Precise atomic-scale structure determination in thick nanostructures. This project aims to tackle a great challenge of atomic-scale characterisation: quantitative structure determination. Powerful new electron microscopes offer a window into the atomic world, but complex electron multiple scattering has limited reliable structure determination to ultrathin materials. This project expects to overcome this barrier. Anticipated outcomes include methods that use the latest detector technology to det ....Precise atomic-scale structure determination in thick nanostructures. This project aims to tackle a great challenge of atomic-scale characterisation: quantitative structure determination. Powerful new electron microscopes offer a window into the atomic world, but complex electron multiple scattering has limited reliable structure determination to ultrathin materials. This project expects to overcome this barrier. Anticipated outcomes include methods that use the latest detector technology to determine structure and interatomic bonding in much thicker nanostructures than hitherto possible. This should benefit academic and industrial researchers by giving them new tools to understand and design high-performance materials for applications ranging from catalysis to energy storage to next-generation electronics.Read moreRead less
Unlocking the potential of magnetic 2D materials with quantum microscopy. This project aims to create a universal, high-throughput platform to characterise magnetic 2D materials, by exploiting recently developed quantum diamond microscopy. It will enable the measurement of hitherto inaccessible magnetic properties of individual 2D microsheets, the imaging of device-relevant phenomena such as domain wall dynamics and skyrmionics, and the systematic screening of newly synthesised materials. Antici ....Unlocking the potential of magnetic 2D materials with quantum microscopy. This project aims to create a universal, high-throughput platform to characterise magnetic 2D materials, by exploiting recently developed quantum diamond microscopy. It will enable the measurement of hitherto inaccessible magnetic properties of individual 2D microsheets, the imaging of device-relevant phenomena such as domain wall dynamics and skyrmionics, and the systematic screening of newly synthesised materials. Anticipated outcomes include crucial new insights into 2D magnetism and the discovery of magnetic 2D materials compatible with real-world conditions. This should accelerate the development of future energy-efficient and flexible electronics and memory technologies, where magnetic 2D materials are expected to play a key role.
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New physics with strongly correlated and spin-orbit-coupled electrons. This project aims to identify new physics in quantum magnets and emergent phenomena in solids where the electrons are strongly coupled and intertwined in a complex manner. As a consequence, quantum effects are dramatically enhanced and, in certain situations, force the electrons to split into different exotic particles. This project expects to identify suitable physical systems, candidate materials and appropriate conditions ....New physics with strongly correlated and spin-orbit-coupled electrons. This project aims to identify new physics in quantum magnets and emergent phenomena in solids where the electrons are strongly coupled and intertwined in a complex manner. As a consequence, quantum effects are dramatically enhanced and, in certain situations, force the electrons to split into different exotic particles. This project expects to identify suitable physical systems, candidate materials and appropriate conditions required for the experimental observation of this phenomena with neutron scattering methods. The advanced materials and exotic particles identified in this project will inform the development of next generation technologies, becoming the quantum bits in future quantum computers.Read moreRead less
Kagome metals: From Japanese basket to next generation electronic devices. This project aims to investigate a new material that is very promising for electronic devices that can operate faster, and be more energy efficient than today’s silicon-based technology. Kagome metals have topological non-trivial nature and can pass current without resistance, making them ideal for next-generation electronic devices. This project aims to grow Kagome metals in the ultra-thin layers needed to realise this p ....Kagome metals: From Japanese basket to next generation electronic devices. This project aims to investigate a new material that is very promising for electronic devices that can operate faster, and be more energy efficient than today’s silicon-based technology. Kagome metals have topological non-trivial nature and can pass current without resistance, making them ideal for next-generation electronic devices. This project aims to grow Kagome metals in the ultra-thin layers needed to realise this potential, make devices and study their electronic properties. Expected outcomes of the project will include showing Kagome metals can form the basis of ultra-low energy electronic devices, as well as having future applications in high-temperature fault-tolerant quantum computing.Read moreRead less
On-surface atomic-scale engineering of topological organic nanostructures. The goal of this project is to synthesise and characterise low-dimensional organic nanostructures, in which the atomic-scale morphology and electronic structure give rise to nontrivial topological electronic states. Successful design of organic materials with topological electronic states would pave the way for the development of new technologies in dissipation-less electronics, spintronics and quantum information process ....On-surface atomic-scale engineering of topological organic nanostructures. The goal of this project is to synthesise and characterise low-dimensional organic nanostructures, in which the atomic-scale morphology and electronic structure give rise to nontrivial topological electronic states. Successful design of organic materials with topological electronic states would pave the way for the development of new technologies in dissipation-less electronics, spintronics and quantum information processing, with the flexibility and efficiency that organic compounds can offer. The project plans to exploit metal atoms and organic molecules as building units in approaches of supramolecular chemistry applied on surfaces, to achieve structural and electronic control at the single atom level.Read moreRead less
