Q-Sand (TM): Whispering Gallery Mode Detection System For Ultrasensitive And Label Free Testing In Biotechnology.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$127,750.00
Summary
Quantum Dots, a type of nanocrystal, have been shown to emit light at a very precise wavelength. Quantum dots of approximately 5 nm in diameter have been conjugated to a silica microsphere and then coated with free silica, thus encasing the Quantum Dots in a small chamber surrounding the microsphere. This structure is analogous to a light globe under a lampshade. Just as one can change the nature of the lamplight by changing the lampshade, one can change the Quantum Dot emitted light by changing ....Quantum Dots, a type of nanocrystal, have been shown to emit light at a very precise wavelength. Quantum dots of approximately 5 nm in diameter have been conjugated to a silica microsphere and then coated with free silica, thus encasing the Quantum Dots in a small chamber surrounding the microsphere. This structure is analogous to a light globe under a lampshade. Just as one can change the nature of the lamplight by changing the lampshade, one can change the Quantum Dot emitted light by changing the surface of the microsphere. Since the scale is so small (each microsphere is about the size of a single bacterial cell), the amount and nature of the material needed to bind to the surface to effect a detectable change is also very small, on the order of just of few tens or hundreds of molecules. This project seeks to exploit this principle to create a new class of ultra sensitive detector which can be used in many sorts of applications such as medical diagnostics and biosensing.Read moreRead less
Our current understanding of cellular signalling and disease is based on ensemble measurements over a cellular or molecular population. While these measurements have provided valuable information on the molecular circuitry required for cellular function, there is a lack of detail on the spatio-temporal dynamics of signal initiation and propagation at the single molecule and single cellular level. Single particle (molecule or cell) approaches offer the advantage of being able to detect individual ....Our current understanding of cellular signalling and disease is based on ensemble measurements over a cellular or molecular population. While these measurements have provided valuable information on the molecular circuitry required for cellular function, there is a lack of detail on the spatio-temporal dynamics of signal initiation and propagation at the single molecule and single cellular level. Single particle (molecule or cell) approaches offer the advantage of being able to detect individual processes including rare events that would be lost in an ensemble measurement. Moreover single particle approaches provide dynamic-kinetic information that does not rely on synchronising a population of molecules or cells. In this proposal we aim to build on our combined expertise in EGF-EGFR signalling, biophysics, biosensors, quantum dot nanotechnology and single molecule spectroscopy to learn more about how EGFR cellular signalling works and how it is impaired in cancer. This project will provide basic information that could lead to the design of more effective drugs directed agaisnt this therapeutic target.Read moreRead less
If a spin could torque: quantum force sensing with levitated nanodiamonds. This project aims to detect the tiny twisting forces imparted by a single quantum spin on a host diamond nanocrystal levitating in vacuum. Our team will build both a hypersensitive detector of quantum rotations and the complex theoretical models for quantum spin systems coupled to the mechanical motion of nanometre-sized diamonds. The expected experimental capabilities and knowledge generated by this project will enable w ....If a spin could torque: quantum force sensing with levitated nanodiamonds. This project aims to detect the tiny twisting forces imparted by a single quantum spin on a host diamond nanocrystal levitating in vacuum. Our team will build both a hypersensitive detector of quantum rotations and the complex theoretical models for quantum spin systems coupled to the mechanical motion of nanometre-sized diamonds. The expected experimental capabilities and knowledge generated by this project will enable world-first measurements of quantum effects with unparalleled sensitivity and powerful new quantum sensing paradigms. The project should enable significant benefits, such as incisive tests of the limits of quantum theory and new Australian technology operating at the interface of the quantum and classical worlds.Read moreRead less
Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoida ....Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoidable losses. This project will overcome this barrier by developing innovative loss-tolerant protocols and devices that unconditionally show and exploit quantum effects, both for long-distance applications and ultra-precise measurement technologies. This collaboration will bring the world’s best photon detectors to Australia, as a key resource for this work and for future research.Read moreRead less
