Engineered optical fibre device structures for next generation telecommunication systems. The next generation of optical telecommunication networks requires novel photonic compnents that are superior to current devices, and cannot be obtained by incremental improvement. This project will identify novel device architectures and implement these in practical devices. This will ensure that Australia remains at the cutting edge of photonics research, one of the most dynamic and exciting ereas in sc ....Engineered optical fibre device structures for next generation telecommunication systems. The next generation of optical telecommunication networks requires novel photonic compnents that are superior to current devices, and cannot be obtained by incremental improvement. This project will identify novel device architectures and implement these in practical devices. This will ensure that Australia remains at the cutting edge of photonics research, one of the most dynamic and exciting ereas in science and engineering and at the basis of a multibillion dollar industry.Read moreRead less
Low energy all-optical logic gates with improved cascadability and fan-out for future optical communications and signal processing systems. All-optical logic processing is the key to overcoming electronic bottlenecks in high-speed communication networks as single-channel speeds exceed electronic capabilities. This research will build off and extend Australia's world leading specialty fibre and fibre device capabilities and place Australia at the forefront in the international all-optical digital ....Low energy all-optical logic gates with improved cascadability and fan-out for future optical communications and signal processing systems. All-optical logic processing is the key to overcoming electronic bottlenecks in high-speed communication networks as single-channel speeds exceed electronic capabilities. This research will build off and extend Australia's world leading specialty fibre and fibre device capabilities and place Australia at the forefront in the international all-optical digital information-processing race. High quality research publications will enhance Australia's strong research reputation in photonics and advanced materials and promote international collaboration. New optical processing capabilities will benefit other application areas such as sensing and security.Read moreRead less
Ultra-high density permanent and/or erasable optical memory in photorefractive media formed by ultrafast laser pulses. A possibility to form tree-dimensional 10Tb-density optical memory based on permanent modification, or damage, of transparent dielectrics, using powerful femtosecond laser pulses has already been demonstrated by the Applicants. This project aims to improve the fundamental understanding of ultrafast laser formation of nano-bits using unique ability of photorefractive materials t ....Ultra-high density permanent and/or erasable optical memory in photorefractive media formed by ultrafast laser pulses. A possibility to form tree-dimensional 10Tb-density optical memory based on permanent modification, or damage, of transparent dielectrics, using powerful femtosecond laser pulses has already been demonstrated by the Applicants. This project aims to improve the fundamental understanding of ultrafast laser formation of nano-bits using unique ability of photorefractive materials to reversible change and the refractive index. We aim to find ways for controlling the storage time, density and the writing-reading-erasing rate without inducing damage in the material. The results will be applied to efficient formation of high-speed, high density, write-read-erase 3D optical memory for applications in the information technology.
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Developing New Clocks for Australia: Testing the Assumptions of Modern Physics. Clocks lie at the heart of all precise measurement devices; for example, they are the crucial elements in modern navigation and telecommunications systems. This project will develop three new clocks for Australia: a laser clock at the leading edge of technology, a novel and compact clock with commercial potential, and a microwave clock for use in the next generation of satellites. The performance advantage conferre ....Developing New Clocks for Australia: Testing the Assumptions of Modern Physics. Clocks lie at the heart of all precise measurement devices; for example, they are the crucial elements in modern navigation and telecommunications systems. This project will develop three new clocks for Australia: a laser clock at the leading edge of technology, a novel and compact clock with commercial potential, and a microwave clock for use in the next generation of satellites. The performance advantage conferred by our new devices can deliver economic benefits while also giving the possibility for scrutinizing the laws of physics for evidence that there is something beyond our present formulation.Read moreRead less
Bifurcations of dissipative solitons. Fundamental research on the basic concepts of solitons in dissipative systems and their bifurcations is the next essential step for further progress in the science of optical pulse generators and amplifiers. Australia was the first country in the world to use self-organized ultra-short pulses, called solitons, in a commercially-deployed optical transmission line. This proposed new research will answer the question of how solitons behave at the ultimate limi ....Bifurcations of dissipative solitons. Fundamental research on the basic concepts of solitons in dissipative systems and their bifurcations is the next essential step for further progress in the science of optical pulse generators and amplifiers. Australia was the first country in the world to use self-organized ultra-short pulses, called solitons, in a commercially-deployed optical transmission line. This proposed new research will answer the question of how solitons behave at the ultimate limits of optics. New principles of ultra-short pulse generation and amplification, developed in our research, will provide the basis for an unprecedented increase in the capacity of optical transmission and processing of information.Read moreRead less
