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
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
Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understandi ....Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understanding of cells, the building blocks of life. We will achieve this by: 1. Developing a microscope that combines microscopic resolution with rapid imaging; 2: Developing the capability to image both within the cell and its surrounding environment; and 3. Using our microscope to make discoveries in biology.Read moreRead less
Multi-colour ultrashort soft X-ray pulses. This project aims to create multi-colour, ultrashort, highly coherent, bright pulses of soft X-rays based on high-harmonic generation in a table-top multiple-section gas cell. Studying multi-electronic and non-adiabatic processes and other fundamental aspects such as multi-electronic correlations and non-Born-Oppenheimer vibronic couplings in complex molecules is a major challenge in current ultrafast photochemistry research. This project will use multi ....Multi-colour ultrashort soft X-ray pulses. This project aims to create multi-colour, ultrashort, highly coherent, bright pulses of soft X-rays based on high-harmonic generation in a table-top multiple-section gas cell. Studying multi-electronic and non-adiabatic processes and other fundamental aspects such as multi-electronic correlations and non-Born-Oppenheimer vibronic couplings in complex molecules is a major challenge in current ultrafast photochemistry research. This project will use multiple driving pulses with different carrier frequencies to control the spectral properties and time delay of the pulses. It will use the soft X-ray source to develop an ideal platform for studying multi-electronic and non-adiabatic processes, multi-electronic correlations and non-Born-Oppenheimer vibronic couplings in complex molecules. This is expected to advance materials science, paving the way to soft X-ray technologies.Read moreRead less
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
Next generation lasers for short-reach optical fibre communication. This project aims to develop next-generation laser systems for multimode fibre-optic communication systems, by leveraging recently developed techniques for measuring and controlling the spatial properties of light. These techniques will provide new insights into the physics of the lasers themselves, as well as overcoming fundamental limitations which have traditionally hindered their operation at high speed. The expected outcome ....Next generation lasers for short-reach optical fibre communication. This project aims to develop next-generation laser systems for multimode fibre-optic communication systems, by leveraging recently developed techniques for measuring and controlling the spatial properties of light. These techniques will provide new insights into the physics of the lasers themselves, as well as overcoming fundamental limitations which have traditionally hindered their operation at high speed. The expected outcome of this project is the inclusion of these techniques in the development and operation of future generations of fibre communication systems. Creating new classes of laser systems, which can scale to large bit rates, will enable the growth in this area to be sustained into the future.Read moreRead less
Harnessing opto-acoustic interactions for on-chip optical isolation. The project aims to develop practical on-chip photonic isolators – one-way optical circuits – by harnessing light–sound interactions in a nanoscale platform novel in its materials, design and mechanism. The project should develop new nanofabrication techniques and transform understanding of the physics of one-way photonic processes. Expected outcomes include enhanced design and fabrication capabilities for photonic circuits, ul ....Harnessing opto-acoustic interactions for on-chip optical isolation. The project aims to develop practical on-chip photonic isolators – one-way optical circuits – by harnessing light–sound interactions in a nanoscale platform novel in its materials, design and mechanism. The project should develop new nanofabrication techniques and transform understanding of the physics of one-way photonic processes. Expected outcomes include enhanced design and fabrication capabilities for photonic circuits, ultra-compact, high-performance optical isolators and circulators that shield sensitive optical components, and a suite of theoretical tools for describing propagation and noise in these devices. These new high performance photonic circuits should benefit telecommunications, radar, defence, and sensing applications. Read moreRead less
Levitated Quantum Optomechanics with Trapped, Rotating Microparticles. This project will develop techniques for trapping, rotating and cooling microscopic particles in vacuum for exquisitely accurate studies of sensors and of fundamental physics at the classical-quantum interface - namely quantum vacuum friction. It will result in the establishment of an internationally recognised activity in rotational levitated optomechanics and expand Australia's presence in the field of quantum photonics. It ....Levitated Quantum Optomechanics with Trapped, Rotating Microparticles. This project will develop techniques for trapping, rotating and cooling microscopic particles in vacuum for exquisitely accurate studies of sensors and of fundamental physics at the classical-quantum interface - namely quantum vacuum friction. It will result in the establishment of an internationally recognised activity in rotational levitated optomechanics and expand Australia's presence in the field of quantum photonics. It has the potential for commercial benefit in areas including photonics, sensors and advanced manufacturingRead moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100934
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,082.00
Summary
Taming the light: full control in polarisation, space, and time. This project aims to develop two prototype optical beam shaping systems, culminating in the demonstration of new high-power optical fibre amplifiers. This novel ability to control all the properties of light enables the generation of optical beams that were only theoretical ideas but never previously implemented experimentally. This advanced technology can potentially open new ways in which objects can be probed using light. Expect ....Taming the light: full control in polarisation, space, and time. This project aims to develop two prototype optical beam shaping systems, culminating in the demonstration of new high-power optical fibre amplifiers. This novel ability to control all the properties of light enables the generation of optical beams that were only theoretical ideas but never previously implemented experimentally. This advanced technology can potentially open new ways in which objects can be probed using light. Expected outcomes include the creation of an optical platform that the optical community at large may utilise for their specific applications. Besides the intellectual property benefits of such optical devices directly, this project should bridge the gap between the developed knowledge and commercial opportunities.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL210100099
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,401,828.00
Summary
The Intelligent Microscope - novel optical imaging at depth. While optical methods for imaging are used extensively, achieving wide-field imaging through scattering media with high resolution and depth is a major challenge, due mainly to the limited penetration depth of light. This proposal aims to transform wide-field optical imaging through a new ‘intelligent’ microscopy able to capture 3D volumetric images. Innovations in shaping light in both space and time will be combined in a holistic wa ....The Intelligent Microscope - novel optical imaging at depth. While optical methods for imaging are used extensively, achieving wide-field imaging through scattering media with high resolution and depth is a major challenge, due mainly to the limited penetration depth of light. This proposal aims to transform wide-field optical imaging through a new ‘intelligent’ microscopy able to capture 3D volumetric images. Innovations in shaping light in both space and time will be combined in a holistic way with computational analysis to extract images from deep within the sample at extraordinary levels of detail. Major benefits of the research range from next-generation tools for enhanced discovery of biological and physical materials, to new Australian start-ups for new imaging and microscopy devices.Read moreRead less