Dynamics and correlations of many-body systems. The proposed program will greatly enhance Australian science through linking innovative
theoretical techniques with the successful ongoing Australian experimental program in atom
lasers, atom chip interferometry and ultra-cold fermions. Pioneering theoretical methods in
quantum phase-space are internationally recognized, and will be extended into new areas relevant
to Australia. These have fundamental significance to fields ranging from nanotec ....Dynamics and correlations of many-body systems. The proposed program will greatly enhance Australian science through linking innovative
theoretical techniques with the successful ongoing Australian experimental program in atom
lasers, atom chip interferometry and ultra-cold fermions. Pioneering theoretical methods in
quantum phase-space are internationally recognized, and will be extended into new areas relevant
to Australia. These have fundamental significance to fields ranging from nanotechnology to
astrophysics, as well as providing a route to improved atomic clocks and other instruments.
Combining these theoretical and computational methods from the physical sciences with biology
and genetics will provide future cross-disciplinary benefits to Australian biomedical science.Read moreRead less
Life is swirl in flatland: two dimensional turbulence in a superfluid. The project will create two-dimensional turbulence in a superfluid gas of atoms in order to observe the predicted, but counter-intuitive, growth of ordered structure out of chaotic motion. The observation of such behaviour would support its mechanism as the explanation for phenomena such as giant eddies in ocean currents and the Great Red Spot of Jupiter.
Generation and Application of Ultracold Molecules. This project will extend the techniques of laser trapping and cooling of neutral atoms to produce ensembles of ultracold molecules, specifically Rb2. The starting point will be a cold sample of atoms, followed by the photoassociative formation of ultracold molecules. The ultracold molecules will be collected in a far-detuned optical dipole trap, and subsequently probed using femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. This unique combination of femt ....Generation and Application of Ultracold Molecules. This project will extend the techniques of laser trapping and cooling of neutral atoms to produce ensembles of ultracold molecules, specifically Rb2. The starting point will be a cold sample of atoms, followed by the photoassociative formation of ultracold molecules. The ultracold molecules will be collected in a far-detuned optical dipole trap, and subsequently probed using femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. This unique combination of femtosecond spectroscopy with ultraslow molecules will extend the study of chemical processes to an entirely new temperature regime, leading to a new understanding of the quantum nature of chemical reactions.Read moreRead less
New Multidimensional Femtosecond Spectroscopic Techniques for Complex Molecular Systems. We will develop novel multidimensional nonlinear spectroscopic techniques based on sequences of femtosecond laser pulses to investigate ultrafast processes and transient species in complex molecular systems. The molecular systems will include biologically important protein molecules, complex synthetic polymers, new semiconductor materials and semiconductor quantum structures including quantum dots. This in ....New Multidimensional Femtosecond Spectroscopic Techniques for Complex Molecular Systems. We will develop novel multidimensional nonlinear spectroscopic techniques based on sequences of femtosecond laser pulses to investigate ultrafast processes and transient species in complex molecular systems. The molecular systems will include biologically important protein molecules, complex synthetic polymers, new semiconductor materials and semiconductor quantum structures including quantum dots. This information will significantly advance our understanding of fundamental dynamical processes such as energy and charge transfer in macro- and supra-molecules, transport of oxygen in animals, photosynthesis, advanced photo-active devices, and ultrafast processes in new semiconductor materials and semiconductor quantum structures.Read moreRead less
Understanding Collisions of Cold Polar Molecules. This project is in a high impact research field and therefore has several immediate and substantial national benefits. First, this project will directly raise the quality of Australian science in ultracold atomic physics, cold polar molecules physics, and quantum chemistry. Second, it will constitute high impact research from an Australian institute which will raise the recognition of the high quality Australian science. Third, it will further ....Understanding Collisions of Cold Polar Molecules. This project is in a high impact research field and therefore has several immediate and substantial national benefits. First, this project will directly raise the quality of Australian science in ultracold atomic physics, cold polar molecules physics, and quantum chemistry. Second, it will constitute high impact research from an Australian institute which will raise the recognition of the high quality Australian science. Third, it will further develop capabilities of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum-Atom Optics (ACQAO). Fourth, this work will start high calibre international collaborations, most notably with a world renowned experimental group at Yale University among others.Read moreRead less
