Creating a national time and frequency network for Australia. This project will develop the means to distribute accurate time and frequency across the Australian continent via an optical fibre network. This network will meet the needs of future telecommunications, science and astronomy projects including the Australian bid for the Square Kilometre Array radio-astronomy project.
Smart Bungs for wine monitoring. 'Smart Bung' sensors will use optical fibres to monitor wine production using only nano- to microlitre-scale volumes, significantly reducing wastage and improving quality. They will serve as 'early warning devices' and will ensure that Australia's wine industry maintains its outstanding international reputation for excellence and innovation.
Advanced eyesafe Er:YAG short pulsed lasers for remote sensing applications. This project will develop state-of-the-art tunable pulsed Er:YAG laser systems that will represent a significant advance for eyesafe remote sensing and range finder technologies. It will render obsolete, current state-of-the-art systems for laser ranging and enable remote sensing of a critical greenhouse gas.
Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combini ....Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combining a frequency comb source, with an innovative detector and a highly sensitive sampling system, a real-time spectral signature of each sample will be generated. Computational techniques developed by the radio astronomy community will then be used to extract concentrations of individual molecular components at the parts-per-billion level.Read moreRead less
Combined Terahertz Imaging and Optical Coherence Tomography. This project aims to exploit the synergies between terahertz imaging and optical coherence tomography. These novel imaging modalities will be combined into a single multi-modality technique which will have application in numerous industry sectors like manufacturing, non-destructive testing, pharmaceutical and medicine. The intended outcome of the project is to create an internationally leading position for Australia in cutting-edge res ....Combined Terahertz Imaging and Optical Coherence Tomography. This project aims to exploit the synergies between terahertz imaging and optical coherence tomography. These novel imaging modalities will be combined into a single multi-modality technique which will have application in numerous industry sectors like manufacturing, non-destructive testing, pharmaceutical and medicine. The intended outcome of the project is to create an internationally leading position for Australia in cutting-edge research in optical and terahertz imaging. This innovative, fundamental research will expand Australia’s research capacity in imaging with wide ranging applications. The anticipated goal of the project is to build a prototype imaging system with industry partners ready for the next step to commercialisation. Read moreRead less
Compact and versatile chip lasers for three-dimensional mine surveying. This project will bring together a world leading mine survey company, The University of Adelaide and Macquarie University researchers, to develop an 'eye-safe' micro laser for high resolution three-dimensional laser-mapping. The recently developed and patented 'chip' laser will allow the realisation of a compact, enhanced range laser-radar with unmatched resolution.
Extreme temperature monitoring for minerals and metals processing. This project aims to extend the capabilities of the optical fibre temperature sensor technology developed by the research team, based on microstructured optical fibres and femtosecond laser ablation fibre Bragg gratings, to conduct a range of measurements inside industrial furnace environments that are impossible using existing technology. This device will also be validated within the furnaces located at the minerals and metals p ....Extreme temperature monitoring for minerals and metals processing. This project aims to extend the capabilities of the optical fibre temperature sensor technology developed by the research team, based on microstructured optical fibres and femtosecond laser ablation fibre Bragg gratings, to conduct a range of measurements inside industrial furnace environments that are impossible using existing technology. This device will also be validated within the furnaces located at the minerals and metals processing facility operated by Nyrstar in Port Pirie. This project is designed to enable smelter operators to improve production efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and minimise equipment failure.Read moreRead less
Polymer fibres: A game changer for THz high-capacity interconnects. The transition to a society with consuming enormous amounts of digital data has accentuated the need for high-speed data links. The project aims to create a novel class of polymer terahertz fibres to replace the current lossy wires that are bandwidth limited. This will be achieved through innovative microstructured fibre designs, cost-effective and scalable fibre fabrication, and integration of terahertz fibre in the next genera ....Polymer fibres: A game changer for THz high-capacity interconnects. The transition to a society with consuming enormous amounts of digital data has accentuated the need for high-speed data links. The project aims to create a novel class of polymer terahertz fibres to replace the current lossy wires that are bandwidth limited. This will be achieved through innovative microstructured fibre designs, cost-effective and scalable fibre fabrication, and integration of terahertz fibre in the next generation communication systems. The project outcomes are expected to put Australia at the forefront of the field of polymer terahertz fibre links, which will be a game changer for industries that require reliable and high-speed connections including telecom, automotive, space, datacentres, and image processing.
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Cooperative Mesh Networks for Municipal Wireless Access. Robust mobile broadband data communication is vital for public safety and emergency services applications. This project will improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of mesh networks, enabling new network architectures. Immediate benefits to Australia will be: Contribution to a growing knowledge base and fundamental capabilities wireless broadband communications; Education of future leading academic and industrial innovators; Raising ....Cooperative Mesh Networks for Municipal Wireless Access. Robust mobile broadband data communication is vital for public safety and emergency services applications. This project will improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of mesh networks, enabling new network architectures. Immediate benefits to Australia will be: Contribution to a growing knowledge base and fundamental capabilities wireless broadband communications; Education of future leading academic and industrial innovators; Raising the international profile of Australian research in information technology. The contribution of Information and Communications Technology to the National economy is widely recognized. ICT contributes to wealth creation, employment and exports, underpinning many innovation processes.Read moreRead less
Photonic chip inertial movement sensors. This project aims to create a new class of optical inertial movement sensors using integrated photonic chip technology. By replacing optical fibre coils with compact waveguides, integrating light sources on-chip and by harnessing smart sensing approaches, we intend to reduce the required power from watts to milliwatts and reduce the dimensions from meters to centimetres. The expected project outcomes are sensors with military grade precision but with the ....Photonic chip inertial movement sensors. This project aims to create a new class of optical inertial movement sensors using integrated photonic chip technology. By replacing optical fibre coils with compact waveguides, integrating light sources on-chip and by harnessing smart sensing approaches, we intend to reduce the required power from watts to milliwatts and reduce the dimensions from meters to centimetres. The expected project outcomes are sensors with military grade precision but with the size, cost and manufacturability of consumer electronics. This technology will fill a strategic gap in the movement sensor market enabling applications ranging from robotic infrastructure monitoring, manufacture and surgery to guiding satellites and other space craft.Read moreRead less