Mesoscopic quantum reality in the light of new technologies. Evidence for the Schrodinger cat that defies macroscopic reality has emerged for systems of several atoms, ions or photons, resulting in a Nobel award in physics in 2012. However, developments in quantum science technology make these states experimentally accessible at an increasingly mesoscopic level. This project will develop a theory to test mesoscopic realism, nonlocality and decoherence in experiment, focusing on cold atom and ion ....Mesoscopic quantum reality in the light of new technologies. Evidence for the Schrodinger cat that defies macroscopic reality has emerged for systems of several atoms, ions or photons, resulting in a Nobel award in physics in 2012. However, developments in quantum science technology make these states experimentally accessible at an increasingly mesoscopic level. This project will develop a theory to test mesoscopic realism, nonlocality and decoherence in experiment, focusing on cold atom and ion trap systems. This project will study multipartite nonlocality based on Bell's theorem, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and Schrodinger's quantum steering. As well as having fundamental significance, these demonstrations are potentially useful for metrology, secure quantum cryptography and ultra-sensitive detectors.Read moreRead less
Resources for Quantum Networks. In classical information theory communication is an important resource. In quantum information theory there are the additional resources of entanglement and quantum communication. The aim of this project is to establish a complete theory of resources for quantum networks, by determining the relation between these resources, their symmetry properties, and effective ways of calculating capacities. Critical issues, such as the networking of quantum computers, quan ....Resources for Quantum Networks. In classical information theory communication is an important resource. In quantum information theory there are the additional resources of entanglement and quantum communication. The aim of this project is to establish a complete theory of resources for quantum networks, by determining the relation between these resources, their symmetry properties, and effective ways of calculating capacities. Critical issues, such as the networking of quantum computers, quantum teleportation and secure communication, require a complete theory of resources. The expected outcome of this project is a rigorous foundation for resources in quantum information that may be used to address these issues.Read moreRead less
Interferometry beyond the Standard Quantum Limit. This research aims to realise measurements below the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) using advanced quantum optic and opto-mechanical techniques. This is of fundamental interest as the SQL is yet to be observed for a macroscopic object. It is also of particular significance to second generation gravitational wave detectors which are expected to be limited by the SQL. This project will develop an opto-mechanical sensor capable of achieving SQL sensit ....Interferometry beyond the Standard Quantum Limit. This research aims to realise measurements below the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) using advanced quantum optic and opto-mechanical techniques. This is of fundamental interest as the SQL is yet to be observed for a macroscopic object. It is also of particular significance to second generation gravitational wave detectors which are expected to be limited by the SQL. This project will develop an opto-mechanical sensor capable of achieving SQL sensitivity as well as develop and test techniques to surpass the SQL. These techniques will be directly applicable to long base-line gravitational wave detectors.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101272
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,000.00
Summary
Giving quantum systems a voice: quantum optoacoustics on a nanoscale. This project aims to build a complete and scalable platform for the new paradigm of quantum acoustics, ready for immediate deployment as a critical component of a hybrid quantum computing architecture. Using a combination of theoretical techniques at the boundary of quantum physics, nanoscale electromagnetism, classical theory of elasticity, and advanced numerical methods, I will design a complete suite of quantum acoustic dev ....Giving quantum systems a voice: quantum optoacoustics on a nanoscale. This project aims to build a complete and scalable platform for the new paradigm of quantum acoustics, ready for immediate deployment as a critical component of a hybrid quantum computing architecture. Using a combination of theoretical techniques at the boundary of quantum physics, nanoscale electromagnetism, classical theory of elasticity, and advanced numerical methods, I will design a complete suite of quantum acoustic devices and protocols to enable interfacing between state-of-the-art quantum devices. This project will strengthen the leading position of Australian researchers in the race towards quantum technologies by offering practical solutions to a critical bottleneck in designing large-scale quantum technologies.Read moreRead less