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
Improved fibre Bragg grating sensors for detection of structural hot spots. Structural integrity monitoring, to anticipate and prevent failure, is a multi-billion dollar effort worldwide. Detailed assessment of the capability of fibre Bragg gratings to measure strain profiles along the grating length, i.e. intragrating sensing, and thereby detect structural ?hot spots? before failure is essential for effective systems. They will be used to determine strain gradients similar to those found in com ....Improved fibre Bragg grating sensors for detection of structural hot spots. Structural integrity monitoring, to anticipate and prevent failure, is a multi-billion dollar effort worldwide. Detailed assessment of the capability of fibre Bragg gratings to measure strain profiles along the grating length, i.e. intragrating sensing, and thereby detect structural ?hot spots? before failure is essential for effective systems. They will be used to determine strain gradients similar to those found in common problem areas, such as the tips of elliptic notches and disbonding at the ends of composite joints. Additionally, grating refractive index profiles will be characterised using imaging techniques, to assess performance and possible changes to gratings after prolonged use.Read moreRead less
High-performance smart solar powered on-chip capacitive energy storage. High performance and environmentally friendly on-chip power system is the key bottleneck issue limiting the further performance improvement and miniaturisation of ever-increasing portable optoelectronic devices. Building on previous work, including recent breakthroughs of on-chip photonic devices in patterned graphene oxide thin film and the record-breaking nanophotonics solar cells, the project aims to investigate a new con ....High-performance smart solar powered on-chip capacitive energy storage. High performance and environmentally friendly on-chip power system is the key bottleneck issue limiting the further performance improvement and miniaturisation of ever-increasing portable optoelectronic devices. Building on previous work, including recent breakthroughs of on-chip photonic devices in patterned graphene oxide thin film and the record-breaking nanophotonics solar cells, the project aims to investigate a new concept of super-resolution direct laser printing and simultaneous dopant activation of graphene oxide thin films. It is expected that the conceptually new development of the functional graphene oxide film patterning will allow for smart solar-powered on-chip power systems that outperform the state-of-the-art pollution generating batteries.Read moreRead less
Investigation into a graphene ultra-flat lens array for silicon solar cells breaking the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Based on a recent discovery of the giant refractive index modulation associated with graphene oxide to graphene transition upon laser exposure and the breakthrough of graphene silicon solar cells. This project aims to investigate a new concept of an integratible, broadband, dispersionless, ultraflat lens array from nanostructured graphene oxide/graphene. This conceptually ....Investigation into a graphene ultra-flat lens array for silicon solar cells breaking the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Based on a recent discovery of the giant refractive index modulation associated with graphene oxide to graphene transition upon laser exposure and the breakthrough of graphene silicon solar cells. This project aims to investigate a new concept of an integratible, broadband, dispersionless, ultraflat lens array from nanostructured graphene oxide/graphene. This conceptually new development of functional graphene oxide/graphene lens array in combination with a lumpy nanoparticle enabled back light trapping layer will allow for the non-reciprocal coupling of the broadband solar light into the photovoltaic devices with minimised entropy losses. Thus ultrahigh efficiency solar cells exceeding the conventional theoretical limit can be developed.Read moreRead less
Nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive digital holography: toward the next generation ultrafast and multi-colour three dimensional display technology. The cutting-edge knowledge in nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive polymers will provide an innovative material for green-photonics industry. The new generation ultrafast and multi-colour digital holographic three dimensional display technology will be potentially beneficial to entertainment sectors, remote education and medical diagnosis and photov ....Nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive digital holography: toward the next generation ultrafast and multi-colour three dimensional display technology. The cutting-edge knowledge in nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive polymers will provide an innovative material for green-photonics industry. The new generation ultrafast and multi-colour digital holographic three dimensional display technology will be potentially beneficial to entertainment sectors, remote education and medical diagnosis and photovoltaics.Read moreRead less
Nanodiamond in glass: a new approach to nanosensing. This work will develop optical materials enriched with diamond nanoparticles. This will enable the magnetic field sensitivity of diamond nanoparticles to be combined with the capacity of micro/nanostructured optical fibres to enhance the interaction of light with matter. The outcome will be tools for probing biological processes on the nanoscale.
Optical Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OOFDM): a breakthrough for ultra-broadband optical fibre systems and infrared wireless personal-area networks. Optical-OFDM provides Australia with an opportunity to develop a new, high-tech, easy-to-export technology with a very large market potential spanning three key communications markets: wireless personal-area networks, local-area networks and long-haul (80-4000 km) optical networks. It is based on innovative Australian technology genera ....Optical Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OOFDM): a breakthrough for ultra-broadband optical fibre systems and infrared wireless personal-area networks. Optical-OFDM provides Australia with an opportunity to develop a new, high-tech, easy-to-export technology with a very large market potential spanning three key communications markets: wireless personal-area networks, local-area networks and long-haul (80-4000 km) optical networks. It is based on innovative Australian technology generated from two research strengths: photonics and OFDM. OFDM is already the basis of most non-optical broadband systems, including digital broadcasting and ADSL. Patent applications have been filed. One application enables bandwidths to rural and remote communities to be quadrupled without laying new cables. By launching off this local market Australian industry can develop a world leading industry.Read moreRead less
Multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) for optical wireless: a breakthrough solution to gaps in broadband delivery. Reliable, flexible broadband delivery is critical for Australian business and for the Australian community. This project will develop the technology on which a new generation of optical wireless communication systems will be based. By using optical rather than radio frequencies they will combine the data rates of optical with the mobil ....Multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) for optical wireless: a breakthrough solution to gaps in broadband delivery. Reliable, flexible broadband delivery is critical for Australian business and for the Australian community. This project will develop the technology on which a new generation of optical wireless communication systems will be based. By using optical rather than radio frequencies they will combine the data rates of optical with the mobility of wireless. They will fill many of the gaps in existing broadband delivery including providing a new flexible last-mile technology and an alternative form of local area network for indoor use. They will lead to new business opportunities within Australia and provide excellent research training in the field of OFDM, a field in which there is significant local R&D in Australian and multinational companies.Read moreRead less
Redefining the immune landscape of the human ocular surface. At the ocular surface, the cornea and limbus need to mount effective immune responses to maintain corneal transparency for clear vision. The current paradigm is that the human cornea houses the same innate immune cell subsets (dendritic cells and macrophages) as naïve mice in pathogen-free facilities. Our pilot data challenge this premise, with early evidence that innate and adaptive cells (T cells) coexist in normal human corneas. Int ....Redefining the immune landscape of the human ocular surface. At the ocular surface, the cornea and limbus need to mount effective immune responses to maintain corneal transparency for clear vision. The current paradigm is that the human cornea houses the same innate immune cell subsets (dendritic cells and macrophages) as naïve mice in pathogen-free facilities. Our pilot data challenge this premise, with early evidence that innate and adaptive cells (T cells) coexist in normal human corneas. Integrating state-of-the-art techniques, we will advance understanding of immune regulation at the human ocular surface by comprehensively defining immune cell biology and dynamics. We will define the effect of age on immune cells in these tissues, and relationships between the tear proteome and cell behaviours.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