Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100104
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Capability for the fabrication and characterisation of mid-infrared photonic materials. The proposed facility will support the development of new glass materials suitable for transmitting and generating light in the mid-infrared spectral region. This research will allow Australia to lead the world in developing new technologies that make use of the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Particular applications that will flow from this research include the development of new optical ....Capability for the fabrication and characterisation of mid-infrared photonic materials. The proposed facility will support the development of new glass materials suitable for transmitting and generating light in the mid-infrared spectral region. This research will allow Australia to lead the world in developing new technologies that make use of the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Particular applications that will flow from this research include the development of new optical fibre-based laser sources for defence and surgery, new technologies for detecting and treating cancer, and other in-vivo detection methods.Read moreRead less
Optoelectronic properties of low-dimensional semiconductor systems and semiconductor nanostructures under terahertz free-electron laser radiation. The recent application of terahertz (THz) free-electron lasers (FELs) to scientific investigation into low-dimensional semiconductor systems and semiconductor nanostructures has opened up a new field of research in semiconductor optoelectronics. This project will conduct a joint experimental and theoretical study of how these novel systems interact w ....Optoelectronic properties of low-dimensional semiconductor systems and semiconductor nanostructures under terahertz free-electron laser radiation. The recent application of terahertz (THz) free-electron lasers (FELs) to scientific investigation into low-dimensional semiconductor systems and semiconductor nanostructures has opened up a new field of research in semiconductor optoelectronics. This project will conduct a joint experimental and theoretical study of how these novel systems interact with intense THz laser fields. Experimentally, we plan to use Beijing FELs in China to study optoelectronic properties in GaAs-and GaN based systems. Theoretically, we intend developing fundamental new approaches to theory of electron interactions with intense laser fields in semiconductors and relating theoretical results to experiments and experimental findings.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film ....Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film technologies and couples it with a passive optical layer, which will result in a 30% performance enhancement by overcoming internal absorption losses. It is anticipated that the increased performance will enable the thin film PV technology to be far more commercially viable and attractive for future commercialisation, and hence reduce the cost of solar power.Read moreRead less
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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775729
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Improved understanding of nanoscale materials - structure, composition, crystallography and defects revealed by electron imaging and analysis at high spatial resolution. Modern materials scientists and engineers are driven by world-wide competition to develop new technology and manufactured devices. The trend has for some time been towards miniaturisation and one of the main challenges lies in effectively characterising nanostructures that are produced as a key step in research and development o ....Improved understanding of nanoscale materials - structure, composition, crystallography and defects revealed by electron imaging and analysis at high spatial resolution. Modern materials scientists and engineers are driven by world-wide competition to develop new technology and manufactured devices. The trend has for some time been towards miniaturisation and one of the main challenges lies in effectively characterising nanostructures that are produced as a key step in research and development of advanced materials. The proposed electron microscope and detectors will provide a state-of-the-art analytical facility to support the cross-disciplinary materials science and nanotechnology research at the Australian National University. It will also provide an important training facility for students and early-career researchers and will be available to investigators from other Australian institutions.Read moreRead less
Short-pulse laser cleaning for Australian heritage conservation. Conserving heritage objects is a demanding discipline, requiring a suite of techniques for different problems. Overseas, laser cleaning using long pulse techniques leaves microscopic damage as discrete chunks of material are removed, and is unsuitable for many materials. We have developed a short pulse laser process which can remove material molecule-by-molecule in a controlled fashion, and which can be readily halted once the fi ....Short-pulse laser cleaning for Australian heritage conservation. Conserving heritage objects is a demanding discipline, requiring a suite of techniques for different problems. Overseas, laser cleaning using long pulse techniques leaves microscopic damage as discrete chunks of material are removed, and is unsuitable for many materials. We have developed a short pulse laser process which can remove material molecule-by-molecule in a controlled fashion, and which can be readily halted once the final finish is achieved. We will research this technique for application to unique Australian heritage materials that are important to the specific conservation needs of the Australian War Memorial, the RAAF, Navy and Army Museums, Artlab Australia, and the Art Gallery of NSW.Read moreRead less
Carrier dynamics in III-V semiconductor quantum dots and nanostructures. Quantum dots and related nanostructures are one of the most attractive topics in the recently years. This project will investigate the role of carrier dynamics in these nanostructures by using state-of-the-art ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. The wealth of information obtained from this study will not only enhance our knowledge base but also allow us to design high performance QD lasers and detectors and to demonstrate in ....Carrier dynamics in III-V semiconductor quantum dots and nanostructures. Quantum dots and related nanostructures are one of the most attractive topics in the recently years. This project will investigate the role of carrier dynamics in these nanostructures by using state-of-the-art ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. The wealth of information obtained from this study will not only enhance our knowledge base but also allow us to design high performance QD lasers and detectors and to demonstrate innovative optoelectronic devices for optical communication systems as well as quantum information processing. It will ensure that Australia is at the cutting edge of nanotechnology and optoelectronics research.Read moreRead less
Develoment of a quantum repeater. Quantum information processing is a powerful emerging technology that aims to fully exploit the properties of quantum mechanics to perform computations and securely transmit information. This project will develop an essential component for this technology that will enable for the first time the direct and reversible transfer of quantum information between solid-state quantum systems and light. Successful completion of this project will provide a route to fully s ....Develoment of a quantum repeater. Quantum information processing is a powerful emerging technology that aims to fully exploit the properties of quantum mechanics to perform computations and securely transmit information. This project will develop an essential component for this technology that will enable for the first time the direct and reversible transfer of quantum information between solid-state quantum systems and light. Successful completion of this project will provide a route to fully scalable quantum computing and long range quantum networks. This project will help secure Australia's leading role in this strategically important new generation technology.Read moreRead less
Ordered Semiconductor Nanostructures for Electronics and Photonics Applications. This research program aims to develop innovative concepts and technologies to manipulate atoms to control size, shape and position of nanostructures in order to control their electronic and optical properties. The research program will produce important innovations and advance Australian knowledge in electronics, photonics, communications and computer technologies. This research will allow Australia to become a si ....Ordered Semiconductor Nanostructures for Electronics and Photonics Applications. This research program aims to develop innovative concepts and technologies to manipulate atoms to control size, shape and position of nanostructures in order to control their electronic and optical properties. The research program will produce important innovations and advance Australian knowledge in electronics, photonics, communications and computer technologies. This research will allow Australia to become a significant player in nanotechnology and has the potential for the development of patentable technologies of immense interest for high technology industries.Read moreRead less
Slow-light photonics. This project will introduce and demonstrate novel concepts for the manipulation of optical signals in ultra-compact photonics devices, making an essential step towards fast all-optical switching and processing of data streams. These developments underpin the next generation of high-performance networks, promising to revolutionize global communications. This project will keep Australia at the forefront of international research and provide training of students on breakthroug ....Slow-light photonics. This project will introduce and demonstrate novel concepts for the manipulation of optical signals in ultra-compact photonics devices, making an essential step towards fast all-optical switching and processing of data streams. These developments underpin the next generation of high-performance networks, promising to revolutionize global communications. This project will keep Australia at the forefront of international research and provide training of students on breakthrough applications of photonics and nanotechnology, contributing to the uptake of frontier technologies by Australian industries for successful operation in a competitive global environment.Read moreRead less