Controlling spin coherence with rotation. This project aims to harness the ability to control the fundamental interactions which limit the precision of a diamond quantum sensor, enabling more sensitive magnetometry. Quantum sensors are unveiling new insights into nano-scale phenomena. Single atom defects in diamonds have been at the forefront of this revolution in nano-scale sensor technology. A unique capability, spinning diamond quantum sensors at up to 500,000 rpm, fast enough that quantum pr ....Controlling spin coherence with rotation. This project aims to harness the ability to control the fundamental interactions which limit the precision of a diamond quantum sensor, enabling more sensitive magnetometry. Quantum sensors are unveiling new insights into nano-scale phenomena. Single atom defects in diamonds have been at the forefront of this revolution in nano-scale sensor technology. A unique capability, spinning diamond quantum sensors at up to 500,000 rpm, fast enough that quantum properties of the defects are preserved during a cycle has been established. This project will address the long-standing problem of nano-scale solid-materials characterisation using rotationally-enhanced quantum magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Read moreRead less
Integrating quantum hyperpolarisation in nuclear magnetic resonance systems. This project aims to integrate quantum hyperpolarisation technology into state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems, potentially boosting the signal by several orders of magnitude. Understanding the structure and function of membrane bound peptides and proteins in cells in their native environments is critical in drug development. However, studying these biomolecules by conventional NMR under ambient cond ....Integrating quantum hyperpolarisation in nuclear magnetic resonance systems. This project aims to integrate quantum hyperpolarisation technology into state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems, potentially boosting the signal by several orders of magnitude. Understanding the structure and function of membrane bound peptides and proteins in cells in their native environments is critical in drug development. However, studying these biomolecules by conventional NMR under ambient conditions is challenging due to sensitivity limitations. The technology developed by this project will be a significant step forward in NMR and the new science enabled may have far reaching consequences for the study of peptides and proteins of live cells for the development of new drugs and anti-biotics, with direct societal benefits and flow-on economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Spinning spins: measuring geometric phases in rotating quantum systems. The quantum geometric phase has long been viewed as an interesting, but somewhat mysterious, feature of quantum mechanics. However, the ability to harness and control geometric phase in individual quantum systems may drive the development of a new class of quantum technologies. This project aims to measure, for the first time, geometric phase due to the macroscopic motion of an atom-scale quantum system, specifically in rota ....Spinning spins: measuring geometric phases in rotating quantum systems. The quantum geometric phase has long been viewed as an interesting, but somewhat mysterious, feature of quantum mechanics. However, the ability to harness and control geometric phase in individual quantum systems may drive the development of a new class of quantum technologies. This project aims to measure, for the first time, geometric phase due to the macroscopic motion of an atom-scale quantum system, specifically in rotating nitrogen-vacancy defects in diamond. It is expected that these proof-of-principle measurements will provide the basis for the future development and design of new nano-scale quantum gyroscopes and set the foundations for using nano-diamonds as rotational diagnostic tools in a range of important nanoscopic systems.Read moreRead less
Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiment ....Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiments, the project aims to demonstrate and characterise how storing and handling data in quantum states massively reduces this complexity overhead. Another goal is to use novel quantum optics ideas to greatly reduce communication complexity in important remote processing tasks.Read moreRead less
Quantum optical methods for entangled devices. This project aims to develop experimental quantum optics methods and techniques for enhancing the performance of sensitive devices. Entangled photons will be used to probe separate devices, yielding an improved detection of correlated signals. This new technique will benefit laboratory searches for new fundamental physics effects such as space-time fluctuations due to quantum gravity and exotic dark matter candidates. The project is expected to tr ....Quantum optical methods for entangled devices. This project aims to develop experimental quantum optics methods and techniques for enhancing the performance of sensitive devices. Entangled photons will be used to probe separate devices, yielding an improved detection of correlated signals. This new technique will benefit laboratory searches for new fundamental physics effects such as space-time fluctuations due to quantum gravity and exotic dark matter candidates. The project is expected to train scientists and students in advanced quantum methods, promoting and securing Australia's position as a leader in the development of quantum technologies. Read moreRead less
