Nanoclusters with Extraordinary Properties Made out of Ordinary Materials. Ultrafast laser deposition - a process pioneered by the Applicants - has already demonstrated record yields in the production of carbon-based nano-clustered materials with better control over the size of the nano-particles than any other process. This project aims to improve fundamental understanding of the ultra-fast laser deposition method of nano-fabrication through theoretical and experimental studies, which accurate ....Nanoclusters with Extraordinary Properties Made out of Ordinary Materials. Ultrafast laser deposition - a process pioneered by the Applicants - has already demonstrated record yields in the production of carbon-based nano-clustered materials with better control over the size of the nano-particles than any other process. This project aims to improve fundamental understanding of the ultra-fast laser deposition method of nano-fabrication through theoretical and experimental studies, which accurately correlate the ablation conditions to the structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of resulting nano-particles. The results will be applied to efficiently produce nano-clustered materials with tuneable properties for a wide range of new technologies such as spintronics, biophotonics, and nanoclinics.Read moreRead less
Engineering nanoscale material properties by controlled-temperature indentation. The research is in a field of high national priority, namely nanotechnology. The technology is based on semiconductor modification at the nanoscale by nanoindentation. This project will further provide valuable opportunities for a number of research students and early-career researchers to gain skills as well as learn techniques and processes needed for Australia's nanotechnology workforce. Australia will further ....Engineering nanoscale material properties by controlled-temperature indentation. The research is in a field of high national priority, namely nanotechnology. The technology is based on semiconductor modification at the nanoscale by nanoindentation. This project will further provide valuable opportunities for a number of research students and early-career researchers to gain skills as well as learn techniques and processes needed for Australia's nanotechnology workforce. Australia will further benefit as the skills and knowledge garnered from this work will be patented at every opportunity and transferred to a spin-off company, WRiota.Read moreRead less
Novel Carbon Coatings for Exceptional Performance. Carbon coatings are technologically important and have many applications in automotive and biomedical industries worldwide. An example automotive application is as a coating for high performance fuel injectors. Carbon coatings have significant unrealised potential for applications in hostile environments such as those encountered in high performance engineering components and in the human body. This project will develop new types of carbon coat ....Novel Carbon Coatings for Exceptional Performance. Carbon coatings are technologically important and have many applications in automotive and biomedical industries worldwide. An example automotive application is as a coating for high performance fuel injectors. Carbon coatings have significant unrealised potential for applications in hostile environments such as those encountered in high performance engineering components and in the human body. This project will develop new types of carbon coatings with properties and performance tailored to applications in biomedical engineering, energy conversion, automotive engineering, manufacturing and microelectronics. The result will be a range of new carbon coatings with exceptional properties and cost-effective synthesis methods.Read moreRead less
Synchrotron radiation techniques applied to melting and resolidification at a nanometric scale. By delivering underpinning knowledge of melting characteristics of nanoparticles, the proposal seeks results that can lead to breakthrough applications in advanced materials engineering. Measurements of the liquid nanoparticle structure performed at the Australian Synchrotron are unprecedented and are thus likely to include the development of new methodology. National and international exposure of Aus ....Synchrotron radiation techniques applied to melting and resolidification at a nanometric scale. By delivering underpinning knowledge of melting characteristics of nanoparticles, the proposal seeks results that can lead to breakthrough applications in advanced materials engineering. Measurements of the liquid nanoparticle structure performed at the Australian Synchrotron are unprecedented and are thus likely to include the development of new methodology. National and international exposure of Australian science and the Australian Synchrotron will have both scientific and economic ramifications. Involvement of students will contribute to developing the local synchrotron knowledge base and is beneficial to the Australian synchrotron-research community as a whole.Read moreRead less
Separating Subtle Interplay between Competing/Cooperating Superconductivity and Magnetism in YBa2Cu3O7-x with Nanotechnology. Superconducting cables can carry 100 to 200 times more electric current than conventional cables. The innovations in this program could enable the widespread commercialization of more efficient types of power generation, transmission, and electrical equipment and devices, offering tremendous energy savings and emissions reductions. It is estimated that ~A$400 million pe ....Separating Subtle Interplay between Competing/Cooperating Superconductivity and Magnetism in YBa2Cu3O7-x with Nanotechnology. Superconducting cables can carry 100 to 200 times more electric current than conventional cables. The innovations in this program could enable the widespread commercialization of more efficient types of power generation, transmission, and electrical equipment and devices, offering tremendous energy savings and emissions reductions. It is estimated that ~A$400 million per year can be saved if high-Tc superconducting wires and cables were to replace conventional metallic conductors. The success of this program will greatly increase scientific understanding of hig-Tc superconductivity and expand Australia's knowledge in the research on high-Tc superconductors. The training will also provide scientific talents to the country.Read moreRead less
