Liquid light: aqueous bio-sensing in microstructured polymer optical fibres. This project builds on Australia's world-leading position in the development of microstructured polymer optical fibres, and applies the unique benefits they provide to for ultra- sensitive bio-sensing. By using the microstructure to simultaneously confine light and liquid, microstructured optical fibres provide a unique platform for ultra-sensitive spectroscopy and structural studies of biomolecules in solution. The wor ....Liquid light: aqueous bio-sensing in microstructured polymer optical fibres. This project builds on Australia's world-leading position in the development of microstructured polymer optical fibres, and applies the unique benefits they provide to for ultra- sensitive bio-sensing. By using the microstructure to simultaneously confine light and liquid, microstructured optical fibres provide a unique platform for ultra-sensitive spectroscopy and structural studies of biomolecules in solution. The work has profound implications both for fundamental science and applications, particularly in medical diagnostics.Read moreRead less
Terahertz lasers in the fight against illicit substances. This project aims to investigate the application of cutting-edge terahertz laser technology with new spectroscopic methods, for detection of illicit substances. Using a collaborative approach, the project aims to bring together expertise in laser physics, spectroscopy, law enforcement and instrumentation, and seeks to develop new sources and detection protocols which will offer new capabilities to law enforcement, aiding in detection and ....Terahertz lasers in the fight against illicit substances. This project aims to investigate the application of cutting-edge terahertz laser technology with new spectroscopic methods, for detection of illicit substances. Using a collaborative approach, the project aims to bring together expertise in laser physics, spectroscopy, law enforcement and instrumentation, and seeks to develop new sources and detection protocols which will offer new capabilities to law enforcement, aiding in detection and identification protocols for illicit substances.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101329
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Ultra-stable photonic-chip pulse source. An ultra-low noise high repetition photonic-chip pulse source is proposed. This ultra-stable device offers orders-of-magnitude improvements over existing solutions and holds potential for strong improvements to analogue-to-digital converters. The laser will be a crucial component for photonic integrated circuits, enabling millimetre size processing.
Optical fibre devices for sideways delivery of laser light during keyhole surgery. Mulitmode optical fibres are typically used to deliver high power laser light which is emitted from the end of the fibre to irradiate tissue during surgery. For intravenous delivery of laser light in the treatment of cardiac fibrillation (heart flutter) we require a sideways-directed illuminating beam. However reliable methods of delivering high power laser light in a sideways-directed beam are not currently avai ....Optical fibre devices for sideways delivery of laser light during keyhole surgery. Mulitmode optical fibres are typically used to deliver high power laser light which is emitted from the end of the fibre to irradiate tissue during surgery. For intravenous delivery of laser light in the treatment of cardiac fibrillation (heart flutter) we require a sideways-directed illuminating beam. However reliable methods of delivering high power laser light in a sideways-directed beam are not currently available. Using the ultraviolet laser fibre processing expertise already developed at Macquarie University, we propose to develop and characterise novel fibre-based devices which would allow controllable delivery of light sideways.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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101033
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
An ultrafast mid-infrared fiber laser: short pulses at long wavelengths. This project will result in the creation of a unique laser system, operating in the mid-infrared wavelength range and generating short bursts of light, which will have a potentially revolutionary impact in many areas of physics, health, defence and astronomy.
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
New quantitative methods in X-ray imaging using crystal optics. This project will enhance Australian science's international leadership in the area of x-ray imaging. This powerful type of X-ray imaging, which makes use of optical elements made of perfect crystals, is specially tailored to image samples which are invisible to conventional x-ray techniques. Such "extended x-ray vision" is extremely important for imaging in medicine, biology and materials science. Furthermore, we will train x-ray s ....New quantitative methods in X-ray imaging using crystal optics. This project will enhance Australian science's international leadership in the area of x-ray imaging. This powerful type of X-ray imaging, which makes use of optical elements made of perfect crystals, is specially tailored to image samples which are invisible to conventional x-ray techniques. Such "extended x-ray vision" is extremely important for imaging in medicine, biology and materials science. Furthermore, we will train x-ray scientists of tomorrow, whose expertise will allow Australia to capitalize on its investment in the Australian Synchrotron.Read moreRead less