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
All-optical reconfigurable interconnects in nematic liquid crystals. This project aims to explore the unique features of nematic liquid crystals with giant non-local nonlinearity for shaping, routing, and guiding light for all-optical photonic devices, aiming to uncover and realise the potential of long range interaction between laser light and liquid crystals for all-optical computing.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100067
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A femtosecond Mmd-IR optical parametric amplifier source for waveguide nonlinear optics. The mid-infrared is an immensely important region of the optical spectrum for sensing toxic or illicit molecules or pollutants using their spectral fingerprints. The equipment will facilitate the development of new techniques for sensing based on nonlinear processes in waveguides.
Plasmonic nano-antennas for next-generation photon sources. Extending concepts from standard radio-frequency antenna technology down to the nanoscale will open up new applications in fields from biotechnology to telecommunications. This project will embed a light emitting particle in a nanostructured metallic device to produce an ultrabright, directional single-photon source.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100250
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Opto-acoustic metasurfaces. This project aims to develop efficient nanoscale light and sound sources and merge them on an extra-thin surface. Interactions between light and sound waves at the macroscopic scale are used every day, such as in non-destructive testing and contact-less imaging. However, research into nanoscale light-sound interactions is new and has not realised its full potential. This project intends to develop ultra-compact sources of light and sound, tune them effectively, harnes ....Opto-acoustic metasurfaces. This project aims to develop efficient nanoscale light and sound sources and merge them on an extra-thin surface. Interactions between light and sound waves at the macroscopic scale are used every day, such as in non-destructive testing and contact-less imaging. However, research into nanoscale light-sound interactions is new and has not realised its full potential. This project intends to develop ultra-compact sources of light and sound, tune them effectively, harness them simultaneously, and convert one to another efficiently, all crucial for real-world applications. This research is expected to improve technologies that use light and sound, including microscopy and spectroscopy.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100121
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$720,000.00
Summary
Equipment for International Collaboration in Gravitational Wave Detection. Equipment for international collaboration in gravitational wave detection: This project will allow the Australian Consortium for Gravitational Astronomy to install optical equipment at its dedicated research facility, and to install data analysis pipelines on new iVEC Pawsey Centre GPU-enabled supercomputers. The equipment is required for research aimed at stabilising instabilities in the new international gravitational w ....Equipment for International Collaboration in Gravitational Wave Detection. Equipment for international collaboration in gravitational wave detection: This project will allow the Australian Consortium for Gravitational Astronomy to install optical equipment at its dedicated research facility, and to install data analysis pipelines on new iVEC Pawsey Centre GPU-enabled supercomputers. The equipment is required for research aimed at stabilising instabilities in the new international gravitational wave detectors currently being commissioned in the USA and Europe. Real time data from the new detectors will be analysed using innovative new techniques. Scientists across Australia will be able to rapidly localise potential gravitational wave sources to direct robotic telescope observations. This could enable the first detection of gravitational waves.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
Nitride nanowires for advanced optoelectronic and energy applications. Group III-nitride semiconductor devices, which are currently in widespread use in white, blue and green LEDs, and Bluray lasers, have a multi-billion dollar market. This project aims to address and improve the issues and challenges which still limit the true potential of these materials, by tailoring them at the nanoscale. Understanding the fundamental growth mechanisms of these nanowires and their structural, optical and ele ....Nitride nanowires for advanced optoelectronic and energy applications. Group III-nitride semiconductor devices, which are currently in widespread use in white, blue and green LEDs, and Bluray lasers, have a multi-billion dollar market. This project aims to address and improve the issues and challenges which still limit the true potential of these materials, by tailoring them at the nanoscale. Understanding the fundamental growth mechanisms of these nanowires and their structural, optical and electrical properties will allow precise and controllable synthesis of the nanowires to specific requirements. This will further allow demonstration of high efficiency UV LEDs, compact green/yellow lasers, nanowire solar cells and photoelectrodes for hydrogen generation from splitting water.Read moreRead less
Quantum noise limited molecular spectrometry. This project will develop a new technology for chemical analysis using lasers. The research will produce more accurate instruments for analysing samples containing carbon dioxide and water. This technology has a surprisingly wide array of applications. For example, sensitive analysis of carbon dioxide will help law enforcement agencies identify the location of illicit drug manufacturing, test for performance enhancing drug use by elite athletes, and ....Quantum noise limited molecular spectrometry. This project will develop a new technology for chemical analysis using lasers. The research will produce more accurate instruments for analysing samples containing carbon dioxide and water. This technology has a surprisingly wide array of applications. For example, sensitive analysis of carbon dioxide will help law enforcement agencies identify the location of illicit drug manufacturing, test for performance enhancing drug use by elite athletes, and monitor greenhouse gases. The instrument for analysing water will improve water resource management in Australia. This program will result in commercial instruments that are sensitive, portable and affordable.Read moreRead less
Creating a national time and frequency network for Australia. This project will develop the means to distribute accurate time and frequency across the Australian continent via an optical fibre network. This network will meet the needs of future telecommunications, science and astronomy projects including the Australian bid for the Square Kilometre Array radio-astronomy project.