Smart Materials Between Two and Three Dimensions. Shape-memory alloys involving martensitic transformations, are important as smart materials. Both the transformation nucleation and the sample morphology are unsolved issues relevant for these applications. Of particular note are the softening of certain lattice-vibrational frequencies, the development of a tweed-like microstructure on cooling the material and the role of defects, particularly the sample surface, in the transformation process. ....Smart Materials Between Two and Three Dimensions. Shape-memory alloys involving martensitic transformations, are important as smart materials. Both the transformation nucleation and the sample morphology are unsolved issues relevant for these applications. Of particular note are the softening of certain lattice-vibrational frequencies, the development of a tweed-like microstructure on cooling the material and the role of defects, particularly the sample surface, in the transformation process. This project addresses these issues using model materials in thin-film and bulk-crystal forms. Capacitance dilatometry, optical, electron and scanning-probe microscopies, and x-ray techniques, will unlock an understanding of the physical and metallurgical conditions controlling these transformations.Read moreRead less
Ultrafast photonic hammer: A new strategy to synthesise super-dense super-hard nanomaterials. We will develop a new way for laboratory synthesis of new classes of super-hard and super-dense materials at and above the extremely high temperature and density range currently accessible only in nuclear explosions. The ability of ultra-fast laser-induced phase transformations will be exploited aiming to form materials with exotic properties, which are theoretically predicted, but has not experimental ....Ultrafast photonic hammer: A new strategy to synthesise super-dense super-hard nanomaterials. We will develop a new way for laboratory synthesis of new classes of super-hard and super-dense materials at and above the extremely high temperature and density range currently accessible only in nuclear explosions. The ability of ultra-fast laser-induced phase transformations will be exploited aiming to form materials with exotic properties, which are theoretically predicted, but has not experimentally confirmed yet. Our new approach will have a profound interdisciplinary impact. The project will deliver underpinning knowledge, foremost practical expertise, and the prominent training of young researchers to secure Australia's international position among the leaders in the rapidly growing and competitive field of nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Tailoring superconducting hybrid multilayered film systems for electric and electronic applications. This project focuses on the development of new scientific and technological aspects of the fabrication, properties and operation of novel hybrid systems for revolutionizing electricity handling and electronics. It will also solve some existing problems of film structures with promising multilayer technology. Hybrid systems, often make the headlines in science and are gaining an increasingly promi ....Tailoring superconducting hybrid multilayered film systems for electric and electronic applications. This project focuses on the development of new scientific and technological aspects of the fabrication, properties and operation of novel hybrid systems for revolutionizing electricity handling and electronics. It will also solve some existing problems of film structures with promising multilayer technology. Hybrid systems, often make the headlines in science and are gaining an increasingly promising outlook in materials engineering, nanotechnology and electronics, promising eventual application in a broad range of industries. This project will establish Australia's capability at the forefront in this area. The outcomes predicted will benefit existing Australian companies and may establish new companies dealing with these hybrid systems.Read moreRead less
Understanding structure-property relations in amorphous silicon. The research is in a field of high national priority, namely nanotechnology and has a number of clear benefits for Australia. 1) Ensures Australia maintains its current position as a world leader in the fields of nanotechnology and material science; 2) Provides training to students in the exciting areas of synchrotron operation and nanotechnology. 3) Enables leverage for further funding from both companies and international funding ....Understanding structure-property relations in amorphous silicon. The research is in a field of high national priority, namely nanotechnology and has a number of clear benefits for Australia. 1) Ensures Australia maintains its current position as a world leader in the fields of nanotechnology and material science; 2) Provides training to students in the exciting areas of synchrotron operation and nanotechnology. 3) Enables leverage for further funding from both companies and international funding sources; and 4) Supports Australian industry by contributing to research which has resulted in the formation of a new company.Read moreRead less
Diamond Quantum Dots Fabricated By Ion Implantation. For centuries scientists have been fascinated by the 'alchemy' of transforming carbon into diamond. This project aims to fabricate diamond nanocrystals embedded in a glass matrix by direct carbon ion implantation followed by thermal annealing. Unlike other methods of making diamond, the coalescence of carbon into diamond occurs under heating in a conventional furnace and does not require the application of high external pressures or any pre-ex ....Diamond Quantum Dots Fabricated By Ion Implantation. For centuries scientists have been fascinated by the 'alchemy' of transforming carbon into diamond. This project aims to fabricate diamond nanocrystals embedded in a glass matrix by direct carbon ion implantation followed by thermal annealing. Unlike other methods of making diamond, the coalescence of carbon into diamond occurs under heating in a conventional furnace and does not require the application of high external pressures or any pre-existing diamond template. We outline a scheme to exploit the properties of these crystals for novel applications in quantum devices.Read moreRead less