Smart design technology enabling the mid-infrared revolution. While mid-infrared (MIR) lasers have become indispensable to key industries ranging from research and healthcare to defence, industrial deployment of this technology has been hampered by the lack of cost-effective MIR optical fibres. This project aims to overcome this barrier through the creation of an innovative design toolkit for the fabrication of complex optical fibre structures. This efficient and commercially viable concept-to-m ....Smart design technology enabling the mid-infrared revolution. While mid-infrared (MIR) lasers have become indispensable to key industries ranging from research and healthcare to defence, industrial deployment of this technology has been hampered by the lack of cost-effective MIR optical fibres. This project aims to overcome this barrier through the creation of an innovative design toolkit for the fabrication of complex optical fibre structures. This efficient and commercially viable concept-to-manufacture development process will pave the way towards the MIR fibre technology revolution and will yield significant economic benefits spanning industrial process controls and environmental monitoring to hazardous chemical detection and biological sensing.Read moreRead less
Paradigm Shift in Mid-IR Fibre Laser. This project introduces a paradigm shift in 3.5µm mid-IR fibre lasers. A new laser process will be investigated to obtain high-power, simple and robust mid-IR fibre laser design. We will use advanced spectroscopy to characterize the fibre laser dynamics, computer modelling to optimize the laser design, and demonstrate the concept experimentally. The new design will enable agile, high precision polymer processing tailored to the unique absorption lines of car ....Paradigm Shift in Mid-IR Fibre Laser. This project introduces a paradigm shift in 3.5µm mid-IR fibre lasers. A new laser process will be investigated to obtain high-power, simple and robust mid-IR fibre laser design. We will use advanced spectroscopy to characterize the fibre laser dynamics, computer modelling to optimize the laser design, and demonstrate the concept experimentally. The new design will enable agile, high precision polymer processing tailored to the unique absorption lines of carbon-hydrogen bonds in different polymers where there is currently a lack of high power, high brightness low-cost light sources. It will also open the door for very high-resolution laser assisted glass 3D-printing. The project will give Australia a new edge in advanced manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100625
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$446,700.00
Summary
Integrated slab-mode beam engineering for handheld terahertz systems. Current dominant system architectures for terahertz waves are adapted from other ranges, leading to critical bottlenecks. This project will address this with a new integration platform that is tailored to the particular needs of terahertz waves. This requires advances in the emerging field of micro-scale integrated optics, combined with antenna-theory principles, semiconductor science, and advanced microfabrication to incorpor ....Integrated slab-mode beam engineering for handheld terahertz systems. Current dominant system architectures for terahertz waves are adapted from other ranges, leading to critical bottlenecks. This project will address this with a new integration platform that is tailored to the particular needs of terahertz waves. This requires advances in the emerging field of micro-scale integrated optics, combined with antenna-theory principles, semiconductor science, and advanced microfabrication to incorporate active devices. Novel spatially-dependent dispersion engineering techniques will also be pioneered for phased-array-free beamforming. This will enable a broad variety of all-in-one handheld systems for practical applications of terahertz waves such as noninvasive standoff sensing and self-aligning wireless links.Read moreRead less
Australia’s first direct-detection dark matter search, at Stawell Gold Mine. This project aims to develop an underground integrated laboratory at Stawell Gold Mine in Victoria to host the Southern Hemisphere's first-ever direct-detection dark matter experiment. Following the Higgs boson discovery, the direct detection of dark matter is seen as the next major challenge for particle physics. This project sees Australian physicists team up with local and international partners in research and indus ....Australia’s first direct-detection dark matter search, at Stawell Gold Mine. This project aims to develop an underground integrated laboratory at Stawell Gold Mine in Victoria to host the Southern Hemisphere's first-ever direct-detection dark matter experiment. Following the Higgs boson discovery, the direct detection of dark matter is seen as the next major challenge for particle physics. This project sees Australian physicists team up with local and international partners in research and industry to join the search for dark matter. This Australian experiment aims to help to confirm or deny current results from Northern Hemisphere experiments. As the mine nears the end of its working life as a gold mine, this project is expected to benefit the local economy and provide opportunities for education and outreach.Read moreRead less
