Building Schrodinger's cat: large-scale entanglement of trapped ions. Where does the microscopic quantum world leave off and the normal world begin? The project will expand the boundaries of the quantum realm by building the largest quantum objects ever assembled and put them to work in computing and cryptography. These quantum devices will help Australia lead the race for future information technologies.
Atomistic anatomy of a nano transistor. The high-speed and low-power requirements of state-of-the-art transistors are met by material control that has reached an unprecedented level. The material in a nano-device has drastically different characteristics than in the bulk. To achieve this, the industry needs to implement strain, ultra sharp junctions, and well controlled potential profiles all on the nanometre scale. This project aims to develop a technique to directly measure these properties in ....Atomistic anatomy of a nano transistor. The high-speed and low-power requirements of state-of-the-art transistors are met by material control that has reached an unprecedented level. The material in a nano-device has drastically different characteristics than in the bulk. To achieve this, the industry needs to implement strain, ultra sharp junctions, and well controlled potential profiles all on the nanometre scale. This project aims to develop a technique to directly measure these properties in an actual device. Electrical and optical atom tomography will make it possible to map device parameters on the atomic scale. This atomistic anatomy has the potential to revolutionise the development of nanoscale devices and grow into a tool for a multi-billion dollar industry.Read moreRead less
Producing optimally short pulses at long wavelengths. This project aims to make the fluoride glass fibre platform the preferred material for generating ultrashort pulses at 2.8 nm and beyond. High power and efficiency from simple device architectures are essential for industry, medicine and defence. Modern sources of short pulses of light emitting mid-infrared wavelengths are complicated and inefficient. This project will improve fibre sources emitting short pulses and create the essential build ....Producing optimally short pulses at long wavelengths. This project aims to make the fluoride glass fibre platform the preferred material for generating ultrashort pulses at 2.8 nm and beyond. High power and efficiency from simple device architectures are essential for industry, medicine and defence. Modern sources of short pulses of light emitting mid-infrared wavelengths are complicated and inefficient. This project will improve fibre sources emitting short pulses and create the essential building blocks for future all-fibre arrangements that will be more robust. The sources are expected to have applications in non-linear optics and materials modification.Read moreRead less
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.
Force microscopy with arbitrary optically-trapped probes and application to internal mechanics of cells. The ability to perform micromanipulation on particles, macromolecules, subcellular organelles, or whole cells is fundamental in elucidating processes such as chromosome movement during cell division, and movement of cell components in and out of the cell. The recent advances in optical tweezers have allowed this type of micromanipulation to approach reality. However, determination of the true ....Force microscopy with arbitrary optically-trapped probes and application to internal mechanics of cells. The ability to perform micromanipulation on particles, macromolecules, subcellular organelles, or whole cells is fundamental in elucidating processes such as chromosome movement during cell division, and movement of cell components in and out of the cell. The recent advances in optical tweezers have allowed this type of micromanipulation to approach reality. However, determination of the true optical force is critical for this technique to reach its full potential. This project will develop novel techniques to quantitatively determine the absolute optical force applied to the cell component using the process of ingestion (phagocytosis) as a proof-of-principle test, and measure forces in chromosome movement and vesicle transport within cells.Read moreRead less
The physics and biology of hearing in larval fish. Using the zebrafish model and an array of cutting-edge biophysics and neuroscience tools, this project aims to provide the first complete map of a functioning auditory system. This is significant because it has previously been impossible to study the brain at the levels of single cells, circuits, and brain-wide networks simultaneously. Expected outcomes include detailed descriptions of information flow through a simple brain and the ways that br ....The physics and biology of hearing in larval fish. Using the zebrafish model and an array of cutting-edge biophysics and neuroscience tools, this project aims to provide the first complete map of a functioning auditory system. This is significant because it has previously been impossible to study the brain at the levels of single cells, circuits, and brain-wide networks simultaneously. Expected outcomes include detailed descriptions of information flow through a simple brain and the ways that brain cells and circuits communicate to process information. Benefits include knowledge gained about sensory systems in nature, future biomimetic approaches for information processing, and the training of the next generation of Australian researchers in cutting edge optical physics and neuroscience.Read moreRead less
Using high-resolution lasers to test quantum electrodynamics. High-precision laser-based measurements of atomic and molecular structure are benchmarks for our fundamental understanding of matter. This project will undertake state-of-the-art experiments on atomic helium, to test and challenge current theoretical predictions of fundamental quantum-electrodynamic properties for helium and for more complex atoms.
Time-space resolved photoelectron emission to control molecular processes. This project aims to resolve simultaneously the timing and space localisation of photoelectron emission from atoms and molecules as a means for targeted breaking of molecular bonds. Existing techniques determine the timing and spatial characteristics of photoemission independently. The simultaneous time-space resolution will allow for the precise manipulation of photoelectrons by a sequence of phase-stabilised laser pulse ....Time-space resolved photoelectron emission to control molecular processes. This project aims to resolve simultaneously the timing and space localisation of photoelectron emission from atoms and molecules as a means for targeted breaking of molecular bonds. Existing techniques determine the timing and spatial characteristics of photoemission independently. The simultaneous time-space resolution will allow for the precise manipulation of photoelectrons by a sequence of phase-stabilised laser pulses, a technique known as coherent control. The benefit of this project will be the coherently controlled breaking of molecular bonds in oxide, carbonyl and hydrocarbon molecules. The outcome will be a significant step forward in driving complex photochemical reactions in industry.Read moreRead less
Laser emission at the limit of glass transparency using nanocrystal doping . We will create a new composite glass providing strong fluorescence which fully exploits the high transmission of glass in the mid-infrared. When combined with emerging rare earth ion transitions and precise excitation processes, this project will help solve an important problem in optics; that the overall efficiency and power produced from deep mid-infrared light sources is not sufficient for all industries. The primary ....Laser emission at the limit of glass transparency using nanocrystal doping . We will create a new composite glass providing strong fluorescence which fully exploits the high transmission of glass in the mid-infrared. When combined with emerging rare earth ion transitions and precise excitation processes, this project will help solve an important problem in optics; that the overall efficiency and power produced from deep mid-infrared light sources is not sufficient for all industries. The primary outcome will be a series of robust fibre-based gain modules suitable for high power and very short optical pulses in the mid-infrared. These light sources will beneficially impact medicine, defence, sensing and manufacturing providing excellent opportunities for increasing Australian productivity and global competitiveness. Read moreRead less
Unleashing terahertz radiation through the marriage of solid state laser and photonic crystal technology. Terahertz (THz) radiation holds enormous potential to improve the security and well being of Australians, but its application has been largely restricted to the laboratory. By using photonic crystals (structures responsible for shimmer of opals and butterfly wings) this project will generate a new technology enabling its practical and widespread application.