Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100129
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
Equipment and instrumentation for breaking the quantum measurement barrier. This equipment will support Australia's partnership in the international effort to detect gravitational waves, which would allow the first direct observation of black holes and mark the beginning of exploration of the gravitational wave spectrum.
Three-Mode interactions and optical springs in high power optical cavities. Gravitational waves are tiny vibrations of space and time which carry vast energy. They will allow the first direct observation of black holes. To make frequent detections this project will harness the force of intense laser light, and use this force to improve the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors.
Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signal ....Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signals from smaller black holes and neutron stars. The new technology, which uses nano-scale suspended tiny mirrors controlled by laser light, is likely to have applications in making sensors and quantum devices for advanced instrumentation, improve mineral exploration and measure tiny electromagnetic signals.Read moreRead less
Plasmonic nano-antennas for next-generation photon sources. Extending concepts from standard radio-frequency antenna technology down to the nanoscale will open up new applications in fields from biotechnology to telecommunications. This project will embed a light emitting particle in a nanostructured metallic device to produce an ultrabright, directional single-photon source.
Targeted light - optical mode control at the nanoscale. Nanophotonics provides a path for controlling the interaction of light and matter at the nanoscale. Using spatially tailored laser beams to address nano-particles, this project aims to create new approaches for specifically targeting light with nano-scale precision, which has valuable potential applications in biosensing and communications.
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.
Enhancing the science reach of second generation interferometric gravitational wave detectors through innovative mirror design and control. Predicted by Einstein, gravitational waves promise to unlock the secrets of the universe just as seismic measurements unlocked the secrets of the Earth's interior. Scientists are on the brink of detecting these waves. This research aids that effort by developing Australian technologies which allow specific gravitational wave sources to be targeted.
Securing the quantum internet with high-dimensional quantum systems. This project aims to develop experimental and theoretical tools for increasing security in the future quantum networks. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of quantum communication by leveraging on the properties of high-dimensional quantum systems. Expected outcomes of this project include novel protocols for quantum secret sharing that are resistant to experimental noise and an experimental implementati ....Securing the quantum internet with high-dimensional quantum systems. This project aims to develop experimental and theoretical tools for increasing security in the future quantum networks. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of quantum communication by leveraging on the properties of high-dimensional quantum systems. Expected outcomes of this project include novel protocols for quantum secret sharing that are resistant to experimental noise and an experimental implementation of such protocols. This should provide significant benefits to the development of the quantum internet and its security.Read moreRead less
Optical phased array for space debris tracking and manoeuvring. Space junk in low Earth orbit is increasing at an alarming rate, jeopardising our access to critical navigation, communications, weather and natural disaster warning services. This project will prevent collisions of debris with satellites by developing a new laser system called an optical phased array to track and remotely manoeuvre space debris.
Neural mechanisms of vestibular perception in zebrafish. This project aims to understand vestibular processing by removing physical movement. The vestibular system allows us to perceive gravity and movement, but it is not understood how the brain processes information from vestibular sensors in the inner ear. This project will exert forces on the zebrafish’s inner ear with a laser, stimulating the vestibular sense. This means that the animal will experience vestibular stimuli while stationary, a ....Neural mechanisms of vestibular perception in zebrafish. This project aims to understand vestibular processing by removing physical movement. The vestibular system allows us to perceive gravity and movement, but it is not understood how the brain processes information from vestibular sensors in the inner ear. This project will exert forces on the zebrafish’s inner ear with a laser, stimulating the vestibular sense. This means that the animal will experience vestibular stimuli while stationary, allowing calcium imaging of neurons that respond to vestibular cues and optogenetics to stimulate or silence these neurons. This is expected to reveal which cells and circuits mediate vestibular perception, processing and behaviour.Read moreRead less