Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expe ....Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expensive and complicated. A low-cost alternative will dramatically increase the use of adaptive optics in industrial, environmental and medical applications. The compensation of distortions in low-cost optical atmospheric sensors will be demonstrated.Read moreRead less
MICROWAVE SENSORS BASED ON MULTI-LAYER MICROSTRIP PATCH RESONATORS AND LINE RESONATORS. Inexpensive, easy-to-use, accurate, sensitive and compact sensor systems are needed to improve the quality of many agricultural and industrial products. For example, edible oil industry needs such a system to determine the water content in the seeds used for edible oil. Similarly, the measurement of moisture content is crucial for quality control and grading of industrial oils, paints, health products and man ....MICROWAVE SENSORS BASED ON MULTI-LAYER MICROSTRIP PATCH RESONATORS AND LINE RESONATORS. Inexpensive, easy-to-use, accurate, sensitive and compact sensor systems are needed to improve the quality of many agricultural and industrial products. For example, edible oil industry needs such a system to determine the water content in the seeds used for edible oil. Similarly, the measurement of moisture content is crucial for quality control and grading of industrial oils, paints, health products and many industrial sheets. We develop novel microwave sensor systems, based on multi-layer microstrip resonators, for such measurements of materials in the form of sheets, pastes, liquids or powders. They are also attractive for scientific applications such as monitoring the doping concentration of semiconductor materials.Read moreRead less
Fibre Bragg grating microstructures: a novel sensing tool? This project seeks to produce novel optical fibre sensors based on in-fibre Bragg gratings that will find applications in the measurement of transverse strain. The development of improved measurement techniques provides for better monitoring of industrial processes that will provide greater efficiency and safety, and thereby significant annual cost savings and improved safety.
DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to und ....DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to understand and quantify factors influencing droplet deformation. Coupling non-Newtonian characteristics with microfluidic geometries will allow the continuous manufacture of micro-particles of specified size and shape for existing and new applications, and will provide guidance for further extending the process to nano-particle manufacture.Read moreRead less
Improved fibre Bragg grating sensors for detection of structural hot spots. Structural integrity monitoring, to anticipate and prevent failure, is a multi-billion dollar effort worldwide. Detailed assessment of the capability of fibre Bragg gratings to measure strain profiles along the grating length, i.e. intragrating sensing, and thereby detect structural ?hot spots? before failure is essential for effective systems. They will be used to determine strain gradients similar to those found in com ....Improved fibre Bragg grating sensors for detection of structural hot spots. Structural integrity monitoring, to anticipate and prevent failure, is a multi-billion dollar effort worldwide. Detailed assessment of the capability of fibre Bragg gratings to measure strain profiles along the grating length, i.e. intragrating sensing, and thereby detect structural ?hot spots? before failure is essential for effective systems. They will be used to determine strain gradients similar to those found in common problem areas, such as the tips of elliptic notches and disbonding at the ends of composite joints. Additionally, grating refractive index profiles will be characterised using imaging techniques, to assess performance and possible changes to gratings after prolonged use.Read moreRead less
Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface cha ....Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface charge, and the numerical predictions. This understanding will complement development in related projects on non-Newtonian drop and particle formation in microfluidic flows which envisage continuous particle manufacture for novel materials possessing programmable, enhanced functional properties.Read moreRead less
The Development of High Power Cryo-Cooled Lasers and Their Application to Remote Sensing and Other Satelite-based Data Acquisition. We shall develop high power cryo-cooled lasers which will contribute directly to the national research priorities in Frontier Technologies and Safe Guarding Australia. In particular it will contribute to photonics, to remote sensing of the environment and to space based defence and surveillance applications. It will establish Australia as a pioneer in the field and ....The Development of High Power Cryo-Cooled Lasers and Their Application to Remote Sensing and Other Satelite-based Data Acquisition. We shall develop high power cryo-cooled lasers which will contribute directly to the national research priorities in Frontier Technologies and Safe Guarding Australia. In particular it will contribute to photonics, to remote sensing of the environment and to space based defence and surveillance applications. It will establish Australia as a pioneer in the field and generate important IP. It will be of benefit to Australian and international laser and defence industry, and it will be an ideal project for educating young laser physicists and engineers, of which there currently is a serious shortage in Australia.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354517
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Adaptive Optics for Australian Astronomy, Medicine, Industry, and Defence. Adaptive optics is a technique for correcting wavefront distortions in light beams to improve optical imaging performance. The Research Network for Adaptive Optics aims to draw together isolated Australian and New Zealand research groups working on adaptive optics applications in disparate areas to achieve a critical mass of researchers in this burgeoning field. Adaptive optics has wide application in areas as diverse as ....Adaptive Optics for Australian Astronomy, Medicine, Industry, and Defence. Adaptive optics is a technique for correcting wavefront distortions in light beams to improve optical imaging performance. The Research Network for Adaptive Optics aims to draw together isolated Australian and New Zealand research groups working on adaptive optics applications in disparate areas to achieve a critical mass of researchers in this burgeoning field. Adaptive optics has wide application in areas as diverse as astronomy, vision science, ophthalmology, microscopy, optical communications, laser radar, and laser beam shaping. The Research Network will coordinate and expand Australian involvement in these areas and inform industry, as have similar networks in the USA and Europe.Read moreRead less
Optical supercontinuum generation from high pulse-energy optical sources. The aim of this project is to develop a broadband and high brightness optical fibre source based on optical supercontinuum generation (i.e. low-coherence optical signals with octave or more bandwidth). Unlike similar sources demonstrated recently which rely on expensive bulk femtosecond pump lasers, this source will be pumped by a large pulse-energy optical fibre laser and use stimulated Raman scattering to seed the contin ....Optical supercontinuum generation from high pulse-energy optical sources. The aim of this project is to develop a broadband and high brightness optical fibre source based on optical supercontinuum generation (i.e. low-coherence optical signals with octave or more bandwidth). Unlike similar sources demonstrated recently which rely on expensive bulk femtosecond pump lasers, this source will be pumped by a large pulse-energy optical fibre laser and use stimulated Raman scattering to seed the continuum generation. The primary outcome will be a compact low-cost all-fibre supercontinuum source with a wide range of applications in areas such as optical metrology, optical coherence tomography, and high resolution non-contact position and motion sensing.Read moreRead less
Application of ultra-high stability cryogenic sapphire oscillators to Very Long Baseline Interferometry. This project will develop a state-of-the-art commercial prototype of the cryogenic sapphire oscillator (CSO) optimised for use at remote sites. Proof of operation will be applied to the important niche market of Very-Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio astronomy, with improvements in image quality. The research will also significantly benefit the Australian bid for the SKA project, as ....Application of ultra-high stability cryogenic sapphire oscillators to Very Long Baseline Interferometry. This project will develop a state-of-the-art commercial prototype of the cryogenic sapphire oscillator (CSO) optimised for use at remote sites. Proof of operation will be applied to the important niche market of Very-Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio astronomy, with improvements in image quality. The research will also significantly benefit the Australian bid for the SKA project, as the CSO is the only technology capable of synchronising the outputs of the telescopes arrays to the required signal to noise to attain the required image quality. The project will further Australia's status in radio astronomy as a world leader and add to our exports of precision scientific instruments.Read moreRead less