Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film ....Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film technologies and couples it with a passive optical layer, which will result in a 30% performance enhancement by overcoming internal absorption losses. It is anticipated that the increased performance will enable the thin film PV technology to be far more commercially viable and attractive for future commercialisation, and hence reduce the cost of solar power.Read moreRead less
Preparation of silica-based thin film materials with large optical nonlinearity. There is currently a lack of advanced thin film materials suitable for fabricating integrated electro-optic devices to use in optical telecommunication. Such materials will be produced, and their application will be developed through this project. The physical mechanism of the marvelous optical nonlinearities of the materials will also be investigated. Thus the achievement of this project will bring great advancemen ....Preparation of silica-based thin film materials with large optical nonlinearity. There is currently a lack of advanced thin film materials suitable for fabricating integrated electro-optic devices to use in optical telecommunication. Such materials will be produced, and their application will be developed through this project. The physical mechanism of the marvelous optical nonlinearities of the materials will also be investigated. Thus the achievement of this project will bring great advancement in both scientific knowledge and technologies for Australia, and provide huge opportunities to boost Australian telecommunication industries, which are developing quickly in recent years.Read moreRead less
Integrated magneto-optic waveguide materials and devices. We aim to develop chalcogenide glass films for fabricating integrated waveguide magneto-optic (MO) devices as a radical alternative to the use of crystalline MO materials that have proven difficult to manufacture in integrated form. Using our ultra-fast pulsed laser deposition (UFPLD) technique we will produce a wide range of chalcogenide glass compositions through combinatorial materials synthesis and assess them for magneto-optic activ ....Integrated magneto-optic waveguide materials and devices. We aim to develop chalcogenide glass films for fabricating integrated waveguide magneto-optic (MO) devices as a radical alternative to the use of crystalline MO materials that have proven difficult to manufacture in integrated form. Using our ultra-fast pulsed laser deposition (UFPLD) technique we will produce a wide range of chalcogenide glass compositions through combinatorial materials synthesis and assess them for magneto-optic activity. UFPLD will also be used to deposit high optical quality films for device prototyping. We will design and fabricate prototype MO components which are essential, but currently unavailable, for use as optical isolators in integrated optics.Read moreRead less
Advanced Siloxane Waveguide Devices for Telecommunications. This project will develop new methods for fabricating compact, high performance photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for use in future telecommunications networks in films of proprietary Inorganic Polymer Glasses (IPGs) commercialised by RPO Pty Ltd. New fabrication methods are required to overcome limitations of the current approach to patterning IPGs used by RPO Pty Ltd. Research will concentrate on hard contact lithography in conjunct ....Advanced Siloxane Waveguide Devices for Telecommunications. This project will develop new methods for fabricating compact, high performance photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for use in future telecommunications networks in films of proprietary Inorganic Polymer Glasses (IPGs) commercialised by RPO Pty Ltd. New fabrication methods are required to overcome limitations of the current approach to patterning IPGs used by RPO Pty Ltd. Research will concentrate on hard contact lithography in conjunction with dry (plasma) etching as well as ion beam milling; laser machining or UV writing for grating production. IPGs present special challenges for these technologies. The project outcomes will include new approaches to processing and the demonstration of the fabrication of innovative PICs in IPGs.Read moreRead less
Structure of Epitaxial Semiconductor Quantum Dots. Epitaxially grown semiconductor quantum dots have received extensive attention in recent years due to their potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devises. However, the quality of current grown quantum dots is still very far from that required for real device applications due to a lack of detailed knowledge of their nanostructures. This project aims to combine the strength of growing semiconductor quantum dots at Fudan Universit ....Structure of Epitaxial Semiconductor Quantum Dots. Epitaxially grown semiconductor quantum dots have received extensive attention in recent years due to their potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devises. However, the quality of current grown quantum dots is still very far from that required for real device applications due to a lack of detailed knowledge of their nanostructures. This project aims to combine the strength of growing semiconductor quantum dots at Fudan University and the world-class characterisation facilities (advanced transmission electron microscopy) at the University of Queensland to actively explore optimum paths for epaxially growing device-quality semiconductor quantum dots.Read moreRead less
