Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354517
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Adaptive Optics for Australian Astronomy, Medicine, Industry, and Defence. Adaptive optics is a technique for correcting wavefront distortions in light beams to improve optical imaging performance. The Research Network for Adaptive Optics aims to draw together isolated Australian and New Zealand research groups working on adaptive optics applications in disparate areas to achieve a critical mass of researchers in this burgeoning field. Adaptive optics has wide application in areas as diverse as ....Adaptive Optics for Australian Astronomy, Medicine, Industry, and Defence. Adaptive optics is a technique for correcting wavefront distortions in light beams to improve optical imaging performance. The Research Network for Adaptive Optics aims to draw together isolated Australian and New Zealand research groups working on adaptive optics applications in disparate areas to achieve a critical mass of researchers in this burgeoning field. Adaptive optics has wide application in areas as diverse as astronomy, vision science, ophthalmology, microscopy, optical communications, laser radar, and laser beam shaping. The Research Network will coordinate and expand Australian involvement in these areas and inform industry, as have similar networks in the USA and Europe.Read moreRead less
Synthetic multi-dimensional integrated photonics. This project aims to develop and realise experimentally integrated circuits where light propagation mimics dynamics in arbitrarily complex imaginary photonic lattices. The project puts forward a universal and mass-fabrication compatible design concept of planar optical structures featuring unconventional synthetic multi-dimensional properties, which can also be reconfigured in real time. This underpins expected outcomes in optical detection with ....Synthetic multi-dimensional integrated photonics. This project aims to develop and realise experimentally integrated circuits where light propagation mimics dynamics in arbitrarily complex imaginary photonic lattices. The project puts forward a universal and mass-fabrication compatible design concept of planar optical structures featuring unconventional synthetic multi-dimensional properties, which can also be reconfigured in real time. This underpins expected outcomes in optical detection with fundamentally enhanced sensitivity and optical signal switching with ultra-low threshold. The benefits of such breakthrough improvements can have broad applications spanning from future optical communication networks to optical sensors for monitoring and health applications.Read moreRead less
Insight from Darkness: Nanophotonics for real-time phase imaging. This project aims to develop ultrathin surfaces patterned on the nanoscale for extracting information from optical wavefields. These devices can be designed to provide real-time phase contrast imaging of transparent objects. This capability would open up the possibility of live-cell imaging with no expensive optical components and no, or minimal, computational post-processing. The planar configuration is designed to be compatible ....Insight from Darkness: Nanophotonics for real-time phase imaging. This project aims to develop ultrathin surfaces patterned on the nanoscale for extracting information from optical wavefields. These devices can be designed to provide real-time phase contrast imaging of transparent objects. This capability would open up the possibility of live-cell imaging with no expensive optical components and no, or minimal, computational post-processing. The planar configuration is designed to be compatible with next-generation lab-on-a-chip technologies and permit rapid throughput diagnostics with potential applications in biomedicine and materials science. Expected project outcomes may also underpin fundamental advances in understanding the interaction of light with nanostructures.Read moreRead less
Transformational diagnostics. Australia has established world-leading capabilities in optical fibres and surface science that, when brought together, have the potential to transform applications that require non-invasive, real-time and/or portable biological detection tools. We propose a novel and ambitious suite of projects that bring together these capabilities with experts in reproductive health, forensics and explosives to solve pressing problems in each of these areas that have the promise ....Transformational diagnostics. Australia has established world-leading capabilities in optical fibres and surface science that, when brought together, have the potential to transform applications that require non-invasive, real-time and/or portable biological detection tools. We propose a novel and ambitious suite of projects that bring together these capabilities with experts in reproductive health, forensics and explosives to solve pressing problems in each of these areas that have the promise to develop into new industries for Australia as well as to explore rich science opportunities at the boundaries of these disciplines.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101432
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,520.00
Summary
Dissipative soliton lasers: innovative approach to high-energy femtosecond pulse generation. The generation of high-energy, ultrashort pulses will benefit various sectors in science and technology, including fabrication of nanomaterials and precise laser surgery. The dissipative soliton approach is presently recognised as one of the most useful techniques for the design of laser systems. This project will provide a roadmap for designing a novel class of laser systems that can generate high-energ ....Dissipative soliton lasers: innovative approach to high-energy femtosecond pulse generation. The generation of high-energy, ultrashort pulses will benefit various sectors in science and technology, including fabrication of nanomaterials and precise laser surgery. The dissipative soliton approach is presently recognised as one of the most useful techniques for the design of laser systems. This project will provide a roadmap for designing a novel class of laser systems that can generate high-energy femtosecond pulses.Read moreRead less
All-optical reconfigurable interconnects in nematic liquid crystals. This project aims to explore the unique features of nematic liquid crystals with giant non-local nonlinearity for shaping, routing, and guiding light for all-optical photonic devices, aiming to uncover and realise the potential of long range interaction between laser light and liquid crystals for all-optical computing.
Early-Stage Medical Diagnostics by Plasmon-Mediated Gas Sensing. This project will investigate the use plasmonic absorption of light in metal nanostructures to activate the selective oxidation/reduction of a gas molecule on a semiconductor nanoparticle. This concept will be used with the aim of developing a sensing technique capable of measuring ultra-low concentrations (ppb) of breath markers for lung cancer detection. It is expected that porous sensing films of semiconductor and metal nanopart ....Early-Stage Medical Diagnostics by Plasmon-Mediated Gas Sensing. This project will investigate the use plasmonic absorption of light in metal nanostructures to activate the selective oxidation/reduction of a gas molecule on a semiconductor nanoparticle. This concept will be used with the aim of developing a sensing technique capable of measuring ultra-low concentrations (ppb) of breath markers for lung cancer detection. It is expected that porous sensing films of semiconductor and metal nanoparticles with well-defined light absorption properties will be fabricated. Superior selectivity will be achieved by matching the wavelength of the absorbed light with the required activation energy for oxidation/reduction. Successful outcomes will enable multi-analyte fingerprint identification by on-chip devices with applications ranging from portable medical diagnostics to national security.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL130100044
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,965,000.00
Summary
Controlling light to understand and drive nanoscale processes. This project aims to develop a suite of light-based sensing technologies capable of quantifying the dynamic environment within a living cell. These technologies will extend our capacity to harness light-matter interactions at the nanoscale, providing new insights in fields ranging from plant biology to medicine.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100067
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A femtosecond Mmd-IR optical parametric amplifier source for waveguide nonlinear optics. The mid-infrared is an immensely important region of the optical spectrum for sensing toxic or illicit molecules or pollutants using their spectral fingerprints. The equipment will facilitate the development of new techniques for sensing based on nonlinear processes in waveguides.
Plasmonic nano-antennas for next-generation photon sources. Extending concepts from standard radio-frequency antenna technology down to the nanoscale will open up new applications in fields from biotechnology to telecommunications. This project will embed a light emitting particle in a nanostructured metallic device to produce an ultrabright, directional single-photon source.