Room-temperature quantum microscopy for advanced nanoscale imaging. Original, inspired and most often cross-disciplinary efforts are the only way to solve some of nature's most obscure mysteries. Successful development of high-resolution quantum microscopy will lead to a range of benefits for the community and the nation; from graduate student training in cutting edge technology, building links between academic, industry and government groups to providing new insights and approaches into diseas ....Room-temperature quantum microscopy for advanced nanoscale imaging. Original, inspired and most often cross-disciplinary efforts are the only way to solve some of nature's most obscure mysteries. Successful development of high-resolution quantum microscopy will lead to a range of benefits for the community and the nation; from graduate student training in cutting edge technology, building links between academic, industry and government groups to providing new insights and approaches into disease identification and therapy. This project aims to demonstrate a world-first in imaging sensitivity, and success will directly enhance Australia's global reputation as a leader in innovation and collaboration. Read moreRead less
Sub-picosecond studies of matter using intense light from a Free Electron Laser. An Australian research group will use their new ultra-fast timing technology in combination with a new, extremely bright light source, the FERMI Free Electron Laser, Italy. FERMI makes picosecond wide light pulses - the timing technology measures times significantly shorter than a nanosecond. In combination, the way intense light effects the structure of atoms & molecules is studied, leading to an in-depth understa ....Sub-picosecond studies of matter using intense light from a Free Electron Laser. An Australian research group will use their new ultra-fast timing technology in combination with a new, extremely bright light source, the FERMI Free Electron Laser, Italy. FERMI makes picosecond wide light pulses - the timing technology measures times significantly shorter than a nanosecond. In combination, the way intense light effects the structure of atoms & molecules is studied, leading to an in-depth understanding of the processes involved. The new detector technology will be characterised using an electron recycling spectrometer, a new method for making electron beams of a particular energy by storing electrons in a racetrack orbit.Read moreRead less
Probing Electron Dynamics in the Molecular Frame. The outcome of this project will be an improved understanding of the molecular fragmentation process, enhancing our ability to control chemical reactions through a better knowledge of the mechanisms which drive them. By providing data which will stimulate the development of theory it will encourage creativity and innovation. Results will contribute to building a strong foundation in the fundamental physical sciences and lead to advances in area ....Probing Electron Dynamics in the Molecular Frame. The outcome of this project will be an improved understanding of the molecular fragmentation process, enhancing our ability to control chemical reactions through a better knowledge of the mechanisms which drive them. By providing data which will stimulate the development of theory it will encourage creativity and innovation. Results will contribute to building a strong foundation in the fundamental physical sciences and lead to advances in areas ranging from quantum chemistry, the chemistry of planetary atmospheres to mechanisms responsible for radiation damage in biological systems.Read moreRead less
Narrowband coherent light sources for spectroscopic sensing. The project will develop optical instruments and sensing techniques based on novel high-performance tunable optical parametric oscillator devices. These laser-like devices will be designed to monitor gases in a highly sensitive, molecule-specific way and thus indicate the presence and concentration of particular species with characteristic spectroscopic signatures. Useful applications will include optical sensing in science, industry ....Narrowband coherent light sources for spectroscopic sensing. The project will develop optical instruments and sensing techniques based on novel high-performance tunable optical parametric oscillator devices. These laser-like devices will be designed to monitor gases in a highly sensitive, molecule-specific way and thus indicate the presence and concentration of particular species with characteristic spectroscopic signatures. Useful applications will include optical sensing in science, industry, medicine, agriculture, community security, and the environment. In addition to making significant scientific discoveries and technological advances, the project will provide training for postgraduate research students and will develop intellectual property that may be of commercial benefit.Read moreRead less
Quantum Entanglement of Protons Studied by Electron Scattering at High Momentum Transfer. Eighty years after the establishment of quantum mechanics protons in matter are still largely seen as 'classical' particles, that do not interfere in ways known to occur for light and electrons. There are indications from neutron and electron scattering experiments from solids that, for extremely short time scales, (one-millionth of a nanosecond), this picture is too simple. The proposed experiment seeks t ....Quantum Entanglement of Protons Studied by Electron Scattering at High Momentum Transfer. Eighty years after the establishment of quantum mechanics protons in matter are still largely seen as 'classical' particles, that do not interfere in ways known to occur for light and electrons. There are indications from neutron and electron scattering experiments from solids that, for extremely short time scales, (one-millionth of a nanosecond), this picture is too simple. The proposed experiment seeks to establish this fact for molecules in the gas-phase. As the chemical bond is formed at similar time-scales these experiments will improve our understanding of chemical reactions, and hence be of great value for the chemical industry.