Dark-field: A new kind of x-ray imaging. This project aims to develop new x-ray imaging capabilities that look inside an object and map out those details that are too small to be seen directly, by extracting the dark-field which is produced as x-ray light scatters. Dark-field images can reveal tiny cracks in manufactured parts, discover powdered explosives or drugs during security screening, and detect changes in the size of the many tiny air sacs in the lungs. Expected outcomes of this project ....Dark-field: A new kind of x-ray imaging. This project aims to develop new x-ray imaging capabilities that look inside an object and map out those details that are too small to be seen directly, by extracting the dark-field which is produced as x-ray light scatters. Dark-field images can reveal tiny cracks in manufactured parts, discover powdered explosives or drugs during security screening, and detect changes in the size of the many tiny air sacs in the lungs. Expected outcomes of this project include new instruments and methods of analysis that will allow x-ray dark-field imaging to be quantitative and widely adopted. These methods should benefit non-invasive multi-scale imaging at the Australian Synchrotron and equip x-ray imaging in industry, security and healthcare.Read moreRead less
X-ray Ghost Imaging and Tomography. This project aims to achieve safer, faster, and cheaper 3D X-ray imaging through a technique known as ghost imaging. X-ray imaging provides valuable information about internal structures, however, X-rays are carcinogenic and exposure (or dose) should be limited. Ghost imaging is an unconventional technique developed with visible light that has many potential benefits over conventional imaging. This research group are world leaders in ghost imaging and expect t ....X-ray Ghost Imaging and Tomography. This project aims to achieve safer, faster, and cheaper 3D X-ray imaging through a technique known as ghost imaging. X-ray imaging provides valuable information about internal structures, however, X-rays are carcinogenic and exposure (or dose) should be limited. Ghost imaging is an unconventional technique developed with visible light that has many potential benefits over conventional imaging. This research group are world leaders in ghost imaging and expect to develop software and hardware techniques to realise its potential and extend it to ghost tomography. The focus of this project is on reducing cancer risk in medical imaging, and allowing real-time quality control for 3D printing in safety-critical industries such as aerospace.Read moreRead less
Dynamic multi-modal x-ray imaging. This project aims to create sensitive new methods of x-ray imaging that capture multiple image modalities with a single snapshot. Conventional x-ray imaging is widely used in a range of industries, but captures only a fraction of the rich information that is available in the x-ray wavefield. This project expects to extract additional image modalities to reveal x-ray-transparent features, and detect microscopic textures. By combining these capabilities with the ....Dynamic multi-modal x-ray imaging. This project aims to create sensitive new methods of x-ray imaging that capture multiple image modalities with a single snapshot. Conventional x-ray imaging is widely used in a range of industries, but captures only a fraction of the rich information that is available in the x-ray wavefield. This project expects to extract additional image modalities to reveal x-ray-transparent features, and detect microscopic textures. By combining these capabilities with the ability to capture images of a moving sample, this project will enable innovative biomedical and materials research studies, and develop new imaging technologies for use in security, hospitals and manufacturing. New methods of x-ray imaging will have wide-ranging benefits for society, the economy and healthcare.Read moreRead less
Laser emission at the limit of glass transparency using nanocrystal doping . We will create a new composite glass providing strong fluorescence which fully exploits the high transmission of glass in the mid-infrared. When combined with emerging rare earth ion transitions and precise excitation processes, this project will help solve an important problem in optics; that the overall efficiency and power produced from deep mid-infrared light sources is not sufficient for all industries. The primary ....Laser emission at the limit of glass transparency using nanocrystal doping . We will create a new composite glass providing strong fluorescence which fully exploits the high transmission of glass in the mid-infrared. When combined with emerging rare earth ion transitions and precise excitation processes, this project will help solve an important problem in optics; that the overall efficiency and power produced from deep mid-infrared light sources is not sufficient for all industries. The primary outcome will be a series of robust fibre-based gain modules suitable for high power and very short optical pulses in the mid-infrared. These light sources will beneficially impact medicine, defence, sensing and manufacturing providing excellent opportunities for increasing Australian productivity and global competitiveness. Read moreRead less
Seeing the light: high-power visible-light generation using silicate fibre. Unlike their near-infrared counterparts, visible-light-emitting lasers are inefficient and complicated, impacting their broader deployment in industry, medicine, and telecommunications. To address this, we will create a new class of laser and amplifier based on an entirely new doped silicate glass fibre that will display low background loss and resilience to photodegradation from high-power visible light. This will solve ....Seeing the light: high-power visible-light generation using silicate fibre. Unlike their near-infrared counterparts, visible-light-emitting lasers are inefficient and complicated, impacting their broader deployment in industry, medicine, and telecommunications. To address this, we will create a new class of laser and amplifier based on an entirely new doped silicate glass fibre that will display low background loss and resilience to photodegradation from high-power visible light. This will solve one of the last important problems in fibre laser research. The primary outcome will be a series of high-power continuous-wave, ultrashort-pulse, all-fibre lasers emitting at yellow and red wavelengths, with significant benefits for space, defence, manufacturing, and human health.Read moreRead less