Realisation of an ultra-stable local oscillator using an ultra-low vibration pulse-tube cryocooler. This project will complete the development of a new type of ultra-low-noise ultra-stable microwave oscillator cooled with an ultra-low vibration cryostat and cryocooler. The resulting oscillator will have wide application, but especially to atomic fountain clocks and to very high frequency Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio astronomy.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100144
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,000.00
Summary
Equipment for International Collaboration in Next Generation GW Detectors. Equipment for international collaboration in next-generation gravitational wave detectors:
This project aims to create a silicon optics research facility which combines Australian capabilities in silicon manufacturing at nanometre precision, with revolutionary crystalline mirror technology. The equipment is designed to enable international teams of physicists to research the optical and acoustic properties of silicon in ....Equipment for International Collaboration in Next Generation GW Detectors. Equipment for international collaboration in next-generation gravitational wave detectors:
This project aims to create a silicon optics research facility which combines Australian capabilities in silicon manufacturing at nanometre precision, with revolutionary crystalline mirror technology. The equipment is designed to enable international teams of physicists to research the optical and acoustic properties of silicon in high optical power and high precision silicon measurement systems. Research facilitated by this equipment may pave the way for the next generation of ultra-low-noise systems required for gravitational wave detection, while opening the possibility of multiple new applications in precision measurement devices. Read moreRead less
Precision low energy experiments to search for new physics. This project aims to give experimental answers to long existing theoretical questions about the origins and nature of dark matter. Dark matter is a fundamental component of the universe, yet the nature of its composition is still unknown. There is growing evidence that dark matter is comprised of low mass and weakly interacting particles. By developing ultra-precise measurement tools and new techniques, this project aims to perform a st ....Precision low energy experiments to search for new physics. This project aims to give experimental answers to long existing theoretical questions about the origins and nature of dark matter. Dark matter is a fundamental component of the universe, yet the nature of its composition is still unknown. There is growing evidence that dark matter is comprised of low mass and weakly interacting particles. By developing ultra-precise measurement tools and new techniques, this project aims to perform a stringent and comprehensive new laboratory search for ultra-light dark matter particles, over likely mass ranges not yet searched. The knowledge gained will provide economic benefits through commercialisation and stimulation of new research and development, and to defence through applications in radar, communications and sensing.Read moreRead less
Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signal ....Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy. This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signals from smaller black holes and neutron stars. The new technology, which uses nano-scale suspended tiny mirrors controlled by laser light, is likely to have applications in making sensors and quantum devices for advanced instrumentation, improve mineral exploration and measure tiny electromagnetic signals.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100032
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
Advanced Multifunctional Electro-Opto-Magneto-Mechanical Analysis Platform. This project aims to build an advanced multi-functional Electro-Opto-Magneto-Mechanical analysis platform for characterizing nanomaterials and micro-/nano-scale devices. This platform expects to provide rich and unique characterization capabilities (electrical, optical, magnetic and mechanical) for hybrid devices with low temperature and high vacuum environment. The expected outcomes include multidisciplinary research co ....Advanced Multifunctional Electro-Opto-Magneto-Mechanical Analysis Platform. This project aims to build an advanced multi-functional Electro-Opto-Magneto-Mechanical analysis platform for characterizing nanomaterials and micro-/nano-scale devices. This platform expects to provide rich and unique characterization capabilities (electrical, optical, magnetic and mechanical) for hybrid devices with low temperature and high vacuum environment. The expected outcomes include multidisciplinary research collaborations and a wide range of next-generation technologies including non-invasive medical instruments, wearable devices, communication, quantum information systems and energy storage solutions. This should enable local design and construction of hybrid devices and advance the growth of local high-technology industries.Read moreRead less