The role of structure in the formation and properties of glasses. This project aims to investigate the role of local atomic structure in the formation and mechanical properties of glasses by applying newly developed structure-determination methods. This project expects to establish why glasses form and how their structure gives rise to their undesirable, and limiting, brittle mechanical failure. The anticipated outcomes of this project are better ways to measure the atomic structure of disorder ....The role of structure in the formation and properties of glasses. This project aims to investigate the role of local atomic structure in the formation and mechanical properties of glasses by applying newly developed structure-determination methods. This project expects to establish why glasses form and how their structure gives rise to their undesirable, and limiting, brittle mechanical failure. The anticipated outcomes of this project are better ways to measure the atomic structure of disordered materials and the generation of more clear-cut structure-property relationships for glasses. This will provide significant benefit to Australian industries by enabling the design of better glass-forming systems and stronger, tougher glasses.Read moreRead less
High-energy probes of dense matter and distorted spacetime. This is an ambitious but achievable program with the potential for results which will be highly significant to physicists worldwide. The expected outcomes have the potential to alter our understanding of fundamental physics, and will demonstrate that Australia's high-energy research ability is on par with the world's best. The techniques of X-ray astronomy are increasingly a standard part of the professional astronomer's toolkit, althou ....High-energy probes of dense matter and distorted spacetime. This is an ambitious but achievable program with the potential for results which will be highly significant to physicists worldwide. The expected outcomes have the potential to alter our understanding of fundamental physics, and will demonstrate that Australia's high-energy research ability is on par with the world's best. The techniques of X-ray astronomy are increasingly a standard part of the professional astronomer's toolkit, although Australia has a limited track record in recent years. The international collaborations that this project will build and maintain will help to improve access to, and utilisation of, multi-million dollar international satellite observatories by local observers.Read moreRead less
Interatomic bonding in aluminium alloys. This project proposes a new theory about the formation of strengthening precipitates in alloys. It will be tested using new techniques for measuring bonds between atoms and Australia's most advanced electron microscopes. It will remove the guesswork from the processing and design of commercial alloys.
Spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein Condensates. This project will explore fundamentally new quantum states, the spin-orbit Bose-Einstein condensates, predicted theoretically by Galitski et al. and subsequently observed experimentally. These states host a variety of fascinating novel phenomena, which can be exploited for ultra-sensitive interferometry and topological quantum computing. The project will develop a complete description of these phases and design new quantum devices that utilise their ....Spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein Condensates. This project will explore fundamentally new quantum states, the spin-orbit Bose-Einstein condensates, predicted theoretically by Galitski et al. and subsequently observed experimentally. These states host a variety of fascinating novel phenomena, which can be exploited for ultra-sensitive interferometry and topological quantum computing. The project will develop a complete description of these phases and design new quantum devices that utilise their properties. The fundamental significance of the project is in bringing together ideas from the diverse fields of atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter, quantum information, and topology and its direct relevance to the development of a new generation of quantum devices.Read moreRead less
Ultrafast Photonic Electron Microscopy: Visualising dynamics at the nanoscale. The dynamics of molecular processes are too fast to observe with any microscope so science has instead relied on recording the static before and after states of these changes, inferring what happens in between. This project aims to combine the advantages of ultrafast photonic laser control and electron microscopy to allow the direct visualisation of dynamics at the nanoscale in physical and biological systems. By prov ....Ultrafast Photonic Electron Microscopy: Visualising dynamics at the nanoscale. The dynamics of molecular processes are too fast to observe with any microscope so science has instead relied on recording the static before and after states of these changes, inferring what happens in between. This project aims to combine the advantages of ultrafast photonic laser control and electron microscopy to allow the direct visualisation of dynamics at the nanoscale in physical and biological systems. By providing a view into how order emerges from the thermal chaos of molecular objects this project aims to help to reveal the physical basis for life.Read moreRead less