Levitated Quantum Optomechanics with Trapped, Rotating Microparticles. This project will develop techniques for trapping, rotating and cooling microscopic particles in vacuum for exquisitely accurate studies of sensors and of fundamental physics at the classical-quantum interface - namely quantum vacuum friction. It will result in the establishment of an internationally recognised activity in rotational levitated optomechanics and expand Australia's presence in the field of quantum photonics. It ....Levitated Quantum Optomechanics with Trapped, Rotating Microparticles. This project will develop techniques for trapping, rotating and cooling microscopic particles in vacuum for exquisitely accurate studies of sensors and of fundamental physics at the classical-quantum interface - namely quantum vacuum friction. It will result in the establishment of an internationally recognised activity in rotational levitated optomechanics and expand Australia's presence in the field of quantum photonics. It has the potential for commercial benefit in areas including photonics, sensors and advanced manufacturingRead moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL210100099
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,401,828.00
Summary
The Intelligent Microscope - novel optical imaging at depth. While optical methods for imaging are used extensively, achieving wide-field imaging through scattering media with high resolution and depth is a major challenge, due mainly to the limited penetration depth of light. This proposal aims to transform wide-field optical imaging through a new ‘intelligent’ microscopy able to capture 3D volumetric images. Innovations in shaping light in both space and time will be combined in a holistic wa ....The Intelligent Microscope - novel optical imaging at depth. While optical methods for imaging are used extensively, achieving wide-field imaging through scattering media with high resolution and depth is a major challenge, due mainly to the limited penetration depth of light. This proposal aims to transform wide-field optical imaging through a new ‘intelligent’ microscopy able to capture 3D volumetric images. Innovations in shaping light in both space and time will be combined in a holistic way with computational analysis to extract images from deep within the sample at extraordinary levels of detail. Major benefits of the research range from next-generation tools for enhanced discovery of biological and physical materials, to new Australian start-ups for new imaging and microscopy devices.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100130
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,300,000.00
Summary
Thermophysical Property Analysers for Materials under Extreme Environments. The development of new materials with properties specifically tailored to withstand the extreme environments begins with understanding the physical nature of the processes involved, including the properties of atoms and molecules extending from the nanoscale to the collective behaviour at the macroscale. This relies on the knowledge achieved with new capabilities of analytical tools to open new avenues for developing the ....Thermophysical Property Analysers for Materials under Extreme Environments. The development of new materials with properties specifically tailored to withstand the extreme environments begins with understanding the physical nature of the processes involved, including the properties of atoms and molecules extending from the nanoscale to the collective behaviour at the macroscale. This relies on the knowledge achieved with new capabilities of analytical tools to open new avenues for developing the materials. This project aims to strengthen Australian research activities in the development of advanced materials for energy, defence and space, and advanced manufacturing technologies through establishing a high temperature, high pressure and high force materials characterisation suite for extreme environments at UNSW.Read moreRead less
Airborne ultrafine particles in Australian cities. There is an acute deficiency of knowledge in Australia on urban airborne ultrafine particles, originating from transport and other anthropogenic sources, which pose significant health and environmental risks. The aim of this project is to address this deficiency by an extensive multi-city, cross-disciplinary study using state of the art instrumentation and data analytic techniques. The outcome will be an in depth, quantitative insight into the c ....Airborne ultrafine particles in Australian cities. There is an acute deficiency of knowledge in Australia on urban airborne ultrafine particles, originating from transport and other anthropogenic sources, which pose significant health and environmental risks. The aim of this project is to address this deficiency by an extensive multi-city, cross-disciplinary study using state of the art instrumentation and data analytic techniques. The outcome will be an in depth, quantitative insight into the characteristics of the particles, their sources and spatial and temporal variation across different urban areas and time scales. Further, the impacts of changing fuels, vehicle technologies, and climate on future trends of the particles will be elucidated.Read moreRead less