On-water electrochemistry: redox catalysis at the water surface. From plastics to pharamaceuticals, chemists rely extensively on expensive and environmentally damaging solvents and reactants. In water, greener and cheaper electricity-driven reactions currently suffer from low velocity and poor selectivity. The project aims to develop the science of on-water electrochemistry, to make electricity-driven organic reactions in water viable. Demonstrating that for electrochemical reactions, rates and ....On-water electrochemistry: redox catalysis at the water surface. From plastics to pharamaceuticals, chemists rely extensively on expensive and environmentally damaging solvents and reactants. In water, greener and cheaper electricity-driven reactions currently suffer from low velocity and poor selectivity. The project aims to develop the science of on-water electrochemistry, to make electricity-driven organic reactions in water viable. Demonstrating that for electrochemical reactions, rates and selectivities increase on water’s surface rather than in its bulk will remove fundamental constraints on the viability of aqueous electro-synthesis – moving beyond current reactor designs to transform our view of electrochemistry and improve the sustainability of the chemical industry.Read moreRead less
Sliding diodes: harvesting triboelectricity with surface chemistry. This project aims to create new methods for the conversion of friction at vibrating metal–semiconductor contacts into a continuous source of electricity; an autonomous technology to power miniature electronics in applications spanning health management to environmental sensing. The expected outcomes of this project include the development of new surface chemistry and miniature semiconductor technologies, with benefits for the de ....Sliding diodes: harvesting triboelectricity with surface chemistry. This project aims to create new methods for the conversion of friction at vibrating metal–semiconductor contacts into a continuous source of electricity; an autonomous technology to power miniature electronics in applications spanning health management to environmental sensing. The expected outcomes of this project include the development of new surface chemistry and miniature semiconductor technologies, with benefits for the design and function of silicon-based devices such as life-critical pacemakers, and self-powered monitors in remote/dangerous places.Read moreRead less
Engineering and testing of three mode opto-acoustic parametric amplifiers. This project will engineer a new type of sensor called an opto-acoustic parametric amplifier. It is so sensitive to measure individual quantum units of vibration. The devices use laser light to measure the motion of tiny mirrors. Practical devices could be used to create quantum memory for quantum computers and sensors of exquisite sensitivity.
Meta-microscopy of insect tissue: How nature grows bicontinuous nanosolids. Several butterfly species grow a complex nano-sculptured matrix whose chiral network structure confers remarkable optical properties, including jewel-like reflections. The formation process remains mysterious and a spectacular case of bottom-up self-assembly at far larger scales than accessible in the lab. The project aims to decipher this process, by (a) tomography of a species where arrested growth sites represent time ....Meta-microscopy of insect tissue: How nature grows bicontinuous nanosolids. Several butterfly species grow a complex nano-sculptured matrix whose chiral network structure confers remarkable optical properties, including jewel-like reflections. The formation process remains mysterious and a spectacular case of bottom-up self-assembly at far larger scales than accessible in the lab. The project aims to decipher this process, by (a) tomography of a species where arrested growth sites represent time-frozen snapshots of the development, and (b) by a combination of micron-resolved in-vivo microscopy of a developing butterfly wing with a growth model to infer nanometer-scale information. This insight will lead to blueprints for self-assembly strategies and shed light on function and form of inner-cellular membranes. Read moreRead less
Inerter-enhanced metastructure for structural vibration control. Meta-based technique has been proposed for vibration control recently due to its special wave filtering effect. However, the current techniques are difficult to attenuate low-frequency waves, thus not suitable for civil structural vibration control. This project proposes incorporating an inerter-based element into the unit cell of a metastructure. Due to the unique mass amplification characteristic of inerter element, manipulating ....Inerter-enhanced metastructure for structural vibration control. Meta-based technique has been proposed for vibration control recently due to its special wave filtering effect. However, the current techniques are difficult to attenuate low-frequency waves, thus not suitable for civil structural vibration control. This project proposes incorporating an inerter-based element into the unit cell of a metastructure. Due to the unique mass amplification characteristic of inerter element, manipulating low-frequency waves becomes possible. Practical designs are developed and applied to control the adverse vibrations of engineering structures induced by three typical vibration sources. Comprehensive analytical, experimental and numerical studies are carried out to examine the effectiveness of the proposed method.Read moreRead less