in Australia ....Delivering Next-Generation Broadband Internet Access to Australia: Integration of Broadband Optical and Wireless Networks. Provision of broadband services is a high priority for the Australian government as evidenced by a range of initiatives costing more than $4 billion. Especially, the integration of optical and wireless broadband access will potentially provide inexpensive and efficient solutions to customers. Building on the strength of existing photonics and wireless industries in Australia, direct and indirect outcomes of this project can lead to new business opportunities and will further strengthen the growing local telecommunication industries. It is also anticipated that national and international collaboration will generate further research activities and significantly enhance the existing reputation of Australian research capabilities.Read moreRead less