Ultrafast Photonic Electron Microscopy: Visualising dynamics at the nanoscale. The dynamics of molecular processes are too fast to observe with any microscope so science has instead relied on recording the static before and after states of these changes, inferring what happens in between. This project aims to combine the advantages of ultrafast photonic laser control and electron microscopy to allow the direct visualisation of dynamics at the nanoscale in physical and biological systems. By prov ....Ultrafast Photonic Electron Microscopy: Visualising dynamics at the nanoscale. The dynamics of molecular processes are too fast to observe with any microscope so science has instead relied on recording the static before and after states of these changes, inferring what happens in between. This project aims to combine the advantages of ultrafast photonic laser control and electron microscopy to allow the direct visualisation of dynamics at the nanoscale in physical and biological systems. By providing a view into how order emerges from the thermal chaos of molecular objects this project aims to help to reveal the physical basis for life.Read moreRead less
Imaging the invisible. This project aims to develop imaging technology to see and quantify objects normally invisible with X-rays. It will develop an X-ray imaging system that should provide orders of magnitude greater sensitivity to subtle changes in material composition than conventional radiography. It will devise quantitative image analysis tools for isolating specific materials of interest from complex multi-material samples, including low density components that often go undetected. Indust ....Imaging the invisible. This project aims to develop imaging technology to see and quantify objects normally invisible with X-rays. It will develop an X-ray imaging system that should provide orders of magnitude greater sensitivity to subtle changes in material composition than conventional radiography. It will devise quantitative image analysis tools for isolating specific materials of interest from complex multi-material samples, including low density components that often go undetected. Industries that could benefit significantly from this technology include airport security, the mining sector, agriculture, manufacturing quality control, and biomedical researchers studying anatomical form and function.Read moreRead less
Non-destructing X-ray testing. This project aims to improve imaging with X-rays, providing better image quality with higher throughput at a lower radiation dose. It will develop an X-ray imaging system that provides orders of magnitude greater sensitivity for detecting low-density objects that are often invisible with conventional X-ray scanners, and quantitative image analysis tools that can isolate materials from complex multi-material samples and detect individual chemical elements. Significa ....Non-destructing X-ray testing. This project aims to improve imaging with X-rays, providing better image quality with higher throughput at a lower radiation dose. It will develop an X-ray imaging system that provides orders of magnitude greater sensitivity for detecting low-density objects that are often invisible with conventional X-ray scanners, and quantitative image analysis tools that can isolate materials from complex multi-material samples and detect individual chemical elements. Significant benefits from these technologies are expected in industries including airport security, mining, agriculture, manufacturing quality control, and in research fields from medicine to geology.Read moreRead less
Quantitative multi-modal optical imaging of deep tissue. This project aims to create new tools to quantify the structural and functional properties of tissue. Combining multiple optical imaging technologies (multi-modal) into a single, miniaturised probe, these tools could enable physiologists and biomedical researchers to obtain new insight into disease. Encasing the highly miniaturised probe within a medical needle is aimed to allow insertion of the 'needle probe' deep into tissue, extending o ....Quantitative multi-modal optical imaging of deep tissue. This project aims to create new tools to quantify the structural and functional properties of tissue. Combining multiple optical imaging technologies (multi-modal) into a single, miniaturised probe, these tools could enable physiologists and biomedical researchers to obtain new insight into disease. Encasing the highly miniaturised probe within a medical needle is aimed to allow insertion of the 'needle probe' deep into tissue, extending optical imaging to areas not previously accessible. The project could develop novel quantification models to allow longitudinal assessment and comparison between subjects. Validating the tools with specific biomarkers, it could provide outcomes in breast and liver cancer, and a framework to explore other diseases.Read moreRead less
Slow-light photonics. This project will introduce and demonstrate novel concepts for the manipulation of optical signals in ultra-compact photonics devices, making an essential step towards fast all-optical switching and processing of data streams. These developments underpin the next generation of high-performance networks, promising to revolutionize global communications. This project will keep Australia at the forefront of international research and provide training of students on breakthroug ....Slow-light photonics. This project will introduce and demonstrate novel concepts for the manipulation of optical signals in ultra-compact photonics devices, making an essential step towards fast all-optical switching and processing of data streams. These developments underpin the next generation of high-performance networks, promising to revolutionize global communications. This project will keep Australia at the forefront of international research and provide training of students on breakthrough applications of photonics and nanotechnology, contributing to the uptake of frontier technologies by Australian industries for successful operation in a competitive global environment.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101504
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Nano-resolution hard x-ray diffraction imaging with conventional laboratory sources. The project will combine advanced optics and algorithms for diffraction imaging to develop a desktop hard x-ray microscope. The system will display ultra-high resolution and will be highly complementary to electronic and optical microscopies for diverse applications in materials engineering, nanofluidics and cell biology.
Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combini ....Untangling Complex Molecular Spectra with an Optical Frequency Comb. The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner life of the human body - but untangling this complicated molecular mixture into a quantitative measurement of its constituent components is currently an unsolved problem. This project aims to develop a new instrument that leverages the Nobel Prize winning technology of the optical frequency comb to enable analysis of such mixtures. It is expected that by combining a frequency comb source, with an innovative detector and a highly sensitive sampling system, a real-time spectral signature of each sample will be generated. Computational techniques developed by the radio astronomy community will then be used to extract concentrations of individual molecular components at the parts-per-billion level.Read moreRead less
Better vibrations: controlling light with sound in semiconductor chips. Combining new concepts in the theory of nonlinear optics with advanced experiments, this project aims to develop smart waveguides that bind sound and light tightly together. Laser light and sound waves seem worlds apart, but in the right conditions we can make them interact: sound can change the colour of light. Harnessing this control of light in tiny waveguides on semiconductor chips would enable the development of unique ....Better vibrations: controlling light with sound in semiconductor chips. Combining new concepts in the theory of nonlinear optics with advanced experiments, this project aims to develop smart waveguides that bind sound and light tightly together. Laser light and sound waves seem worlds apart, but in the right conditions we can make them interact: sound can change the colour of light. Harnessing this control of light in tiny waveguides on semiconductor chips would enable the development of unique and useful optical devices, but trapping sound in chips is tremendously difficult. By exploiting untapped material properties, the project seeks to break limits on the freedom and strength of interactions between light and sound. Project outcomes may establish a new class of optical chips for optical sensing and analysis in fields from security to communications to the biosciences.Read moreRead less
Putting stimulated Brillouin scattering to work: tailored optical-phononic interactions for on-chip signal processing. Light interacts with sound via a phenomenon called Brillouin scattering, an effect which is of major importance in modern nonlinear optics but is very difficult to control. Our pioneering project will open the door to low power optical devices and other diverse innovations that will support Australia's needs in defence and communications.
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