Interactions, phase behavior and self-assembly of colloidal nanorods: Establishing design rules for creating new nano-structured materials. This project aims to apply new computational methods developed by the applicant to characterise the interactions between colloidal nanorods and their self-assembly in the presence of interfaces and directional interactions. While nanoparticles can currently be made in a staggering array of shapes, patterns and materials, organising such objects into extended ....Interactions, phase behavior and self-assembly of colloidal nanorods: Establishing design rules for creating new nano-structured materials. This project aims to apply new computational methods developed by the applicant to characterise the interactions between colloidal nanorods and their self-assembly in the presence of interfaces and directional interactions. While nanoparticles can currently be made in a staggering array of shapes, patterns and materials, organising such objects into extended structures that could revolutionise technology remains a challenge. The expected outcome is a robust strategy for making monolayer films of rods aligned perpendicular to a variety of interfaces for the fabrication of solar cells, microfiltration membranes and biosensors.Read moreRead less
Nonlinear Optical Metrology of Electronic Interfaces for Silicon Devices. This project aims to develop a prototype electric field induced second harmonic generation metrology setup for studying thin film dielectric interfaces on silicon in partnership with Femtometrix. The quality of these silicon-dielectric interfaces, which are affected by trapped charges and defects, are critical for microelectronic and optoelectronic device manufacturing. Through several proposed methodologies to separate th ....Nonlinear Optical Metrology of Electronic Interfaces for Silicon Devices. This project aims to develop a prototype electric field induced second harmonic generation metrology setup for studying thin film dielectric interfaces on silicon in partnership with Femtometrix. The quality of these silicon-dielectric interfaces, which are affected by trapped charges and defects, are critical for microelectronic and optoelectronic device manufacturing. Through several proposed methodologies to separate the effect of interface and bulk signals, it is expected that the sensitivity of the prototype setup will exceed the previous record of 1 kV/cm. This metrology technique will be further expanded for applicability to silicon photovoltaics, specifically passivating contacts which cannot be studied via conventional techniques.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL120100038
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,645,586.00
Summary
Understanding and controlling the properties of Dirac electronic materials. This project will gain deep insights into a new class of materials that includes graphene, the thinnest possible plane of carbon. New electronic properties will be engineered in Dirac materials to make them valuable for applications in computing, sensors, and solar power generation.
Next generation excitonic solar cells using advanced charge generation concepts: setting the new efficiency benchmark. Next generation cheap organic solar cells will be developed, which will facilitate the large scale deployment of affordable solar cells, thus enabling Australia to reduce its carbon footprint. The proposed significant advances in solar cell design will place Australia at the forefront of this technology creating new industries.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100054
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$824,080.00
Summary
Facility for electric and magnetic probes of materials at extreme conditions. This project aims to establish a readily accessible facility for measurement of electric and magnetic properties of materials under extreme temperature, magnetic field, and sensitivity conditions. The expected outcome is to build capacity for and support world-leading research into novel topological materials, atomically thin materials, materials with strong light-matter interactions and magnetic materials. The benefit ....Facility for electric and magnetic probes of materials at extreme conditions. This project aims to establish a readily accessible facility for measurement of electric and magnetic properties of materials under extreme temperature, magnetic field, and sensitivity conditions. The expected outcome is to build capacity for and support world-leading research into novel topological materials, atomically thin materials, materials with strong light-matter interactions and magnetic materials. The benefits to society are new devices for efficient generation, storage, transmission and switching of energy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101368
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Silicon 2.0: The nature of grown-in defects in very high-purity silicon. This project aims to produce technologies to maximise the electronic quality of silicon and mitigate the negative impacts of defects on high-efficiency solar cells. The intended outcomes are the development of novel solar cell processes to produce defect-free silicon and new characterisation techniques to image defects in silicon wafers. This would allow high efficiency solar cells to overcome their current limits and unloc ....Silicon 2.0: The nature of grown-in defects in very high-purity silicon. This project aims to produce technologies to maximise the electronic quality of silicon and mitigate the negative impacts of defects on high-efficiency solar cells. The intended outcomes are the development of novel solar cell processes to produce defect-free silicon and new characterisation techniques to image defects in silicon wafers. This would allow high efficiency solar cells to overcome their current limits and unlock the potential of current processes to produce solar cells with efficiency above 26 per cent, providing more efficient and affordable solar electricity.Read moreRead less
Rational Design of Novel Multiferroic Materials for Energy Harvesting and Energy Efficiency. Multiferroics are a class of fundamentally complex materials in which several ferroic orders (for example, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic) coexist. The coupling between their electric and magnetic degrees of freedom is controllable via stress and external fields, thus opening the possibility for breakthrough technological developments. By working at the frontier of complex nanostructured oxide materials ....Rational Design of Novel Multiferroic Materials for Energy Harvesting and Energy Efficiency. Multiferroics are a class of fundamentally complex materials in which several ferroic orders (for example, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic) coexist. The coupling between their electric and magnetic degrees of freedom is controllable via stress and external fields, thus opening the possibility for breakthrough technological developments. By working at the frontier of complex nanostructured oxide materials, this project aims to establish the rational basis for systematic design of novel artificially layered multiferroics, develop accurate and computationally affordable methods to simulate these materials under finite-temperature conditions, and exploit this knowledge to devise likely revolutionary photovoltaic, nanoelectronic and energy conversion applications.Read moreRead less
Hot carrier solar cells: new approaches and demonstration of devices. The hot carrier solar cell aims to capture a large fraction of energy from solar photons normally lost as heat. This will give much higher efficiencies, and allow fabrication of cheap high efficiency devices. This can be achieved by modifying the way electrons lose their energy as heat, by blocking the lattice vibrations which cause this loss.
Nanoscale characterisation and manipulation of complex oxide interfaces and topological boundaries. Working at the forefront of complex oxide materials research, this project will explore novel material properties and develop new material application concepts. The project will specifically investigate nanoscale interfaces for potential breakthrough applications in nanoscience.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100164
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$680,000.00
Summary
Dynamic phase behaviour characterisation facility for nanostructured interfaces and solids. This infrastructure will increase our understanding of interfacial phenomena of nanostructured materials over very short periods of time. This new understanding will allow optimisation of the correlation of the chemistry of a material to the properties of that material. The infrastructure will enhance Australia's capabilities in creating new materials relevant to electronics, medicine, the environment and ....Dynamic phase behaviour characterisation facility for nanostructured interfaces and solids. This infrastructure will increase our understanding of interfacial phenomena of nanostructured materials over very short periods of time. This new understanding will allow optimisation of the correlation of the chemistry of a material to the properties of that material. The infrastructure will enhance Australia's capabilities in creating new materials relevant to electronics, medicine, the environment and security technologies.Read moreRead less