Technologies for space-based optical interferometry. Gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of space-time produced by the motion of massive celestial objects. Gravitational waves provide a different kind of information about the universe and their measurement will lead to an entirely new type of astronomy. The quest to detect gravitational waves is entering a new era with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) now under development. LISA is a two billion dollar joint NASA/ESA de ....Technologies for space-based optical interferometry. Gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of space-time produced by the motion of massive celestial objects. Gravitational waves provide a different kind of information about the universe and their measurement will lead to an entirely new type of astronomy. The quest to detect gravitational waves is entering a new era with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) now under development. LISA is a two billion dollar joint NASA/ESA deep space mission to build a gravitational wave observatory in space. This research will develop Australian technologies critical to the success of LISA and other future deep space missions.Read moreRead less
Super-resolution in microscopy and optical recording. The classical resolution limit imposes severe restrictions on the performance of optical instruments, especially in optical microscopy and optical recording. Improved understanding of the fundamental principles involved in super-resolution should allow substantial increases in resolution to be achieved. We aim to explore theoretically and experimentally the performance of different super-resolution schemes alone and in combination, including ....Super-resolution in microscopy and optical recording. The classical resolution limit imposes severe restrictions on the performance of optical instruments, especially in optical microscopy and optical recording. Improved understanding of the fundamental principles involved in super-resolution should allow substantial increases in resolution to be achieved. We aim to explore theoretically and experimentally the performance of different super-resolution schemes alone and in combination, including optical masks, near-field optics, detector arrays, multi-photon imaging and digital deconvolution. Selected methods will be demonstrated with practical examples in multi-photon microscopy. Applications in super-high density optical recording will also be studied.Read moreRead less
The emergence of logic in child language. This project investigates the development of logical expressions in Chinese and English. The project will promote intercultural awareness by establishing the degree to which typologically diverse languages share core logical properties. The findings are relevant for theories of language acquisition and logical reasoning, and will inform research in Linguistics, Philosophy and Psychology. The Neurosciences will benefit from data obtained using the brain i ....The emergence of logic in child language. This project investigates the development of logical expressions in Chinese and English. The project will promote intercultural awareness by establishing the degree to which typologically diverse languages share core logical properties. The findings are relevant for theories of language acquisition and logical reasoning, and will inform research in Linguistics, Philosophy and Psychology. The Neurosciences will benefit from data obtained using the brain imaging technique, Magnetoencephalography (MEG), for the first time with children, and these data will establish benchmarks for assessing early intervention in treating hearing disorders. The project will enhance collaborative research with Australia's neighbours in East Asia.Read moreRead less
Nonlinear photonic crystal fabrication in a high refractive index lithium niobate crystal. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to achieve 3D nonlinear PhCs in a high refractive index material. This project will expand the national knowledge in the area of nonlinear PhCs. The successful compensation of the spherical aberration will advance the optical microfabrication technique. It is expected that the project will provide many chances for postgraduate stu ....Nonlinear photonic crystal fabrication in a high refractive index lithium niobate crystal. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to achieve 3D nonlinear PhCs in a high refractive index material. This project will expand the national knowledge in the area of nonlinear PhCs. The successful compensation of the spherical aberration will advance the optical microfabrication technique. It is expected that the project will provide many chances for postgraduate students to become involved. Some newly developed devices based on nonlinear PhCs may find their commercial applications and we have a chance of securing the intellectual property related to these applications. In a long term, nonlinear PCs may be widely used in daily life and provide some opportunities to the industries.Read moreRead less
Characterisation and fabrication of nanophotonic devices based on multi-layer stacks. The aim of this proposal is to continue the existing collaborative project on fabrication and characterisation of nanophotonic devices based on the multi-layer stack method. The project will integrate the state-of-the-art techniques in the respective collaborating universities to fabricate a nano-probe which can produce an evanescent field approximately four orders of magnitude stronger than that under the conv ....Characterisation and fabrication of nanophotonic devices based on multi-layer stacks. The aim of this proposal is to continue the existing collaborative project on fabrication and characterisation of nanophotonic devices based on the multi-layer stack method. The project will integrate the state-of-the-art techniques in the respective collaborating universities to fabricate a nano-probe which can produce an evanescent field approximately four orders of magnitude stronger than that under the conventional condition. This novel probe provides a key to the successful fabrication of innovative nanophotonic devices including photonic transistors, photonic circuits, high-density data storage disks and drives, nano-motors and biochips, which underpin biotechnology, information technology and optical computing technology.Read moreRead less
