Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combini ....Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combining a frequency comb source, with an innovative detector and a highly sensitive sampling system, a real-time spectral signature of each sample will be generated. Computational techniques developed by the radio astronomy community will then be used to extract concentrations of individual molecular components at the parts-per-billion level.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100509
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$436,482.00
Summary
Going Fourth: ruling light with pure-quartic solitons. This project aims to develop a novel integrated high-energy light source through the combination of nanoscience and optics. The core research of this project addresses the energy limitation inherent to the current technology which has hindered its use in real applications. Expected outcomes include new knowledge, with publication in world-class scientific journals, and disruptive technological capabilities in miniaturized photonics. The expe ....Going Fourth: ruling light with pure-quartic solitons. This project aims to develop a novel integrated high-energy light source through the combination of nanoscience and optics. The core research of this project addresses the energy limitation inherent to the current technology which has hindered its use in real applications. Expected outcomes include new knowledge, with publication in world-class scientific journals, and disruptive technological capabilities in miniaturized photonics. The expected benefit is to generate high-energy pulses from a battery powered micro-chip that could enhance spectroscopy sensing devices for real-world applications, outside laboratories. This project will strengthen Australian capabilities and expertise in cutting-edge nanotechnology and photonics.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101721
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Probing the excited states of organic semiconductor systems with photoinduced absorption spectroscopy. Plastic semiconductors have the potential to revolutionise consumer electronics by enabling cheap, flexible and low power devices. The success of these devices depends on our understanding of the optical and electronic properties of the materials, which this project aims to address through the use of photoinduced absorption spectroscopy.
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.
Ultrafast, near infrared laser sources using fibre-based optical parametric oscillators. This project will use microstructured optical fibres and nonlinear optics to create compact and cheap laser sources in the near infrared spectrum to replace the bulky and expensive devices in many spectroscopic and biophotonic applications today. The work will further enhance Australia's standing in the field of nonlinear optics and optical fibres.
Catching the fast waves: high speed RF sensing using Brillouin scattering. This project aims to develop a room temperature approach to fast sensing of microwave electromagnetic waves by harnessing stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), simultaneously achieving high frequency range, high resolution and high-speed performance. This project expects to generate new knowledge in microwave photonics and SBS, specifically elucidating the transient temporal response of SBS. Expected outcomes of this pro ....Catching the fast waves: high speed RF sensing using Brillouin scattering. This project aims to develop a room temperature approach to fast sensing of microwave electromagnetic waves by harnessing stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), simultaneously achieving high frequency range, high resolution and high-speed performance. This project expects to generate new knowledge in microwave photonics and SBS, specifically elucidating the transient temporal response of SBS. Expected outcomes of this project include a proof of concept RF sensor that has multi-Gigahertz real-rime instantaneous bandwidth with high-resolution that can be miniaturized on to a chip. This compact RF sensor, will play a vital role for situational awareness in space, defence and communications applications. Read moreRead less
Functional nonlinear nanophotonics. This project will uncover novel ways of controlling ultra-short optical pulses through the special structuring of materials at the nanoscale. New functionalities based on enhanced nonlinear light-matter interactions will underpin advances in future optical communication networks and computing systems, laser radars and sensing applications.
Resonant nanophotonics: tailoring resonant interaction of light with nanoclusters. This project will unlock new ways of controlling resonant light-matter interaction in nanostructured materials for the next generation of integrated nanophotonic devices. The project outcomes will support Australia's leadership in the development of energy efficient components for advanced photonic networks and optical communications.
Flexible nonlinear photonics with nanowire slow-light waveguides. This project will develop new approaches based on nanotechnologies to create flexible photonic chips in which deformations can be used to manipulate optical pulses transmitting information at the speed of light. This will serve to advance the speed, performance and energy efficiency of future optical communication networks and computing systems.
Nonlinear nano-photonic structures for frequency conversion: from classical to quantum applications. New methods for changing the colour of light will be developed through the use of nano-scale optical circuits, enabling manipulation of short pulses and single quanta of light. This will advance the performance, energy efficiency and security of future optical communication networks and computing systems.