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
Liquid light: aqueous bio-sensing in microstructured polymer optical fibres. This project builds on Australia's world-leading position in the development of microstructured polymer optical fibres, and applies the unique benefits they provide to for ultra- sensitive bio-sensing. By using the microstructure to simultaneously confine light and liquid, microstructured optical fibres provide a unique platform for ultra-sensitive spectroscopy and structural studies of biomolecules in solution. The wor ....Liquid light: aqueous bio-sensing in microstructured polymer optical fibres. This project builds on Australia's world-leading position in the development of microstructured polymer optical fibres, and applies the unique benefits they provide to for ultra- sensitive bio-sensing. By using the microstructure to simultaneously confine light and liquid, microstructured optical fibres provide a unique platform for ultra-sensitive spectroscopy and structural studies of biomolecules in solution. The work has profound implications both for fundamental science and applications, particularly in medical diagnostics.Read moreRead less
Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expe ....Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expensive and complicated. A low-cost alternative will dramatically increase the use of adaptive optics in industrial, environmental and medical applications. The compensation of distortions in low-cost optical atmospheric sensors will be demonstrated.Read moreRead less
Novel coherence-free photonic microwave signal processors. With the increasing bandwidth requirements of information signals, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-speed and high resolution systems for signal processing. The new photonic signal processors in this project will herald in a new epoch in the ability to optimally condition wideband signals, with important applications for science, business and security services. These processors will have particular impact in transcendi ....Novel coherence-free photonic microwave signal processors. With the increasing bandwidth requirements of information signals, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-speed and high resolution systems for signal processing. The new photonic signal processors in this project will herald in a new epoch in the ability to optimally condition wideband signals, with important applications for science, business and security services. These processors will have particular impact in transcending exisiting electronic processor limitations and in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with benefits to Australia in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
Novel coherence-free microwave photonic signal processors. With the unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-performance systems for high-bandwidth signal processing. In areas such as fibre-wireless networks, radioastronomy, and defence, it is essential to pre-process the wideband fibre-fed distributed antenna signals. The new coherence-free, high-frequency, low-noise photonic signal processors, in this project have important app ....Novel coherence-free microwave photonic signal processors. With the unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-performance systems for high-bandwidth signal processing. In areas such as fibre-wireless networks, radioastronomy, and defence, it is essential to pre-process the wideband fibre-fed distributed antenna signals. The new coherence-free, high-frequency, low-noise photonic signal processors, in this project have important applications for science, business and security services. The results have widespread uses in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with national benefits in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
Dynamically tunable, low-noise, discrete-time optical processing of high-speed signals. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus the challenge arises to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is required to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the passband. The ne ....Dynamically tunable, low-noise, discrete-time optical processing of high-speed signals. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus the challenge arises to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is required to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the passband. The new dynamically tunable photonic signal processors in this project have important applications for science, business and security services. The results have widespread uses in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with national benefits in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
New paradigms for high-resolution microwave photonic signal processing. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus there are unprecedented challenges to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high-level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is essential to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the required signal. ....New paradigms for high-resolution microwave photonic signal processing. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus there are unprecedented challenges to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high-level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is essential to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the required signal. The new dynamically reconfigurable photonic signal processors in this project have important applications for science, business and security services. The results have widespread uses in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with national benefits in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
Exploring Synergies between Frontier Microphotonics and Advanced Time and Frequency Technology. Recently scientists have developed the means to manufacture objects that are on the same microscopic scale as light itself. These structures can deliver exquisite control of the properties of the light beams. Our existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and the pure colours generated by lasers. By combining these two technologie ....Exploring Synergies between Frontier Microphotonics and Advanced Time and Frequency Technology. Recently scientists have developed the means to manufacture objects that are on the same microscopic scale as light itself. These structures can deliver exquisite control of the properties of the light beams. Our existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and the pure colours generated by lasers. By combining these two technologies, both of which lie at the extreme limit of precision, we will develop a new generation of technology for fundamental science objectives as well as for industrial needs.Read moreRead less
New Photonics-based Interference Mitigation Filters for Radioastronomy. This project aims to study new topologies for photonics-based interference mitigation filters for radioastronomy. Its significance is that it will solve, for the first time, the problem of excising RF interfering signals from within the optical signal fibre transport systems conveying radioastronomy signals from phased array antennas. These interference suppressors are key elements in removing strong unwanted man-made signal ....New Photonics-based Interference Mitigation Filters for Radioastronomy. This project aims to study new topologies for photonics-based interference mitigation filters for radioastronomy. Its significance is that it will solve, for the first time, the problem of excising RF interfering signals from within the optical signal fibre transport systems conveying radioastronomy signals from phased array antennas. These interference suppressors are key elements in removing strong unwanted man-made signals from terrestrial transmitters and satellites that coexist, and make the detection of the very weak radioastronomy signals extremely difficult. The outcome will be new high-resolution and tunable fibre-based interference suppression filters integrable with the signal transport system, which enhance the sensitivity of radioastronomy phased arrays.Read moreRead less
Adaptive aberration compensation in high refractive index materials for next-generation active microphotonic devices. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to compensate the strong aberration in a high refractive index material. The successful compensation of such aberration will allow people to fabricate microdevices directly inside high refractive index materials. This project will greatly advance optical fabrication techniques and expand the national kno ....Adaptive aberration compensation in high refractive index materials for next-generation active microphotonic devices. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to compensate the strong aberration in a high refractive index material. The successful compensation of such aberration will allow people to fabricate microdevices directly inside high refractive index materials. This project will greatly advance optical fabrication techniques and expand the national knowledge in the area of nonlinear PhCs (photonic crystals) and related applications. It is expected that the project will provide many chances for postgraduate students to be involved. In future, nonlinear PhCs and related devices may be widely used in daily life and this project may provide some opportunities for industry.Read moreRead less