A novel spectrum encoding technology using nanoparticles for high-density, high-speed information coding and retrieval. The key-sector in high tech markets has been the photonics industry over the last decade, and it will continue to revolutionise our ways of information storage, processing and transfer for the next 10 to 20 years. The current project of novel spectrum-encoding technology will prove to be the key technological innovation in photonics (one of the National Research Priorities), w ....A novel spectrum encoding technology using nanoparticles for high-density, high-speed information coding and retrieval. The key-sector in high tech markets has been the photonics industry over the last decade, and it will continue to revolutionise our ways of information storage, processing and transfer for the next 10 to 20 years. The current project of novel spectrum-encoding technology will prove to be the key technological innovation in photonics (one of the National Research Priorities), which will not only meet the growing demands of the consumer market, but also continue to drive the industry and create new markets. This is in line with the Priority Goals set by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, as it will put Australia into the unique position in the information age.Read moreRead less
Adaptive aberration compensation in high refractive index materials for next-generation active microphotonic devices. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to compensate the strong aberration in a high refractive index material. The successful compensation of such aberration will allow people to fabricate microdevices directly inside high refractive index materials. This project will greatly advance optical fabrication techniques and expand the national kno ....Adaptive aberration compensation in high refractive index materials for next-generation active microphotonic devices. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to compensate the strong aberration in a high refractive index material. The successful compensation of such aberration will allow people to fabricate microdevices directly inside high refractive index materials. This project will greatly advance optical fabrication techniques and expand the national knowledge in the area of nonlinear PhCs (photonic crystals) and related applications. It is expected that the project will provide many chances for postgraduate students to be involved. In future, nonlinear PhCs and related devices may be widely used in daily life and this project may provide some opportunities for industry.Read moreRead less
Multi-dimensional optical data storage based on nanophotonics - the third generation optical data storage technology. The key-sector in high tech markets has been the photonics industry over the last decade, and it will continue to revolutionise our ways of information storage, processing and transfer for the next 10 to 20 years. The current project of high-capacity Petabyte optical data storage, i.e the third generation optical data storage, will prove to be the key technological innovation in ....Multi-dimensional optical data storage based on nanophotonics - the third generation optical data storage technology. The key-sector in high tech markets has been the photonics industry over the last decade, and it will continue to revolutionise our ways of information storage, processing and transfer for the next 10 to 20 years. The current project of high-capacity Petabyte optical data storage, i.e the third generation optical data storage, will prove to be the key technological innovation in photonics (one of the National Research Priorities), which will not only meet the growing demands of the consumer market, but also continue to drive the industry and create new markets. This is in line with the Priority Goals set by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, as it will put Australia into the unique position in the information age. Read moreRead less
Nano-photonic fabrication and storage using near-field super-resolving probes. The aim of the project is to develop a novel near-field storage device and nano-fabrication instruments, which are based on the super-resolution technique. As a result, the new storage device has a density 100 times of the current DVD technology. The nano-fabrication techniques can be used for all optics devices of nanometer resolution for fast information transferring. This project extends the key developments in t ....Nano-photonic fabrication and storage using near-field super-resolving probes. The aim of the project is to develop a novel near-field storage device and nano-fabrication instruments, which are based on the super-resolution technique. As a result, the new storage device has a density 100 times of the current DVD technology. The nano-fabrication techniques can be used for all optics devices of nanometer resolution for fast information transferring. This project extends the key developments in the field of nano-photonics and will put Australia in a uniquely strong position in the internationally competitive information technology field.Read moreRead less
Development of three-dimensional high-density optical data storage and photonic crystals in photo-polymers with a superresolution imaging system. The aim of this project is to develop a three-dimensional (3-D) high-density optical data storage method and photonic crystals in photo-polymers using a superresolution imaging system. As a result, it is possible to produce a 3-D data density of approximately 10 Tbits/cm3 in low-cost and erasable photo-polymers, equivalent to 3000 times the information ....Development of three-dimensional high-density optical data storage and photonic crystals in photo-polymers with a superresolution imaging system. The aim of this project is to develop a three-dimensional (3-D) high-density optical data storage method and photonic crystals in photo-polymers using a superresolution imaging system. As a result, it is possible to produce a 3-D data density of approximately 10 Tbits/cm3 in low-cost and erasable photo-polymers, equivalent to 3000 times the information in a current digital video disc (DVD). 3-D polymer-based photonic crystals will provide fast, low-cost and compact all-optics devices for optical computing technology. Consequently, the capacity and speed of information super-highways will be significantly increased, which enhances the internationally competitive ability of Australia in information technology.Read moreRead less