Beyond the diffraction limit: sub-diffraction T-ray biochip sensing using planar metamaterials. T-rays are able to detect small changes in molecular structure and different isomeric and intermolecular configurations. With a comparatively long wavelength (0.3 mm at 1 THz), diffraction limits its use for imaging small biosamples. A method for achieving sub-diffraction sensing, required for biochips, is to adopt near-field techniques. However, due to the small biosample masses, there is a critical ....Beyond the diffraction limit: sub-diffraction T-ray biochip sensing using planar metamaterials. T-rays are able to detect small changes in molecular structure and different isomeric and intermolecular configurations. With a comparatively long wavelength (0.3 mm at 1 THz), diffraction limits its use for imaging small biosamples. A method for achieving sub-diffraction sensing, required for biochips, is to adopt near-field techniques. However, due to the small biosample masses, there is a critical need to enhance the response. This project will investigate a planar metamaterial thin-film T-ray sensor, for a new leap in non-invasive biochip sensing. This outcome will build downstream IP for rapid screening of DNA and proteins for healthcare. The project will also elucidate the science of T-ray interaction with biomaterials at small scales.Read moreRead less
Engineering the Next Generation of Terahertz Laser Imaging Systems. This project aims to develop terahertz imaging systems based on quantum cascade lasers suitable for characterisation of skin, with major implications for early skin cancer detection. Despite advances in treatment regimes, the most significant predictor of skin cancer survivability remains early detection. The project’s approach uses the semiconductor laser in the optical-feedback interferometer configuration, and is designed to ....Engineering the Next Generation of Terahertz Laser Imaging Systems. This project aims to develop terahertz imaging systems based on quantum cascade lasers suitable for characterisation of skin, with major implications for early skin cancer detection. Despite advances in treatment regimes, the most significant predictor of skin cancer survivability remains early detection. The project’s approach uses the semiconductor laser in the optical-feedback interferometer configuration, and is designed to afford significant advantages over conventional terahertz imaging platforms. The project plans to explore new semiconductor physics of a quantum cascade laser under optical feedback, engineer the semiconductor laser-based platform for medical diagnostic applications, and develop supporting numerical techniques.Read moreRead less
High-resolution elastography – Using optical micro-imaging of tissue mechanics to identify disease. Optical elastography, the probing of tissue’s micro-mechanical properties using optical imaging, offers new tools in surgery and pathology to improve differentiation of tissues. This project lays the groundwork for optical elastography to become a new medical micro-imaging modality by removing impediments to progress in this rapidly emerging field. On the micro-scale, between the scales of cells a ....High-resolution elastography – Using optical micro-imaging of tissue mechanics to identify disease. Optical elastography, the probing of tissue’s micro-mechanical properties using optical imaging, offers new tools in surgery and pathology to improve differentiation of tissues. This project lays the groundwork for optical elastography to become a new medical micro-imaging modality by removing impediments to progress in this rapidly emerging field. On the micro-scale, between the scales of cells and organs. This project will elucidate the origins of tissue mechanical contrast and determine limits on its measurement. It will develop a suite of probes: noncontact, endoscopic and needle, to enable access to all tissues in the body. To progress toward a new modality and inform our research, the project will test our tools on breast cancer tissues and burn scars.Read moreRead less
Milk protein profiling powered by multiplexed single molecule assay. This project aims to develop a novel device, comprising advanced single molecule imaging, microfluidics and immunoassay technologies, for quantification of milk protein variants. Milk quality is central to dairying and variants of proteins in milk affect its market value. No current milk protein detection technologies are readily applied in milk production quality control. This project aims to produce a device that can be used ....Milk protein profiling powered by multiplexed single molecule assay. This project aims to develop a novel device, comprising advanced single molecule imaging, microfluidics and immunoassay technologies, for quantification of milk protein variants. Milk quality is central to dairying and variants of proteins in milk affect its market value. No current milk protein detection technologies are readily applied in milk production quality control. This project aims to produce a device that can be used by milk producers and farms to profile protein variants with high sensitivity in a single test in an hour and screen unwanted protein contamination. The platform also has great potential for detecting other complex and low content analytes. It builds on innovations in nanoparticles and recent industry collaboration.Read moreRead less
