Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combini ....Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combining a frequency comb source, with an innovative detector and a highly sensitive sampling system, a real-time spectral signature of each sample will be generated. Computational techniques developed by the radio astronomy community will then be used to extract concentrations of individual molecular components at the parts-per-billion level.Read moreRead less
Ultrafast, near infrared laser sources using fibre-based optical parametric oscillators. This project will use microstructured optical fibres and nonlinear optics to create compact and cheap laser sources in the near infrared spectrum to replace the bulky and expensive devices in many spectroscopic and biophotonic applications today. The work will further enhance Australia's standing in the field of nonlinear optics and optical fibres.
Laser Airborne Methane Sensor. Fugitive emissions of methane represent a significant economic loss to the natural gas industry. This project aims to develop a new laser based methane sensing platform for deployment on fixed wing aircraft. This aims to allow the spatial concentration of methane to be mapped rapidly over a broad area with unprecedented spatial resolution allowing sources to be rapidly identified and the gas captured for economic benefit. The testing of this system on an airborne p ....Laser Airborne Methane Sensor. Fugitive emissions of methane represent a significant economic loss to the natural gas industry. This project aims to develop a new laser based methane sensing platform for deployment on fixed wing aircraft. This aims to allow the spatial concentration of methane to be mapped rapidly over a broad area with unprecedented spatial resolution allowing sources to be rapidly identified and the gas captured for economic benefit. The testing of this system on an airborne platform is possible in this timeframe because of the plan to modify an existing system provided by the Partner Organisation.Read moreRead less