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
New generation of hyperspectral infrared photon detectors. Although highly desirable for many applications, tuneable, on chip, infrared photon detectors are not yet available. The approach described in this application aims to develop a technology for high performance, on chip, infrared photon detectors that can be tuned over a wide wavelength range. By applying a novel in-house developed semiconductor process and a multi-disciplinary approach, this project aims to develop such devices by combin ....New generation of hyperspectral infrared photon detectors. Although highly desirable for many applications, tuneable, on chip, infrared photon detectors are not yet available. The approach described in this application aims to develop a technology for high performance, on chip, infrared photon detectors that can be tuned over a wide wavelength range. By applying a novel in-house developed semiconductor process and a multi-disciplinary approach, this project aims to develop such devices by combining, for the first time, micromachined tuneable optical microcavities with high performance HgCdTe-based infrared detectors.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775668
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$210,000.00
Summary
Direct write - microphotonics fabrication facility. Direct write-microfabrication, where an ultrafast laser is focussed to a small, intense spot and translated under computer control with respect to a target sample, has emerged as a significant enabling technology creating new opportunities in microphotonics. The proposed facility will enable researchers to modify the internal properties of glass blocks and write 'optical wires' (or waveguides). By combining waveguides with other laser written f ....Direct write - microphotonics fabrication facility. Direct write-microfabrication, where an ultrafast laser is focussed to a small, intense spot and translated under computer control with respect to a target sample, has emerged as a significant enabling technology creating new opportunities in microphotonics. The proposed facility will enable researchers to modify the internal properties of glass blocks and write 'optical wires' (or waveguides). By combining waveguides with other laser written functional components researchers will develop devices capable of processing optical information. Outcomes will include demonstrations of compact lasers and slow light generation.Read moreRead less
Resonant Nanostructures for Adaptive Optoelectronics. The science and technology outcomes of this project will create new, innovative solutions to current and future challenges facing industry, the community, and Australian national and strategic interests. Adaptive, resonant optoelectronics technologies will create new industries and enable, for the first time, advanced, low-cost, hand-held, spectroscopic systems for chemical/biological/process sensing for industries as diverse as food processi ....Resonant Nanostructures for Adaptive Optoelectronics. The science and technology outcomes of this project will create new, innovative solutions to current and future challenges facing industry, the community, and Australian national and strategic interests. Adaptive, resonant optoelectronics technologies will create new industries and enable, for the first time, advanced, low-cost, hand-held, spectroscopic systems for chemical/biological/process sensing for industries as diverse as food processing to pharmaceuticals manufacturing, portable biomedical diagnostics, and precision agriculture. The technologies will enhance Australia's ability to address defence and security needs related to surveillance, chemical/biological threat monitoring, border protection, and target identification.
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Infrared optoelectronic sensors based on p-type molecular beam epitaxy grown HgCdTe. The ability of infrared detectors to directly sense the thermal output of an object has applications in medicine, search and rescue, bushfire detection and in the defence and surveillance industries. The highest performing infrared detectors are photon detectors based molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown HgCdTe. The primary aims of this project relate to the fundamental understanding of p-type doping in MBE grown ....Infrared optoelectronic sensors based on p-type molecular beam epitaxy grown HgCdTe. The ability of infrared detectors to directly sense the thermal output of an object has applications in medicine, search and rescue, bushfire detection and in the defence and surveillance industries. The highest performing infrared detectors are photon detectors based molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown HgCdTe. The primary aims of this project relate to the fundamental understanding of p-type doping in MBE grown HgCdTe, a current and major difficulty in HgCdTe technology, and the use of such p-type MBE grown layers in conjunction with a newly developed plasma process based n-p junction formation technology to realise novel and innovative infrared detector structures. Such structures would have the ability to revolutionise the use of HgCdTe in infrared detectors and focal plane array applications.Read moreRead less
Developing New Clocks for Australia: Testing the Assumptions of Modern Physics. Clocks lie at the heart of all precise measurement devices; for example, they are the crucial elements in modern navigation and telecommunications systems. This project will develop three new clocks for Australia: a laser clock at the leading edge of technology, a novel and compact clock with commercial potential, and a microwave clock for use in the next generation of satellites. The performance advantage conferre ....Developing New Clocks for Australia: Testing the Assumptions of Modern Physics. Clocks lie at the heart of all precise measurement devices; for example, they are the crucial elements in modern navigation and telecommunications systems. This project will develop three new clocks for Australia: a laser clock at the leading edge of technology, a novel and compact clock with commercial potential, and a microwave clock for use in the next generation of satellites. The performance advantage conferred by our new devices can deliver economic benefits while also giving the possibility for scrutinizing the laws of physics for evidence that there is something beyond our present formulation.Read moreRead less
Imaging of properties of coherent elastic light scattering from turbid biological media. Imaging with coherent, elastically-scattered light for visualisation of thick-tissue morphology in vivo, or of cells buried deep in a turbid medium, remains a major challenge. We adopt an alternative approach of imaging of properties of light scattering based on regarding cellular tissue as a spatially-varying refractive-index continuum which encodes scattered light. We propose new methodologies to infer t ....Imaging of properties of coherent elastic light scattering from turbid biological media. Imaging with coherent, elastically-scattered light for visualisation of thick-tissue morphology in vivo, or of cells buried deep in a turbid medium, remains a major challenge. We adopt an alternative approach of imaging of properties of light scattering based on regarding cellular tissue as a spatially-varying refractive-index continuum which encodes scattered light. We propose new methodologies to infer tissue state and morphology indirectly based on phase delay, speckle, and angle-resolved scattering. We will break new ground in correlating the structure and function of in situ epithelial tissue and cells to light scattering enabling, e.g., the detection of mitosis and apoptosis in cells buried in thick, turbid media, and of cancers and precancers in vivo.Read moreRead less
Advances in optical coherence tomography. We propose to continue our research into the biomedical imaging technique of optical coherence tomography by making substantial new advances in the key areas of ultra-broad bandwidth operation, coincident confocal gate scanning, and dispersion compensation. These advances are aimed at improving resolution to the 1-5 micron range, which should allow a breakthrough to sub-cellular in vivo imaging, making visible sample histology in situ, which is currentl ....Advances in optical coherence tomography. We propose to continue our research into the biomedical imaging technique of optical coherence tomography by making substantial new advances in the key areas of ultra-broad bandwidth operation, coincident confocal gate scanning, and dispersion compensation. These advances are aimed at improving resolution to the 1-5 micron range, which should allow a breakthrough to sub-cellular in vivo imaging, making visible sample histology in situ, which is currently not possible. We also plan to make advances in the key area of scanning delay line technology by employing acousto-optics in OCT for the first time. Acousto-optics conveys advantages in no-moving-parts, scan-speed and accuracy.Read moreRead less