Thulium doped silica-based optical fibres - towards the realisation of an optical amplifier. In the last decade the data capacity of a single optical fibre has grown way beyond all expectations. However, our ability to utilise the available capacity continues to keep pace with any advance. This project has the potential to add substantially to the transmission capacity by developing an optical amplifier at wavelengths which, although available within the fibre, can not currently be utilised. The ....Thulium doped silica-based optical fibres - towards the realisation of an optical amplifier. In the last decade the data capacity of a single optical fibre has grown way beyond all expectations. However, our ability to utilise the available capacity continues to keep pace with any advance. This project has the potential to add substantially to the transmission capacity by developing an optical amplifier at wavelengths which, although available within the fibre, can not currently be utilised. The focus of the project is the study of thulium doped silica-based fibres for amplification in the 1460 to 1530 nm wavelength region. Read moreRead less
Nanometric optical sensing for characterisation of microbioreactors. Microfabrication of microfluidic based microbioreactors is a novel technology that is creating advanced tools in the fields of biology and medicine. A critically important step in the development of a microbioreactor is the ability to characterise fluid shear stress of the microenvironment without impacting on the biological system. The development of a microbioreactor in which individual or multiple cells can be cultured and ....Nanometric optical sensing for characterisation of microbioreactors. Microfabrication of microfluidic based microbioreactors is a novel technology that is creating advanced tools in the fields of biology and medicine. A critically important step in the development of a microbioreactor is the ability to characterise fluid shear stress of the microenvironment without impacting on the biological system. The development of a microbioreactor in which individual or multiple cells can be cultured and manipulated will have a significant impact on study of biological systems in cancer research and stem cell research. Read moreRead less
Adaptive aberration compensation in high refractive index materials for next-generation active microphotonic devices. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to compensate the strong aberration in a high refractive index material. The successful compensation of such aberration will allow people to fabricate microdevices directly inside high refractive index materials. This project will greatly advance optical fabrication techniques and expand the national kno ....Adaptive aberration compensation in high refractive index materials for next-generation active microphotonic devices. The method proposed in this project is a very promising and versatile method to compensate the strong aberration in a high refractive index material. The successful compensation of such aberration will allow people to fabricate microdevices directly inside high refractive index materials. This project will greatly advance optical fabrication techniques and expand the national knowledge in the area of nonlinear PhCs (photonic crystals) and related applications. It is expected that the project will provide many chances for postgraduate students to be involved. In future, nonlinear PhCs and related devices may be widely used in daily life and this project may provide some opportunities for industry.Read moreRead less
Diffractive Imaging using Soft X-rays and Electrons. Optical, electron and x-ray microscopy has yielded enormous biological insights and medical benefits to society. Optical microscopy is able to image live tissue, but at relatively low resolution. Electron microscopy can yield high resolution images, but only of highly prepared material. X-ray microscopy yields images of live tissue with a resolution that is intermediate between optical and electron microscopy. This project will provide Austral ....Diffractive Imaging using Soft X-rays and Electrons. Optical, electron and x-ray microscopy has yielded enormous biological insights and medical benefits to society. Optical microscopy is able to image live tissue, but at relatively low resolution. Electron microscopy can yield high resolution images, but only of highly prepared material. X-ray microscopy yields images of live tissue with a resolution that is intermediate between optical and electron microscopy. This project will provide Australian scientists with their first access to x-ray microscopy at its optimum wavelength; and secondly it will provide a superb testbed for x-ray microscopy to be enhanced using unique methods being developed in Australia.Read moreRead less
Characterisation and fabrication of nanophotonic devices based on multi-layer stacks. The aim of this proposal is to continue the existing collaborative project on fabrication and characterisation of nanophotonic devices based on the multi-layer stack method. The project will integrate the state-of-the-art techniques in the respective collaborating universities to fabricate a nano-probe which can produce an evanescent field approximately four orders of magnitude stronger than that under the conv ....Characterisation and fabrication of nanophotonic devices based on multi-layer stacks. The aim of this proposal is to continue the existing collaborative project on fabrication and characterisation of nanophotonic devices based on the multi-layer stack method. The project will integrate the state-of-the-art techniques in the respective collaborating universities to fabricate a nano-probe which can produce an evanescent field approximately four orders of magnitude stronger than that under the conventional condition. This novel probe provides a key to the successful fabrication of innovative nanophotonic devices including photonic transistors, photonic circuits, high-density data storage disks and drives, nano-motors and biochips, which underpin biotechnology, information technology and optical computing technology.Read moreRead less