Optics at the nanoscale: physics, devices and applications. This project aims to harness light-matter interactions at the nanoscale for the development of new photonic devices for imaging and optical manipulation. Novel photodetectors that operate from visible to infrared wavelengths will be developed, enabled by sub-wavelength nanostructures. These could form the basis for digital cameras with multispectral imaging capabilities, for example, for biomedical imaging, food quality control and remo ....Optics at the nanoscale: physics, devices and applications. This project aims to harness light-matter interactions at the nanoscale for the development of new photonic devices for imaging and optical manipulation. Novel photodetectors that operate from visible to infrared wavelengths will be developed, enabled by sub-wavelength nanostructures. These could form the basis for digital cameras with multispectral imaging capabilities, for example, for biomedical imaging, food quality control and remote sensing. Nanostructures will be developed that concentrate light to nanoscale spots, enabling the trapping of single molecules and nanoparticles. This project aims to educate the next generation of Australian optical scientists and engineers, building the human infrastructure for future advances in this field.Read moreRead less
Next generation lasers for short-reach optical fibre communication. This project aims to develop next-generation laser systems for multimode fibre-optic communication systems, by leveraging recently developed techniques for measuring and controlling the spatial properties of light. These techniques will provide new insights into the physics of the lasers themselves, as well as overcoming fundamental limitations which have traditionally hindered their operation at high speed. The expected outcome ....Next generation lasers for short-reach optical fibre communication. This project aims to develop next-generation laser systems for multimode fibre-optic communication systems, by leveraging recently developed techniques for measuring and controlling the spatial properties of light. These techniques will provide new insights into the physics of the lasers themselves, as well as overcoming fundamental limitations which have traditionally hindered their operation at high speed. The expected outcome of this project is the inclusion of these techniques in the development and operation of future generations of fibre communication systems. Creating new classes of laser systems, which can scale to large bit rates, will enable the growth in this area to be sustained into the future.Read moreRead less
Brillouin processing for carrier recovery in optical communications. This project aims to apply Brillouin processing to the development of an innovative, self-tracking optical filter for isolating optical carriers in the coherent receiver of future ultrahigh bit-rate optical communication systems. By recovering a needle-like optical carrier with great precision from a drifting sea of wide-band noise and data channels, the project expects to minimise the effect of optical carrier distortions on t ....Brillouin processing for carrier recovery in optical communications. This project aims to apply Brillouin processing to the development of an innovative, self-tracking optical filter for isolating optical carriers in the coherent receiver of future ultrahigh bit-rate optical communication systems. By recovering a needle-like optical carrier with great precision from a drifting sea of wide-band noise and data channels, the project expects to minimise the effect of optical carrier distortions on the data-carrying signals. The project should advance knowledge in optical signal processing and communications technologies, with outcomes that increase the data-carrying capacity of optical networks. Future telecommunication networks should benefit through improved transmission rates and extended fibre links.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100116
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
100 Gbit to 1 Terabit per second optical communication test bed facility. This facility will develop and demonstrate novel optical technologies that will underpin the generation and transmission of a higher-speed Ethernet at 100 Gb/s to 1Terabit/s, and will lead to better broadband and more energy efficient internet. At the foundation of this research will be a test bed with multiple signal sources at data rates above 50 Gbaud.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101036
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Integrated mid-infrared optical microcavity sensors. Toxic or illicit substances such as poisons, drugs and explosives can be identified from the way they absorb specific frequencies of light in the mid-infrared. This project will develop a new kind of molecule-specific, optical sensor capable of detecting trace quantities of such materials.
Metal dielectric microstructures: Tuneable metamaterials to medical devices. This project aims to demonstrate tuneable metamaterials fabricated economically and in volume. Tuneability is sought after and difficult to realise. This project will switch a metamaterial from metallic to dielectric behaviour, and dynamically vary the magnification of a hyperlens. To do this, it will create a micro/nanofabrication technology platform with potential widespread uses in high technology manufacturing. It e ....Metal dielectric microstructures: Tuneable metamaterials to medical devices. This project aims to demonstrate tuneable metamaterials fabricated economically and in volume. Tuneability is sought after and difficult to realise. This project will switch a metamaterial from metallic to dielectric behaviour, and dynamically vary the magnification of a hyperlens. To do this, it will create a micro/nanofabrication technology platform with potential widespread uses in high technology manufacturing. It expects to improve multi-modal neural interfaces for optogenetic research and implantable biomedical devices such as cochlear implants.Read moreRead less