Manipulation and Shaping of Light in the Far-Field using Advanced Fresnel Fibres. This project will focus on developing and understanding further the recent invention of the Fresnel fibre, which is designed to overcome diffraction from the end of an optical fibre. More sophisticated designs and combinations will allow arbitrary shaping of the optical field exiting an optical fibre for numerous applications. The physical basis for such phenomena to be realised is the efficient degree of coherent ....Manipulation and Shaping of Light in the Far-Field using Advanced Fresnel Fibres. This project will focus on developing and understanding further the recent invention of the Fresnel fibre, which is designed to overcome diffraction from the end of an optical fibre. More sophisticated designs and combinations will allow arbitrary shaping of the optical field exiting an optical fibre for numerous applications. The physical basis for such phenomena to be realised is the efficient degree of coherent scattering possible in air-material fibre such as air-silica photonic crystal fibres. In conjunction advanced characterisation techniques will be developed.Read moreRead less
Microstructured polymer interconnects for photonic devices. Efficient interconnection of photonic components is the most critical research problem facing the photonics industry in its efforts for integration. In this project, interconnects for photonic systems will be developed, utilising a recently developed new class of fibres - microstructured optical fibres, which have been called 'the next generation' of optical fibres because of their ability to produce a variety of tailorisable optical ef ....Microstructured polymer interconnects for photonic devices. Efficient interconnection of photonic components is the most critical research problem facing the photonics industry in its efforts for integration. In this project, interconnects for photonic systems will be developed, utilising a recently developed new class of fibres - microstructured optical fibres, which have been called 'the next generation' of optical fibres because of their ability to produce a variety of tailorisable optical effects. Specially designed and modified microstructured fibres will be developed to achieve efficient coupling from fibre to planar waveguide circuits, and to a range of photonic band gap devices that are currently being developed by the industry partner.Read moreRead less
Quantum Photonics with continuous laser beams - travel award. Quantum information and communication is a new paradigm in information technology which utilises quantum physics to improve current limitations in speed, security and fidelity of information transmission and processing, extending the present Electronics and Photonics devices. Future applications will include teleportation, cryptography and ultimately quantum computation. We propose to investigate these applications using continuous (C ....Quantum Photonics with continuous laser beams - travel award. Quantum information and communication is a new paradigm in information technology which utilises quantum physics to improve current limitations in speed, security and fidelity of information transmission and processing, extending the present Electronics and Photonics devices. Future applications will include teleportation, cryptography and ultimately quantum computation. We propose to investigate these applications using continuous (CW) laser beams and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) quantum entanglement, which is generated via a pair of optical parametric oscillators. The advantage of CW over the established single photon technology is better detection efficiency, wider data bandwidth and a compatibility with existing photonics technology.Read moreRead less
Light-matter interactions in microstructured optical waveguides for nonlinear optical signal processing. The challenge of conceiving and constructing the necessary components and devices for the next generation of lightwave telecommunications systems is a profound one. This issue is urgent as the current operating principles of switches, filters and sources and other devices simply do not allow for the upgrade to the extremely high data transmission speeds that will be required. Using glass opti ....Light-matter interactions in microstructured optical waveguides for nonlinear optical signal processing. The challenge of conceiving and constructing the necessary components and devices for the next generation of lightwave telecommunications systems is a profound one. This issue is urgent as the current operating principles of switches, filters and sources and other devices simply do not allow for the upgrade to the extremely high data transmission speeds that will be required. Using glass optical fibres as the starting point, we will devise, demonstrate and analyze these novel components, leveraging microstructured optical fibre technology and novel fabrication techniques, which are among the most recent developments in optical fibre research.
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Fine Structured Optical Fibre Fabrication - Soot, Rheology and Nanostructure in Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition. For 30 years photonics and telecommunications have relied heavily on optical fibres made by Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition (MCVD), a complex, highly dynamic process with many interacting variables, which is still more art than science. The results are good enough for most purposes but the next generation of photonics demands fibres with intricate, precisely defined internal s ....Fine Structured Optical Fibre Fabrication - Soot, Rheology and Nanostructure in Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition. For 30 years photonics and telecommunications have relied heavily on optical fibres made by Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition (MCVD), a complex, highly dynamic process with many interacting variables, which is still more art than science. The results are good enough for most purposes but the next generation of photonics demands fibres with intricate, precisely defined internal structures. A multi-disciplinary team will elucidate and quantify the exact nature of the fundamental science underlying MCVD - of silicate soot formation, deposition and heat treatment - and translate this into reproducibly fabricated fine structured fibres with high optical and mechanical performance.Read moreRead less