ARROW - the route to better Photonic Crystal Fibres. The Frontier Technology based on Photonic crystal fibres (PCFs) will be a vital component of next generation photonic networks and devices. Australia is among the 5 leading nations in PCF research. However we are now at a pivotal stage in the development of PCFs: their production is close to maturity, and it is now up to PCF designers to make the difference. The proposed project will provide the Australian scientific community as well as Austr ....ARROW - the route to better Photonic Crystal Fibres. The Frontier Technology based on Photonic crystal fibres (PCFs) will be a vital component of next generation photonic networks and devices. Australia is among the 5 leading nations in PCF research. However we are now at a pivotal stage in the development of PCFs: their production is close to maturity, and it is now up to PCF designers to make the difference. The proposed project will provide the Australian scientific community as well as Australian photonics companies with advanced PCF designing capabilities, giving Australia an opportunity to take a leading position in PCF development and commercialisation. Read moreRead less
Ultrafast photonic integrated circuits: Unlocking the bandwidth. Australia's prosperity increasingly depends on its communications infrastructure and supporting technologies. We will develop optical technologies to deliver vast increases in bandwidth at low cost. This will be achieved by building a photonic integrated circuit from a breakthrough material that offers ultrafast all-optical switching capability. This infrastructure will be critical to almost all areas of Australian society: commerc ....Ultrafast photonic integrated circuits: Unlocking the bandwidth. Australia's prosperity increasingly depends on its communications infrastructure and supporting technologies. We will develop optical technologies to deliver vast increases in bandwidth at low cost. This will be achieved by building a photonic integrated circuit from a breakthrough material that offers ultrafast all-optical switching capability. This infrastructure will be critical to almost all areas of Australian society: commerce, personal communications, e-health and entertainment, and will improve the quality of life and the economic competitiveness of urban, rural and regional Australia. The outcomes will include the creation of spin-off companies to commercialise the optical technologies.Read moreRead less
Microstructured polymer interconnects for photonic devices. Efficient interconnection of photonic components is the most critical research problem facing the photonics industry in its efforts for integration. In this project, interconnects for photonic systems will be developed, utilising a recently developed new class of fibres - microstructured optical fibres, which have been called 'the next generation' of optical fibres because of their ability to produce a variety of tailorisable optical ef ....Microstructured polymer interconnects for photonic devices. Efficient interconnection of photonic components is the most critical research problem facing the photonics industry in its efforts for integration. In this project, interconnects for photonic systems will be developed, utilising a recently developed new class of fibres - microstructured optical fibres, which have been called 'the next generation' of optical fibres because of their ability to produce a variety of tailorisable optical effects. Specially designed and modified microstructured fibres will be developed to achieve efficient coupling from fibre to planar waveguide circuits, and to a range of photonic band gap devices that are currently being developed by the industry partner.Read moreRead less
Improving optical data storage and micromachining technology through better modelling and characterisation of their laser beams. The laser sources generally do not have simple (Gaussian) distributions. The applicant has recently developed a model, describing free propagation of complex (non-Gaussian) laser beams. This project seeks to develop a comprehending model for laser beams propagation through complex optical systems. The effects of various optical elements will be defined employing a no ....Improving optical data storage and micromachining technology through better modelling and characterisation of their laser beams. The laser sources generally do not have simple (Gaussian) distributions. The applicant has recently developed a model, describing free propagation of complex (non-Gaussian) laser beams. This project seeks to develop a comprehending model for laser beams propagation through complex optical systems. The effects of various optical elements will be defined employing a novel method known as SAFE (Stable Aggregate of Flexible Elements) which is a compromise between geometrical and physical optics. Applying this model to micromachining and optical data storage (ODS), which need high beam quality (low divergence and good focussibility), enable accurate predictive capability critical to the optimisation of micromachining and ODS designs.Read moreRead less
Hollow-core microstructured polymer fibres for optical sensing applications. A range of remarkable new optical fibres will be fabricated utilising the capabilities of a unique polymer fibre fabrication facility and focussing on the highly demanding class of microstructured fibres in which guidance in a hollow core is achieved through photonic band gap or Bragg guidance. Long lengths of low-loss fibres of this type will be developed, and applications in optical gas sensing, spectroscopy, voltage ....Hollow-core microstructured polymer fibres for optical sensing applications. A range of remarkable new optical fibres will be fabricated utilising the capabilities of a unique polymer fibre fabrication facility and focussing on the highly demanding class of microstructured fibres in which guidance in a hollow core is achieved through photonic band gap or Bragg guidance. Long lengths of low-loss fibres of this type will be developed, and applications in optical gas sensing, spectroscopy, voltage sensing and telecommunications will be explored.Read moreRead less