Tailoring the Shape, Size and Orientation of Metal Nanocrystals via Swift Heavy Ion Irradiation. This proposal is consistent with National Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and the Priority Goals: Breakthrough Science, Advanced Materials and Frontier Technologies. Our ability to tailor the shape, size and orientation of metal nanocrystals will broaden the domestic knowledge base, enhance the national research profile and train young ....Tailoring the Shape, Size and Orientation of Metal Nanocrystals via Swift Heavy Ion Irradiation. This proposal is consistent with National Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and the Priority Goals: Breakthrough Science, Advanced Materials and Frontier Technologies. Our ability to tailor the shape, size and orientation of metal nanocrystals will broaden the domestic knowledge base, enhance the national research profile and train young scientists, particularly in the use of two national facilities: the Australian Synchrotron and the ANU Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility. Furthermore, domestic capabilities in materials characterisation and nanotechnology will be bolstered, state-of-the-art domestic industry will be enhanced and new technological applications will be enabled.Read moreRead less
Microfluidic photonic systems. Australia is set to reap commercial benefits nationally and internationally from new developments in the highly competitive domain of microtechnology. In this project, a group of Australia's leading researchers propose an innovative combination of two exciting fields of scientific research. Microfluidics is the manipulation of minute quantities of liquids in microscopic channels, while photonics is the generation, transmission, detection and analysis of light as a ....Microfluidic photonic systems. Australia is set to reap commercial benefits nationally and internationally from new developments in the highly competitive domain of microtechnology. In this project, a group of Australia's leading researchers propose an innovative combination of two exciting fields of scientific research. Microfluidics is the manipulation of minute quantities of liquids in microscopic channels, while photonics is the generation, transmission, detection and analysis of light as a means to convey, collect and process information. The marriage of these two fields promises the development of novel, high performance tunable devices for sensing, biotechnology and telecommunications.Read moreRead less
Semiconductor Photonic Crystal Devices. Photonic crystals will be a key element of future all-optical ultra-highspeed photonic integrated circuits for telecommunications and signal processing. This project will pioneer new structures capable of manipulating light on integrated photonic chips, based on nano-scale features in semiconductors. This will have a significant impact on Australia's photonics industry.
Carrier dynamics in III-V semiconductor quantum dots and nanostructures. Quantum dots and related nanostructures are one of the most attractive topics in the recently years. This project will investigate the role of carrier dynamics in these nanostructures by using state-of-the-art ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. The wealth of information obtained from this study will not only enhance our knowledge base but also allow us to design high performance QD lasers and detectors and to demonstrate in ....Carrier dynamics in III-V semiconductor quantum dots and nanostructures. Quantum dots and related nanostructures are one of the most attractive topics in the recently years. This project will investigate the role of carrier dynamics in these nanostructures by using state-of-the-art ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. The wealth of information obtained from this study will not only enhance our knowledge base but also allow us to design high performance QD lasers and detectors and to demonstrate innovative optoelectronic devices for optical communication systems as well as quantum information processing. It will ensure that Australia is at the cutting edge of nanotechnology and optoelectronics research.Read moreRead less
Novel Silicon-Based Photonic Devices. Silicon's pre-eminence in high-speed digital electronics does not extend to optoelectronics where the demand is for devices that can generate, guide, detect and process light. However, the properties of silicon are dramatically altered when it is reduced to nanometre dimensions. Advances in the understanding of such effects and in the fabrication and application of nanoscale silicon have provided the prospect of new and innovative Si-based photonic devices, ....Novel Silicon-Based Photonic Devices. Silicon's pre-eminence in high-speed digital electronics does not extend to optoelectronics where the demand is for devices that can generate, guide, detect and process light. However, the properties of silicon are dramatically altered when it is reduced to nanometre dimensions. Advances in the understanding of such effects and in the fabrication and application of nanoscale silicon have provided the prospect of new and innovative Si-based photonic devices, and of fully integrated electronic and photonic functionality. This project aims to extend the understanding of nanoscale silicon and to develop and prototype novel Si-based photonic devices based on this material.Read moreRead less