A novel spectrum encoding technology using nanoparticles for high-density, high-speed information coding and retrieval. The key-sector in high tech markets has been the photonics industry over the last decade, and it will continue to revolutionise our ways of information storage, processing and transfer for the next 10 to 20 years. The current project of novel spectrum-encoding technology will prove to be the key technological innovation in photonics (one of the National Research Priorities), w ....A novel spectrum encoding technology using nanoparticles for high-density, high-speed information coding and retrieval. The key-sector in high tech markets has been the photonics industry over the last decade, and it will continue to revolutionise our ways of information storage, processing and transfer for the next 10 to 20 years. The current project of novel spectrum-encoding technology will prove to be the key technological innovation in photonics (one of the National Research Priorities), which will not only meet the growing demands of the consumer market, but also continue to drive the industry and create new markets. This is in line with the Priority Goals set by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, as it will put Australia into the unique position in the information age.Read moreRead less
Multiphoton microscopy through tissue turbid media. The aim of this proposal is to conduct the collaborative project on multi-photon microscopic imaging through biological tissue, which has been recently initiated between Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It will integrate the special skills, two-photon fluorescence endoscopy and second-harmonic coherence tomography, investigated in the respective collaborating institutes, to develop a nove ....Multiphoton microscopy through tissue turbid media. The aim of this proposal is to conduct the collaborative project on multi-photon microscopic imaging through biological tissue, which has been recently initiated between Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It will integrate the special skills, two-photon fluorescence endoscopy and second-harmonic coherence tomography, investigated in the respective collaborating institutes, to develop a novel method for detecting/imaging cancer cells that are located at 1 mm below tissue surfaces, while they are still in the early stage to be cured. Consequently, a diagnostic method for early cancer detection particularly through skin tissue becomes possible.Read moreRead less
Microcharacterisation of rare-earth-doped optical fibres. Rare-earth-doped optical fibres continue to play a central role in optical telecommunication systems and are increasingly being used as elements in optical fibre sensing devices and as fibre lasers. The aim of this project is the application of new high spatial resolution techniques for determining the physical properties of such fibres. These methods will permit unprecedented knowledge of the precise distribution of rare-earth ions in th ....Microcharacterisation of rare-earth-doped optical fibres. Rare-earth-doped optical fibres continue to play a central role in optical telecommunication systems and are increasingly being used as elements in optical fibre sensing devices and as fibre lasers. The aim of this project is the application of new high spatial resolution techniques for determining the physical properties of such fibres. These methods will permit unprecedented knowledge of the precise distribution of rare-earth ions in the fibre and its relationship with the fibre's refractive index profile. This information is critical to understanding the performance of rare-earth-doped fibres in a variety of applications and the outcomes of this work will inform the design of fibres optimised for use in specific applications.Read moreRead less
Diamond Based Quantum Information Processing. The explosive growth in ideas for applications of quantum mechanics to practical devices for information processing has been a worldwide phenomenon of the past 4 years. A leading material which promises many of the desirable quantum properties is diamond. In collaboration with our Israeli colleagues we will seek to attain the glittering prize of constructing diamond devices that will absorb, store and re-emit single light-photons with revolutionary ....Diamond Based Quantum Information Processing. The explosive growth in ideas for applications of quantum mechanics to practical devices for information processing has been a worldwide phenomenon of the past 4 years. A leading material which promises many of the desirable quantum properties is diamond. In collaboration with our Israeli colleagues we will seek to attain the glittering prize of constructing diamond devices that will absorb, store and re-emit single light-photons with revolutionary applications to information storage and processing.Read moreRead less