Tailoring the functionality of microstructured polymer optical fibres. Australia leads the world in microstructured polymer optical fibre (mPOF) research that has attracted serious commercial interest from multinational companies. A series of ATSE funded workshops in Europe during 2004 strongly indicated that the incorporation of a range of additional functionalities within novel fibres is the right path to follow to maintain research momentum and leadership. This interdisciplinary project offer ....Tailoring the functionality of microstructured polymer optical fibres. Australia leads the world in microstructured polymer optical fibre (mPOF) research that has attracted serious commercial interest from multinational companies. A series of ATSE funded workshops in Europe during 2004 strongly indicated that the incorporation of a range of additional functionalities within novel fibres is the right path to follow to maintain research momentum and leadership. This interdisciplinary project offers a clear route to expanded collaboration in both Australia and overseas thus ensuring that the OFTC retains its research and technological edge into the future whilst helping to satisfy the demand for students trained in leading-edge photonics.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775729
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Improved understanding of nanoscale materials - structure, composition, crystallography and defects revealed by electron imaging and analysis at high spatial resolution. Modern materials scientists and engineers are driven by world-wide competition to develop new technology and manufactured devices. The trend has for some time been towards miniaturisation and one of the main challenges lies in effectively characterising nanostructures that are produced as a key step in research and development o ....Improved understanding of nanoscale materials - structure, composition, crystallography and defects revealed by electron imaging and analysis at high spatial resolution. Modern materials scientists and engineers are driven by world-wide competition to develop new technology and manufactured devices. The trend has for some time been towards miniaturisation and one of the main challenges lies in effectively characterising nanostructures that are produced as a key step in research and development of advanced materials. The proposed electron microscope and detectors will provide a state-of-the-art analytical facility to support the cross-disciplinary materials science and nanotechnology research at the Australian National University. It will also provide an important training facility for students and early-career researchers and will be available to investigators from other Australian institutions.Read moreRead less
Microwave-modulated optical systems for free-space and undersea communications. Although offering flexible, rapid deployment, free space and underwater comunications have not kept up with progress in optical fibre communications, and current systems are signficantly restricted in range and data rate. To address these needs, we will develop novel laser systems using coherent detection, with infrared output for eyesafe transmission in air, and blue-green output for transmission underwater. The s ....Microwave-modulated optical systems for free-space and undersea communications. Although offering flexible, rapid deployment, free space and underwater comunications have not kept up with progress in optical fibre communications, and current systems are signficantly restricted in range and data rate. To address these needs, we will develop novel laser systems using coherent detection, with infrared output for eyesafe transmission in air, and blue-green output for transmission underwater. The signal is a microwave modulation on the optical carrier, which permits longer-range transmission while maintaining signal coherence. Key advantages include increased detection sensitivity, and potential to scale up the modulation frequency and the power for higher data rates and longer propagation distance.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100714
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,000.00
Summary
Shaping light – new frontiers in big fast data. This project aims to address the need for new technologies to tackle the bandwidth overload. Because of the basic human desire to communicate and interact, our society has an exponentially growing Internet data demand. The data capacity crunch is imminent. Data demand is rapidly approaching the nonlinear Shannon limit which governs the maximum data capacity of single-mode optical fibres. Bandwidth limitations may have severe implications for societ ....Shaping light – new frontiers in big fast data. This project aims to address the need for new technologies to tackle the bandwidth overload. Because of the basic human desire to communicate and interact, our society has an exponentially growing Internet data demand. The data capacity crunch is imminent. Data demand is rapidly approaching the nonlinear Shannon limit which governs the maximum data capacity of single-mode optical fibres. Bandwidth limitations may have severe implications for society and economy. This project aims to develop chip-scale mode-multiplexers based on innovative 3D integrated photonics and combine them with optical gain to shape light for space-division multiplexed optical communication networks. This is designed to break through the data capacity limit that currently prevents growth in Internet data rates.Read moreRead less
Quantum Opto-Mechatronics. Quantum science is the precise study of the physical world in the nanoscopic realm. It accurately predicts a wide range of physical phenomena that have no classical analogues. Understanding and controlling these quantum phenomena will play an increasingly important role in transforming 21st century technologies. This fellowship aims to realise the potential of combining optical, mechanical, and atomic systems in the quantum regime to deliver quantum enhancement to a ra ....Quantum Opto-Mechatronics. Quantum science is the precise study of the physical world in the nanoscopic realm. It accurately predicts a wide range of physical phenomena that have no classical analogues. Understanding and controlling these quantum phenomena will play an increasingly important role in transforming 21st century technologies. This fellowship aims to realise the potential of combining optical, mechanical, and atomic systems in the quantum regime to deliver quantum enhancement to a range of applications such as future-proofing information security via quantum cryptography and improving sensor technology with quantum measurement.Read moreRead less