Delivering Next-Generation Broadband Internet Access to Australia: Integration of Broadband Optical and Wireless Networks. Provision of broadband services is a high priority for the Australian government as evidenced by a range of initiatives costing more than $4 billion. Especially, the integration of optical and wireless broadband access will potentially provide inexpensive and efficient solutions to customers. Building on the strength of existing photonics and wireless industries in Australia ....Delivering Next-Generation Broadband Internet Access to Australia: Integration of Broadband Optical and Wireless Networks. Provision of broadband services is a high priority for the Australian government as evidenced by a range of initiatives costing more than $4 billion. Especially, the integration of optical and wireless broadband access will potentially provide inexpensive and efficient solutions to customers. Building on the strength of existing photonics and wireless industries in Australia, direct and indirect outcomes of this project can lead to new business opportunities and will further strengthen the growing local telecommunication industries. It is also anticipated that national and international collaboration will generate further research activities and significantly enhance the existing reputation of Australian research capabilities.Read moreRead less
Improved fibre Bragg grating sensors for detection of structural hot spots. Structural integrity monitoring, to anticipate and prevent failure, is a multi-billion dollar effort worldwide. Detailed assessment of the capability of fibre Bragg gratings to measure strain profiles along the grating length, i.e. intragrating sensing, and thereby detect structural ?hot spots? before failure is essential for effective systems. They will be used to determine strain gradients similar to those found in com ....Improved fibre Bragg grating sensors for detection of structural hot spots. Structural integrity monitoring, to anticipate and prevent failure, is a multi-billion dollar effort worldwide. Detailed assessment of the capability of fibre Bragg gratings to measure strain profiles along the grating length, i.e. intragrating sensing, and thereby detect structural ?hot spots? before failure is essential for effective systems. They will be used to determine strain gradients similar to those found in common problem areas, such as the tips of elliptic notches and disbonding at the ends of composite joints. Additionally, grating refractive index profiles will be characterised using imaging techniques, to assess performance and possible changes to gratings after prolonged use.Read moreRead less
Liquid light: aqueous bio-sensing in microstructured polymer optical fibres. This project builds on Australia's world-leading position in the development of microstructured polymer optical fibres, and applies the unique benefits they provide to for ultra- sensitive bio-sensing. By using the microstructure to simultaneously confine light and liquid, microstructured optical fibres provide a unique platform for ultra-sensitive spectroscopy and structural studies of biomolecules in solution. The wor ....Liquid light: aqueous bio-sensing in microstructured polymer optical fibres. This project builds on Australia's world-leading position in the development of microstructured polymer optical fibres, and applies the unique benefits they provide to for ultra- sensitive bio-sensing. By using the microstructure to simultaneously confine light and liquid, microstructured optical fibres provide a unique platform for ultra-sensitive spectroscopy and structural studies of biomolecules in solution. The work has profound implications both for fundamental science and applications, particularly in medical diagnostics.Read moreRead less
Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expe ....Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expensive and complicated. A low-cost alternative will dramatically increase the use of adaptive optics in industrial, environmental and medical applications. The compensation of distortions in low-cost optical atmospheric sensors will be demonstrated.Read moreRead less
Novel coherence-free photonic microwave signal processors. With the increasing bandwidth requirements of information signals, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-speed and high resolution systems for signal processing. The new photonic signal processors in this project will herald in a new epoch in the ability to optimally condition wideband signals, with important applications for science, business and security services. These processors will have particular impact in transcendi ....Novel coherence-free photonic microwave signal processors. With the increasing bandwidth requirements of information signals, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-speed and high resolution systems for signal processing. The new photonic signal processors in this project will herald in a new epoch in the ability to optimally condition wideband signals, with important applications for science, business and security services. These processors will have particular impact in transcending exisiting electronic processor limitations and in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with benefits to Australia in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
Novel coherence-free microwave photonic signal processors. With the unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-performance systems for high-bandwidth signal processing. In areas such as fibre-wireless networks, radioastronomy, and defence, it is essential to pre-process the wideband fibre-fed distributed antenna signals. The new coherence-free, high-frequency, low-noise photonic signal processors, in this project have important app ....Novel coherence-free microwave photonic signal processors. With the unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements, there is an unprecedented challenge to provide high-performance systems for high-bandwidth signal processing. In areas such as fibre-wireless networks, radioastronomy, and defence, it is essential to pre-process the wideband fibre-fed distributed antenna signals. The new coherence-free, high-frequency, low-noise photonic signal processors, in this project have important applications for science, business and security services. The results have widespread uses in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with national benefits in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
Dynamically tunable, low-noise, discrete-time optical processing of high-speed signals. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus the challenge arises to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is required to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the passband. The ne ....Dynamically tunable, low-noise, discrete-time optical processing of high-speed signals. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus the challenge arises to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is required to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the passband. The new dynamically tunable photonic signal processors in this project have important applications for science, business and security services. The results have widespread uses in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with national benefits in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
New paradigms for high-resolution microwave photonic signal processing. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus there are unprecedented challenges to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high-level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is essential to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the required signal. ....New paradigms for high-resolution microwave photonic signal processing. In today's society there is an unrelenting push for increasing bandwidth requirements. Thus there are unprecedented challenges to provide systems that can optimally condition high-speed signals. Many systems carry not only the desired information but also high-level interference signals. Tunable interference mitigation is essential to address different interferers actively while having minimal impact on the required signal. The new dynamically reconfigurable photonic signal processors in this project have important applications for science, business and security services. The results have widespread uses in enhancing fibre-fed distributed antenna systems, with national benefits in the fields of radioastronomy and radar systems in defence.Read moreRead less
High-performance smart solar powered on-chip capacitive energy storage. High performance and environmentally friendly on-chip power system is the key bottleneck issue limiting the further performance improvement and miniaturisation of ever-increasing portable optoelectronic devices. Building on previous work, including recent breakthroughs of on-chip photonic devices in patterned graphene oxide thin film and the record-breaking nanophotonics solar cells, the project aims to investigate a new con ....High-performance smart solar powered on-chip capacitive energy storage. High performance and environmentally friendly on-chip power system is the key bottleneck issue limiting the further performance improvement and miniaturisation of ever-increasing portable optoelectronic devices. Building on previous work, including recent breakthroughs of on-chip photonic devices in patterned graphene oxide thin film and the record-breaking nanophotonics solar cells, the project aims to investigate a new concept of super-resolution direct laser printing and simultaneous dopant activation of graphene oxide thin films. It is expected that the conceptually new development of the functional graphene oxide film patterning will allow for smart solar-powered on-chip power systems that outperform the state-of-the-art pollution generating batteries.Read moreRead less
Exploring Synergies between Frontier Microphotonics and Advanced Time and Frequency Technology. Recently scientists have developed the means to manufacture objects that are on the same microscopic scale as light itself. These structures can deliver exquisite control of the properties of the light beams. Our existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and the pure colours generated by lasers. By combining these two technologie ....Exploring Synergies between Frontier Microphotonics and Advanced Time and Frequency Technology. Recently scientists have developed the means to manufacture objects that are on the same microscopic scale as light itself. These structures can deliver exquisite control of the properties of the light beams. Our existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and the pure colours generated by lasers. By combining these two technologies, both of which lie at the extreme limit of precision, we will develop a new generation of technology for fundamental science objectives as well as for industrial needs.Read moreRead less