Ultracold atomic Fermi gases in the strongly interacting regime: A new frontier of quantum many-body physics. Ultra-cold atoms are one of the most rapidly developing areas in twenty-first century physics. The scientific importance of studying strongly interacting Fermi gases is indicated by the fact that five Nobel prizes in physics have been awarded in fields relevant to ultra-cold atoms in the last decade. Australia is now developing a reputation for world-class research in this new area, with ....Ultracold atomic Fermi gases in the strongly interacting regime: A new frontier of quantum many-body physics. Ultra-cold atoms are one of the most rapidly developing areas in twenty-first century physics. The scientific importance of studying strongly interacting Fermi gases is indicated by the fact that five Nobel prizes in physics have been awarded in fields relevant to ultra-cold atoms in the last decade. Australia is now developing a reputation for world-class research in this new area, with new cold-fermion experiments now underway in Melbourne. This project will build national and international cooperation in this field, provide world-class research training opportunities and advance Australia's leadership position. As well as improving scientific understanding, it has the potential to lead to new energy-saving technologies in future.Read moreRead less
Imbalanced superfluidity: The quantum mystery that defies solution. The project focuses on ground-breaking research in ultra-cold atomic Fermi gases, the fastest developing area in twenty-first century physics. Australia has already invested heavily in ultra-cold atomic Bose gases including atom lasers. An experimental program on atomic Fermi gases has also been initiated in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum-Atom Optics (ACQAO). Our project, if successful, will help elevate Australia to a ....Imbalanced superfluidity: The quantum mystery that defies solution. The project focuses on ground-breaking research in ultra-cold atomic Fermi gases, the fastest developing area in twenty-first century physics. Australia has already invested heavily in ultra-cold atomic Bose gases including atom lasers. An experimental program on atomic Fermi gases has also been initiated in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum-Atom Optics (ACQAO). Our project, if successful, will help elevate Australia to a major international research centre in cold Fermi gases, complementing its ongoing strength developed through the ACQAO experiments, and will bring fundamental knowledge that could have a significant and profound influence upon future technologies: for example, novel electronics, lossless power transmission and magnetic levitation.Read moreRead less
Integrated Atom Optics: Guiding Matter Waves with Magnetic Microstructures. The development of micron-scale waveguides that coherently transport, split and recombine atom de Broglie waves is important for atom optics and interferometry. Atom interferometers will be used for fundamental tests of quantum physics and as inertial sensors for the detection of gravitational anomalies. The expected outcomes include microfabrication of integrated atom devices that produce coherent matter waves via Bose- ....Integrated Atom Optics: Guiding Matter Waves with Magnetic Microstructures. The development of micron-scale waveguides that coherently transport, split and recombine atom de Broglie waves is important for atom optics and interferometry. Atom interferometers will be used for fundamental tests of quantum physics and as inertial sensors for the detection of gravitational anomalies. The expected outcomes include microfabrication of integrated atom devices that produce coherent matter waves via Bose-Einstein condensation and utilise them in a new generation of atom interferometers.Read moreRead less
Many-body physics with atomic Bose gases. Interdisciplinary research in science is promising new and revolutionary developments that may ultimately impact our daily lives. One such area, where the blurring of the boundaries between two disciplines could result in significant advancement of understanding and development of novel technologies, is the overlap of condensed matter or solid-state physics with atomic physics. This proposal seeks to put Australian science at the forefront of this new an ....Many-body physics with atomic Bose gases. Interdisciplinary research in science is promising new and revolutionary developments that may ultimately impact our daily lives. One such area, where the blurring of the boundaries between two disciplines could result in significant advancement of understanding and development of novel technologies, is the overlap of condensed matter or solid-state physics with atomic physics. This proposal seeks to put Australian science at the forefront of this new and exciting area of research. As a result, Australia will have a significant international presence, researchers will receive the cutting edge training necessary to be competitive with other countries and Australia will be poised to exploit the potentially beneficial developments.Read moreRead less
Further Genetic and Molecular studies of an Important Prokaryotic Regulator Protein TyrR. Genomes encode many functions whose expression varies dramatically depending on particular cellular environments. Special proteins called Regulator Proteins act as sensors to detect subtle changes in the environment and, in response, to influence the expression of certain genes either dampening them down or stimulating their activity. We are working with the TyrR regulator protein of the simple bacterium E ....Further Genetic and Molecular studies of an Important Prokaryotic Regulator Protein TyrR. Genomes encode many functions whose expression varies dramatically depending on particular cellular environments. Special proteins called Regulator Proteins act as sensors to detect subtle changes in the environment and, in response, to influence the expression of certain genes either dampening them down or stimulating their activity. We are working with the TyrR regulator protein of the simple bacterium Escherichia coli to elucidate the molecular strategies used in these controls. Because this protein controls the expression of a number of genes with diverse functions, evolution has selected equally diverse mechanisms to achieve appropriate transcriptional responses. The detailed knowledge of the E.coli genome and of the various genes regulated by TyrR make it an excellent system for such fundamental studies.Read moreRead less