Nonlinear near-field nanophotonics. This project aims to develop nanostructures which employ both high intrinsic nonlinearities and high indices of refraction to create nanophotonic devices. Silicon photonics promises a technological leap forward through efficient photon-photon interactions within lossless dielectric nanoparticles. Light-controlling-light devices open new ways to control light-matter interaction at the nanoscale, which form the basis for many applications from all-optical inform ....Nonlinear near-field nanophotonics. This project aims to develop nanostructures which employ both high intrinsic nonlinearities and high indices of refraction to create nanophotonic devices. Silicon photonics promises a technological leap forward through efficient photon-photon interactions within lossless dielectric nanoparticles. Light-controlling-light devices open new ways to control light-matter interaction at the nanoscale, which form the basis for many applications from all-optical information processing to biomedical sensing. The expected outcomes will provide Australia with advanced technologies of integrated optical circuits with applications in optical communication networks, bioimaging, solar cells and quantum information technologies.Read moreRead less
The best of both worlds: electrically detected optical spectroscopy at the single atom limit. One atom, one photon, one electron, in a silicon crystal. We will demonstrate a novel technique to detect the absorption of light by a single atom, in the most significant environment for nanoelectronics and photovoltaics. Our technique will help unravel how light is turned into electricity at the most microscopic and fundamental level.
Skin penetration of nanoparticles promoted by particle design, formulation and application method. This project seeks to better define the determinants of nanoparticle skin penetration and subsequent disposition in the body. The data would be used to guide minimal skin penetration of 'undesirable' nanoparticles and the properties required of 'safe' nanoparticles to enable effective human skin delivery in cosmetic and dermatological products.
Active photonic and plasmonic components based on parity-time symmetry. This project intends to uncover and demonstrate experimentally the role of symmetry in space and time in nonlinear photonics and plasmonics, where light can change the optical properties of the medium. Based on these results, the project aims to build an integrated optical signal amplifier and an integrated generator of entangled photons with previously inaccessible ultra-fast broad-range control of operating regimes. These ....Active photonic and plasmonic components based on parity-time symmetry. This project intends to uncover and demonstrate experimentally the role of symmetry in space and time in nonlinear photonics and plasmonics, where light can change the optical properties of the medium. Based on these results, the project aims to build an integrated optical signal amplifier and an integrated generator of entangled photons with previously inaccessible ultra-fast broad-range control of operating regimes. These systems would have applications in future optical communication networks, ensuring fast, secure and energy efficient data transmission.Read moreRead less
A brighter future: the pure-quartic soliton laser. This project aims to build an innovative, ultrafast laser based on the recent discovery of pure-quartic solitons, a new class of optical soliton. Investigating these solitons in their own right will provide new insights into the physics of soliton formation and propagation. The concept of the pure-quartic soliton laser is expected to lead to the transformation of ultrafast science and related applications with the benefit of to improving efficie ....A brighter future: the pure-quartic soliton laser. This project aims to build an innovative, ultrafast laser based on the recent discovery of pure-quartic solitons, a new class of optical soliton. Investigating these solitons in their own right will provide new insights into the physics of soliton formation and propagation. The concept of the pure-quartic soliton laser is expected to lead to the transformation of ultrafast science and related applications with the benefit of to improving efficiency, and significantly reducing the cost of high-energy ultrafast lasers. The project aims to provide benefits in ultrafast science, industrial materials processing, laser surgery, and molecular spectroscopy.Read moreRead less
Group orbits in garmonic analysis and ergodic theory. Researchers from many areas need a type of mathematical analysis which involves the behaviour of a system - which may be a set of data points - under repeated application of some operation or group of operations. The structures arising from this kind of process are known as group orbits. The project gives information about their nature. Two major types of orbits are considered, coming from actions of discrete groups on measure spaces, and fro ....Group orbits in garmonic analysis and ergodic theory. Researchers from many areas need a type of mathematical analysis which involves the behaviour of a system - which may be a set of data points - under repeated application of some operation or group of operations. The structures arising from this kind of process are known as group orbits. The project gives information about their nature. Two major types of orbits are considered, coming from actions of discrete groups on measure spaces, and from smooth actions of Lie groups on manifolds, where powerful geometric methods are available. The project will yield new understandings of entropy, and new approaches to Fourier analysis.Read moreRead less
Symmetries in analysis. Technical research is like an iceberg. The 10% you see in applications is supported by 90% hidden, long-term, sometimes abstruse or theoretical-sounding work. The area of mathematical analysis has, for over 200 years, proved its worth as part of the unseen 90%, giving us such important tools as Fourier analysis, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Australia is known as a world leader in mathematical analysis, and it is important for the country to maintain that e ....Symmetries in analysis. Technical research is like an iceberg. The 10% you see in applications is supported by 90% hidden, long-term, sometimes abstruse or theoretical-sounding work. The area of mathematical analysis has, for over 200 years, proved its worth as part of the unseen 90%, giving us such important tools as Fourier analysis, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Australia is known as a world leader in mathematical analysis, and it is important for the country to maintain that edge in a number of key disciplines, so we can continue to participate in global technological advance. The project has an international focus which will enable that to happen. It will also provide training for the next generation of mathematicians. Read moreRead less
Dynamical systems: theory and practice. Mathematical science has proven a crucial platform for science and technology: it may have a long lead-time to application but its impacts are more profound than glamorous technical developments. Australia has an economic imperative to maintain investment in fundamental mathematics. Dynamical systems underpin a wide range of applications in physics, engineering, information science, finance and economics. This project will improve our capacity to model sy ....Dynamical systems: theory and practice. Mathematical science has proven a crucial platform for science and technology: it may have a long lead-time to application but its impacts are more profound than glamorous technical developments. Australia has an economic imperative to maintain investment in fundamental mathematics. Dynamical systems underpin a wide range of applications in physics, engineering, information science, finance and economics. This project will improve our capacity to model systems and to study their evolution, giving us better predictive power. It will keep Australia in the forefront of international research, providing a basis of expertise not otherwise available to Australian researchers and industry. Read moreRead less
Non-commutative analysis and differential calculus. This project is in an area of central mathematical importance and will lead to important scientific advances that will keep Australia at the forefront internationally in this field of research. There is an emphasis on international networking and we will collaborate with leading researchers in USA and France.
Unshackling solitons through ultimate dispersion control. The project aims to generate and investigate several novel families of self-stabilising optical pulses by using a unique fibre laser we recently devised. By developing the associated theoretical models, the team will transform conceptual and experimental knowledge of nonlinear physics, providing deep insights into fibre lasers and the pulses they can emit. The expected outcomes are a complete understanding of entirely novel families of op ....Unshackling solitons through ultimate dispersion control. The project aims to generate and investigate several novel families of self-stabilising optical pulses by using a unique fibre laser we recently devised. By developing the associated theoretical models, the team will transform conceptual and experimental knowledge of nonlinear physics, providing deep insights into fibre lasers and the pulses they can emit. The expected outcomes are a complete understanding of entirely novel families of optical pulses, and of the degree to which the energy required to generate these pulses can be reduced. Reducing this energy means that these pulses can perform the same function at lower power, which will enable the emergence of new applications that will play powerful roles in the 21st-century economy.Read moreRead less