Non-classical motion of a macroscopic mechanical resonator. This project will create the experimental tools to fully control the motion of a mechanical oscillator at the single-quanta level, opening a rich avenue for fundamental research and the development of quantum physics enhanced applications. This project will prepare a quantum state of a macroscopic mechanical resonator exhibiting quantum interference fringes at at an unprecedented mass scale. The observation of these fringes will enable ....Non-classical motion of a macroscopic mechanical resonator. This project will create the experimental tools to fully control the motion of a mechanical oscillator at the single-quanta level, opening a rich avenue for fundamental research and the development of quantum physics enhanced applications. This project will prepare a quantum state of a macroscopic mechanical resonator exhibiting quantum interference fringes at at an unprecedented mass scale. The observation of these fringes will enable the study of the intricacies of quantum decoherence and ultimately even probe quantum gravitational phenomena. To achieve these goals it will employ micro-scale optical resonators fabricated by established techniques, that also provide the ideal platform for scalable mechanical-oscillator-based quantum information applications.Read moreRead less
Active photonic and plasmonic components based on parity-time symmetry. This project intends to uncover and demonstrate experimentally the role of symmetry in space and time in nonlinear photonics and plasmonics, where light can change the optical properties of the medium. Based on these results, the project aims to build an integrated optical signal amplifier and an integrated generator of entangled photons with previously inaccessible ultra-fast broad-range control of operating regimes. These ....Active photonic and plasmonic components based on parity-time symmetry. This project intends to uncover and demonstrate experimentally the role of symmetry in space and time in nonlinear photonics and plasmonics, where light can change the optical properties of the medium. Based on these results, the project aims to build an integrated optical signal amplifier and an integrated generator of entangled photons with previously inaccessible ultra-fast broad-range control of operating regimes. These systems would have applications in future optical communication networks, ensuring fast, secure and energy efficient data transmission.Read moreRead less
Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoida ....Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoidable losses. This project will overcome this barrier by developing innovative loss-tolerant protocols and devices that unconditionally show and exploit quantum effects, both for long-distance applications and ultra-precise measurement technologies. This collaboration will bring the world’s best photon detectors to Australia, as a key resource for this work and for future research.Read moreRead less
Mesoscopic quantum reality in the light of new technologies. Evidence for the Schrodinger cat that defies macroscopic reality has emerged for systems of several atoms, ions or photons, resulting in a Nobel award in physics in 2012. However, developments in quantum science technology make these states experimentally accessible at an increasingly mesoscopic level. This project will develop a theory to test mesoscopic realism, nonlocality and decoherence in experiment, focusing on cold atom and ion ....Mesoscopic quantum reality in the light of new technologies. Evidence for the Schrodinger cat that defies macroscopic reality has emerged for systems of several atoms, ions or photons, resulting in a Nobel award in physics in 2012. However, developments in quantum science technology make these states experimentally accessible at an increasingly mesoscopic level. This project will develop a theory to test mesoscopic realism, nonlocality and decoherence in experiment, focusing on cold atom and ion trap systems. This project will study multipartite nonlocality based on Bell's theorem, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and Schrodinger's quantum steering. As well as having fundamental significance, these demonstrations are potentially useful for metrology, secure quantum cryptography and ultra-sensitive detectors.Read moreRead less
Harnessing genuine quantum nonlocality. This project aims to develop the science and tools behind device-independent quantum security for information networks. These gold-standard protocols rely on genuine quantum nonlocality but, to date, the strict performance requirements have been unachievable for general practical cases. Further, the theory of nonlocality in multiparty networks is almost completely undeveloped. The project’s anticipated outcomes are novel experiment and theory to bypass bar ....Harnessing genuine quantum nonlocality. This project aims to develop the science and tools behind device-independent quantum security for information networks. These gold-standard protocols rely on genuine quantum nonlocality but, to date, the strict performance requirements have been unachievable for general practical cases. Further, the theory of nonlocality in multiparty networks is almost completely undeveloped. The project’s anticipated outcomes are novel experiment and theory to bypass barriers and open up nonlocal network protocols. It is also expected to rigorously establish that a single-photon wavefunction after a beamsplitter is truly nonlocal. Likely future benefits include secure random numbers, secure distributed information technology and world-best photon sources.Read moreRead less