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Correlations and Coherence Effects in Two-Electron Emission Processes. The electronic structure and properties of matter are determined by the correlated motion of electrons. Thus an understanding of this quantum mechanical many-body problem is central to our understanding of nature. We will apply laser-based quantum-state-selective techniques and advanced instrumentation to uncover new phenomena in many-body spin-correlated electron dynamics, quantum coherence and entanglement. The resu ....Dynamic Correlations and Coherence Effects in Two-Electron Emission Processes. The electronic structure and properties of matter are determined by the correlated motion of electrons. Thus an understanding of this quantum mechanical many-body problem is central to our understanding of nature. We will apply laser-based quantum-state-selective techniques and advanced instrumentation to uncover new phenomena in many-body spin-correlated electron dynamics, quantum coherence and entanglement. The resulting benchmark data will force significant developments in theory, extending its predictive power to drive advancements in areas ranging from industrial and astrophysical plasmas, gas discharges, lasers, and planetary atmospheres, to nanoscale electronic and spintronic devices.Read moreRead less
Development of a neutral helium beam microscope. This project would demonstrate Australia's capability in developing leading edge technologies applicable to the growing nanotechnology industry. The development of a neutral helium beam microscope brings into Australia expertise in the emerging field of molecular optics, and would place Australia as one of the first countries to make a commitment to this field. The project will develop a prototype instrument which is aimed at becoming a commercial ....Development of a neutral helium beam microscope. This project would demonstrate Australia's capability in developing leading edge technologies applicable to the growing nanotechnology industry. The development of a neutral helium beam microscope brings into Australia expertise in the emerging field of molecular optics, and would place Australia as one of the first countries to make a commitment to this field. The project will develop a prototype instrument which is aimed at becoming a commercially viable product - the neutral helium beam microscope. The possibilities of using the microscope system as a nanofabrication device would also give researchers in Australia the ability to fabricate structures that could not be manufactured anywhere else in the world.Read moreRead less
Advanced Atomic Sources for Precision Measurement. Many advances in our technology-driven society rely on the precision measurement of quantities such as accelerations, magnetic and electric fields. A higher level of measurement precision leads to a clear economic or strategic advantage. We expect to provide the Australian industrial and government sectors with new and better methods for making precise measurements with accelerometers, gyroscopes and gravity gradiometers. This proposal will pla ....Advanced Atomic Sources for Precision Measurement. Many advances in our technology-driven society rely on the precision measurement of quantities such as accelerations, magnetic and electric fields. A higher level of measurement precision leads to a clear economic or strategic advantage. We expect to provide the Australian industrial and government sectors with new and better methods for making precise measurements with accelerometers, gyroscopes and gravity gradiometers. This proposal will place Australia with only a handful of other countries as an international leader in the new technology of coherent atom interferometry. It is expected that this proposal will lead to innovative prototype devices as well as significant patentable technology. Read moreRead less
Quantum magnetometry on the microscale. This proposal will create a microscope for magnetic fields by measuring the quantum spin of a Bose-Einstein condensate at temperatures near absolute zero. Classical measurements of spin have underpinned transforming technologies, from magnetic resonance imaging to terabyte-scale hard-disc storage. We will make a truly quantum measurement of spin which will create a magnetic field microscope one million times more sensitive than the current state-of-the-art ....Quantum magnetometry on the microscale. This proposal will create a microscope for magnetic fields by measuring the quantum spin of a Bose-Einstein condensate at temperatures near absolute zero. Classical measurements of spin have underpinned transforming technologies, from magnetic resonance imaging to terabyte-scale hard-disc storage. We will make a truly quantum measurement of spin which will create a magnetic field microscope one million times more sensitive than the current state-of-the-art. The magnetic field microscope will be sensitive enough to measure fields from single biological cells and from superconducting nanosurfaces, giving critical new perspectives in biomedical research and next-generation electronics.Read moreRead less
Uncovering highly excited states of quantum three body systems using new technological approaches. Experimental studies of the fundamental structure of quantum three body systems are proposed to uncover long-lived highly-excited states. Ultra-fast timing technology applied to a variant of electron time-of-flight studies will form the basis of the measurement system to be used at a world-class synchrotron light source.