Controlling atomic species migration in laser irradiated glasses. This project aims to determine the role of common glass constituents on desired optical properties. More than 50 major research groups and numerous commercial start-ups worldwide are pursuing ultrafast laser inscription, an enabling manufacturing platform used to create complex three-dimensional optical circuits inside transparent blocks of glass. However, although successfully used, we still don’t understand why similar glass typ ....Controlling atomic species migration in laser irradiated glasses. This project aims to determine the role of common glass constituents on desired optical properties. More than 50 major research groups and numerous commercial start-ups worldwide are pursuing ultrafast laser inscription, an enabling manufacturing platform used to create complex three-dimensional optical circuits inside transparent blocks of glass. However, although successfully used, we still don’t understand why similar glass types react differently, and we are limited to using generic glasses tailor-made for other purposes. This project will guide future choice of glasses and reveal how to engineer materials that complement this fabrication platform.Read moreRead less
New frontiers in ultra-wideband electro-optic measurement technologies. The project will lead to new frontier technologies for scientific instrumentation with greatly improved accuracies and ultra wide bandwidth capability with outcomes enhancing Australia's research profile in measurement science. New capabilities developed will benefit areas such as neuroscience, high-speed electronic circuitry designs and imaging.
Nanophotonic pixels for subwavelength imaging on a chip. This project aims to develop a nanophotonic pixel technology in complementary metal-oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) chips to bypass the resolution limitations for direct optical imaging and enumeration of submicron sized specimens in lab-on-chip imaging applications. Lab-on-chip imaging technology is a promising point-of-care technology, where the specimen is placed directly on a CMOS chip for imaging without using labels or chemicals and with ....Nanophotonic pixels for subwavelength imaging on a chip. This project aims to develop a nanophotonic pixel technology in complementary metal-oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) chips to bypass the resolution limitations for direct optical imaging and enumeration of submicron sized specimens in lab-on-chip imaging applications. Lab-on-chip imaging technology is a promising point-of-care technology, where the specimen is placed directly on a CMOS chip for imaging without using labels or chemicals and with no intervening optical components. The technology arising from the research will ultimately allow new devices to be developed, expanding the uses for lab-on-chip and potentially changing the way in which front-line medicine is practiced.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100821
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$381,000.00
Summary
Hyper-domain luminescence lifetime imaging for mapping molecular dynamics. This project aims to enable lifetime-multiplexed optical imaging of molecular dynamics of biological systems in real time. The grand challenge of modern life sciences is to understand the molecular origins of complex processes. Using lifetime measurement, this project will realise highly-multiplexed real-time luminescence imaging with simultaneous ultrahigh detection sensitivity and spatial resolution. By generating fresh ....Hyper-domain luminescence lifetime imaging for mapping molecular dynamics. This project aims to enable lifetime-multiplexed optical imaging of molecular dynamics of biological systems in real time. The grand challenge of modern life sciences is to understand the molecular origins of complex processes. Using lifetime measurement, this project will realise highly-multiplexed real-time luminescence imaging with simultaneous ultrahigh detection sensitivity and spatial resolution. By generating fresh insights into molecular fingerprints of relevance for future disease diagnostics and treatment, the project outcomes are expected to consolidate Australia’s leading position in the health sciences. Upon commercialisation, the intellectual property is expected to generate considerable economic returns.Read moreRead less
Engineering and testing of three mode opto-acoustic parametric amplifiers. This project will engineer a new type of sensor called an opto-acoustic parametric amplifier. It is so sensitive to measure individual quantum units of vibration. The devices use laser light to measure the motion of tiny mirrors. Practical devices could be used to create quantum memory for quantum computers and sensors of exquisite sensitivity.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100241
