Heisenberg-limited lasers: building the revolution. The project aims to design and build a revolutionary new type of laser based on the ground-breaking 2020 Nature Physics paper by the two Chief Investigators. The significance of this work is that it overturns 60 years of theory about the limits to laser coherence, by applying 21st century quantum theory and quantum technology to the problem. This project expects to greatly advance the theory and, by instigating a collaboration with world-leadin ....Heisenberg-limited lasers: building the revolution. The project aims to design and build a revolutionary new type of laser based on the ground-breaking 2020 Nature Physics paper by the two Chief Investigators. The significance of this work is that it overturns 60 years of theory about the limits to laser coherence, by applying 21st century quantum theory and quantum technology to the problem. This project expects to greatly advance the theory and, by instigating a collaboration with world-leading experimentalists working with superconducting quantum devices, to demonstrate a laser with coherence beyond what was thought possible. Benefits of the project should flow from the manifold applications for highly coherent radiation, including scaling up superconducting quantum computing.Read moreRead less
Ultimate quantum limits to coherence. This project aims to discover the ultimate quantum limits to optical coherence. Quantum physics underpin the miniaturisation of technology, and quantum devices can do things better, often with vastly fewer resources, than conventional devices. Lasers underpin most modern optical technologies, and have been studied for decades, but the ultimate quantum limits are unknown. To find them, this project will use theoretical techniques that have not hitherto been c ....Ultimate quantum limits to coherence. This project aims to discover the ultimate quantum limits to optical coherence. Quantum physics underpin the miniaturisation of technology, and quantum devices can do things better, often with vastly fewer resources, than conventional devices. Lasers underpin most modern optical technologies, and have been studied for decades, but the ultimate quantum limits are unknown. To find them, this project will use theoretical techniques that have not hitherto been combined. This project will likely influence the long-term development of lasers and other quantum devices and underpin innovation in miniaturised optical technology and other quantum devices, leading ultimately to commercial products that yield a better quality of life.Read moreRead less
Towards an intercontinental quantum network. This project aims to address the security vulnerabilities of online data transmission. Cyber attacks and data stealing are threatening the daily operations of public and private organisations worldwide, and the privacy of individuals. This project expect to realise the key element for a new global network architecture where security is guaranteed by the fundamental laws of physics. This element is the quantum node and it will be implemented through th ....Towards an intercontinental quantum network. This project aims to address the security vulnerabilities of online data transmission. Cyber attacks and data stealing are threatening the daily operations of public and private organisations worldwide, and the privacy of individuals. This project expect to realise the key element for a new global network architecture where security is guaranteed by the fundamental laws of physics. This element is the quantum node and it will be implemented through the development of new techniques for the control and manipulation of individual atoms and innovative integrated optical devices for the interface with fibre networks. The development of this technology will lead to intrinsically secure online communication for organisations in the health and defence sectors and private individuals worldwide.Read moreRead less
Quantum-Assisted Sensing. Modern physics has been very successful at developing incredibly precise theoretical descriptions of nature. Can exquisitely accurate models of the interaction between light and matter, to push sensing and measurement far beyond the current state-of-the art, be exploited? This project aims to address this question, focussing on three domains of measurement: temperature, time and power. Improving sensors and measurement has been the cornerstone of new physical discoverie ....Quantum-Assisted Sensing. Modern physics has been very successful at developing incredibly precise theoretical descriptions of nature. Can exquisitely accurate models of the interaction between light and matter, to push sensing and measurement far beyond the current state-of-the art, be exploited? This project aims to address this question, focussing on three domains of measurement: temperature, time and power. Improving sensors and measurement has been the cornerstone of new physical discoveries, with applications from radio-astronomy to quantum information and navigation. This project aims to build the theoretical foundations for world-beating thermometers, clocks, and photon counters, and to guide experiments in Australia and abroad to bring them into reality.Read moreRead less
Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiment ....Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiments, the project aims to demonstrate and characterise how storing and handling data in quantum states massively reduces this complexity overhead. Another goal is to use novel quantum optics ideas to greatly reduce communication complexity in important remote processing tasks.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100356
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$327,216.00
Summary
Quantum measurements: new, better, easier. This project aims to: engineer new state-of-the-art quantum measurements; devise the best ways of sensing quantum signals; and make quantum measurements and characterisation of large quantum systems easier to do. Quantum measurements are the principal means by which we gain access to and characterise the quantum world. The new, better and easier measurements that should result from this project will greatly advance quantum technologies. Specifically, th ....Quantum measurements: new, better, easier. This project aims to: engineer new state-of-the-art quantum measurements; devise the best ways of sensing quantum signals; and make quantum measurements and characterisation of large quantum systems easier to do. Quantum measurements are the principal means by which we gain access to and characterise the quantum world. The new, better and easier measurements that should result from this project will greatly advance quantum technologies. Specifically, they should allow for more efficient characterisation of quantum computers and enable us to engineer the ultimate quantum sensors, enhance mineral prospecting; and make building a quantum computer practical.Read moreRead less
Non-classical motion of a macroscopic mechanical resonator. This project will create the experimental tools to fully control the motion of a mechanical oscillator at the single-quanta level, opening a rich avenue for fundamental research and the development of quantum physics enhanced applications. This project will prepare a quantum state of a macroscopic mechanical resonator exhibiting quantum interference fringes at at an unprecedented mass scale. The observation of these fringes will enable ....Non-classical motion of a macroscopic mechanical resonator. This project will create the experimental tools to fully control the motion of a mechanical oscillator at the single-quanta level, opening a rich avenue for fundamental research and the development of quantum physics enhanced applications. This project will prepare a quantum state of a macroscopic mechanical resonator exhibiting quantum interference fringes at at an unprecedented mass scale. The observation of these fringes will enable the study of the intricacies of quantum decoherence and ultimately even probe quantum gravitational phenomena. To achieve these goals it will employ micro-scale optical resonators fabricated by established techniques, that also provide the ideal platform for scalable mechanical-oscillator-based quantum information applications.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,000.00
Summary
Ultra-precision cutting and polishing machines for fabricating high-Q crystalline resonators. The proposed facility will equip Australian researchers with the capability to machine and polish optical crystalline materials down to atomic-level smoothness. The availability of this technology will enable the fabrication of ultra-sensitive metrological sensors, state-of-the-art photonic components, and quantum devices. Precision metrology is an integral component of many industries and it underpins ....Ultra-precision cutting and polishing machines for fabricating high-Q crystalline resonators. The proposed facility will equip Australian researchers with the capability to machine and polish optical crystalline materials down to atomic-level smoothness. The availability of this technology will enable the fabrication of ultra-sensitive metrological sensors, state-of-the-art photonic components, and quantum devices. Precision metrology is an integral component of many industries and it underpins a modern, technically advanced society. With this facility Australian researchers will lead the world in the fabrication of optical crystalline devices for a broad range of industrial and research applications.Read moreRead less
Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoida ....Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoidable losses. This project will overcome this barrier by developing innovative loss-tolerant protocols and devices that unconditionally show and exploit quantum effects, both for long-distance applications and ultra-precise measurement technologies. This collaboration will bring the world’s best photon detectors to Australia, as a key resource for this work and for future research.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100575
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,944.00
Summary
Quantum enhancement for ultra-precise atomic sensors. This project will investigate methods for drastically improving the sensitivity of measurement devices derived from atom interferometers. This will enable experimental tests of certain aspects of fundamental physics, as well as practical tools such as ultra-precise geodesy for minerals exploration.