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Seeing deeply inside the body with the world's smallest microscope. This project aims to develop the world's smallest in vivo microscope that can image the interior of living organisms at a subcellular resolution in a minimally invasive way. The project will shrink an entire microscope to the size of an optical fibre – as thin as a single strand of hair – and image deep regions of the central nervous system. This is expected to improve diagnostic tools and the knowledge of degenerative brain dis ....Seeing deeply inside the body with the world's smallest microscope. This project aims to develop the world's smallest in vivo microscope that can image the interior of living organisms at a subcellular resolution in a minimally invasive way. The project will shrink an entire microscope to the size of an optical fibre – as thin as a single strand of hair – and image deep regions of the central nervous system. This is expected to improve diagnostic tools and the knowledge of degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This project aims to completely transform the landscape of biomedical research and industry, with expected discoveries revolutionising the diagnosis and treatment of brain conditions.Read moreRead less
Development of far Infrared multispectral thermal image sensors . This project aims to develop a technology that will bypass limitations of existing thermal-image sensor pixels to produce multi-spectral imaging of objects with specificity, clarity and sharpness in a wide range of far infrared wavelength regions. This technology has applications in remote sensing, pest control, and precision agriculture. The project is based on an existing collaboration between The University of Melbourne and t ....Development of far Infrared multispectral thermal image sensors . This project aims to develop a technology that will bypass limitations of existing thermal-image sensor pixels to produce multi-spectral imaging of objects with specificity, clarity and sharpness in a wide range of far infrared wavelength regions. This technology has applications in remote sensing, pest control, and precision agriculture. The project is based on an existing collaboration between The University of Melbourne and the start-up company Digital Falcon. Digital Falcon provides extensive industry service in developing custom image analysis algorithms and post processing to visualisation tools. The University of Melbourne provides research expertise in image sensor pixel technology and sensor electronics.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Spatial, spectral and temporal imaging through multimode optical fibre. This project aims to develop technologies for imaging through a multimode fibre that controls and measures each property of light; amplitude, phase, polarisation, wavelength and space as it propagates through an optical fibre. This will be pursued through the development of three prototype systems, where each system targets a particular property of light. The outcomes would ultimately enable multimode fibres to act as ultrac ....Spatial, spectral and temporal imaging through multimode optical fibre. This project aims to develop technologies for imaging through a multimode fibre that controls and measures each property of light; amplitude, phase, polarisation, wavelength and space as it propagates through an optical fibre. This will be pursued through the development of three prototype systems, where each system targets a particular property of light. The outcomes would ultimately enable multimode fibres to act as ultracompact, general-purpose optical conduits into the body through which a wide array of biomedical techniques can be performed in a minimally invasive fashion not currently possible. This project will provide significant benefit to the study of fundamental phenomena in optical fibres.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100071
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Light-bending strategies of next generation scalable plasmonic devices. This project will focus on a goal of engineering novel plasmonic metamaterials for manipulating light at the nanoscale. In particular, it will employ curved anodized alumina templates as well as 3D hybrid structures to explore light bending and strong resonances at the visible spectral range. Plasmonic metamaterials offer a unique ability to control subwavelength light propagation, for achieving unprecedented sensing sensiti ....Light-bending strategies of next generation scalable plasmonic devices. This project will focus on a goal of engineering novel plasmonic metamaterials for manipulating light at the nanoscale. In particular, it will employ curved anodized alumina templates as well as 3D hybrid structures to explore light bending and strong resonances at the visible spectral range. Plasmonic metamaterials offer a unique ability to control subwavelength light propagation, for achieving unprecedented sensing sensitivities and emerging nanophotonics phenomena. However, fabrication challenges and high losses hamper their application in the visible spectral range. Engineering these plasmonic structures in a scalable manner should strengthen Australia’s economy, lead to new industrial companies in the emerging field of plasmonics, attract international investments and create job opportunities.Read moreRead less
Empowering optical metamaterials with gain. Artificial materials composites (metamaterials) make it possible for us to observe extra-ordinary properties, such as magnetic behaviour in glass and bending light in any direction. The project proposes to enhance the usability of metamaterials by redesigning them to strengthen their interaction with light, thus making them suitable for industrial applications.