ANU webmail
HORUS
Library
Health & Safety
Physics databasePhysics news archive
01
Dec
2021
Green hydrogen gets a boost from a thin layer of foil
A thin layer of metal foil could be the key to making green hydrogen production from solar energy a commercial reality.
A team led by scientists at the ANU Research School of Physics used nickel-based...
29
Nov
2021
Nanotech pioneer to lead Science Academy
Leading nanotechnology and physics researcher, Distinguished Professor Chennupati Jagadish, will be the next president of the Australian Academy of Science.
He is the first Australian of Indian...
15
Nov
2021
Vale Professor Sydney Hamberger
We bid farewell with sadness to Emeritus Professor Sydney Hamberger, foundation Professor of the Plasma Research Laboratory.
Professor Hamberger passed away in Canberra aged 92, and was laid...
12
Nov
2021
Low-energy technology the winner as hybrid particles put up no resistance.
A new sandwich-style fabrication process, placing a semiconductor only one atom thin between two mirrors, has enabled physicists to make a significant step towards ultra-low energy electronics...
08
Nov
2021
Scientists detect a "tsunami" of gravitational waves
A team of international scientists, including researchers from The Australian National University (ANU), have unveiled the largest number of gravitational waves ever detected. The discoveries...
20
Oct
2021
The pressure’s on: making diamonds that are harder than diamond
Imagine telling your boss that you need to spend $1000 each on two diamonds – for work. But you will use them to create more diamonds! The catch? You will probably break them in the process...
12
Oct
2021
Supernova remnants in a million-year old sample
How do you find the remnants of violent cosmic events? Look at the bottom of the ocean of course!
PhD student in nuclear physics, Dominik Koll, is searching for tiny traces of plutonium-244...
24
Sep
2021
How a coffee machine helped to make perfect nanopores
An innovative portable manufacturing process, inspired by a coffee machine, has given scientists new insights into fabricating and measuring membranes full of nanometre-scale pores.
The process...
16
Sep
2021
ANU to advance Australia’s sovereign nuclear capabilities
With Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States signing a historic deal on nuclear powered submarines, The Australian National University (ANU) stands ready to train the next generation...
13
Sep
2021
Ultra-efficient tech to power devices of tomorrow and forge sustainable energy future
Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have developed a system to transport data using atomically-thin semiconductors in an extremely energy efficient way. The breakthrough...
13
Sep
2021
Tiny lasers, like inside-out noise-cancelling headphones
Physicists at the ANU Research School of Physics have made extremely efficient microscopic lasers, smaller than the width of a hair - smaller, even, than the wavelength of the light they produce.
These...
20
Aug
2021
Purple diamonds – stunning jewellery or revolutionary technology?
With the world record sale of a purple diamond for $29.3M, it seemed the right time to chat to our diamond expert, Professor Neil Manson, about what a diamond actually is, and how one determines...
13
Aug
2021
Rodney Baxter wins Poincare Prize for Mathematical Physics
Congratulations to our former head of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus Professor Rodney Baxter, who has been awarded the 2021 Henri Poincare Prize at the 2021 International Congress of Mathematical...
20
Jul
2021
Student research program set to inspire holographic phones
Research students from the Australian National University (ANU) and the Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) in Germany will collaborate to invent technology that could make smartphones thinner,...
15
Jul
2021
Thruster research to help propel spacecraft
Faster space manoeuvres and safer, more sustainable, propellants may soon be possible thanks to a new three-year partnership between The Australian National University and French propulsion company...
12
Jul
2021
Approaching zero: super-chilled mirrors edge towards the borders of gravity and quantum physics
The LIGO gravitational wave observatory in the United States is so sensitive to vibrations it can detect the tiny ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. These waves are caused by colliding...
07
Jul
2021
Let there be light! New tech to revolutionise night vision
Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have developed new technology that allows people to see clearly in the dark, revolutionising night-vision. The first-of-its-kind...
30
Jun
2021
Black holes swallow neutron stars like “Pac-Man”
Scientists have for the first time detected black holes eating neutron stars, “like Pac Man”, in a discovery documenting the collision of the two most extreme and enigmatic objects...
18
Jun
2021
Accelerator to help Aussie tech survive in space
Australia’s spacecraft and satellites will better survive damaging radiation and extreme conditions thanks to a $2.5 million grant, for space science to be led by the Australian National...
16
Jun
2021
A brace of medals for the ANU Physics community
The Research School of Physics congratulates four of its community who have been decorated in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Former Director of the Research School of Physics Emeritus Professor...
15
Jun
2021
Queen’s Birthday gong for Professor Neil Manson
Emeritus Professor Neil Manson has been made a member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday honours, for significant service to tertiary education, particularly physics.
Director...
28
May
2021
Gravitational wave search no humdrum hunt
The International community of Gravitational Wave scientists are a few steps closer to detect a new source of gravitational waves that has never been detected.
Distinguished Prof. Susan Scott,...
25
May
2021
Internal rogue wave could have sunk Indonesian submarine
The sinking of an Indonesia submarine in April this year may have been caused by a wave up to 100 metres high, travelling within the ocean.
Internal waves occur at sharp boundaries in the ocean...
13
May
2021
Alien radioactive element find prompts creation rethink
The first-ever discovery of rare plutonium-244 on earth has scientists rethinking the origins of the elements on our planet.
The tiny traces of radioactive plutonium-244 were found in ocean...
29
Apr
2021
When is an atomic nucleus like a flock of birds?
Physicists trying to understand the stability of some heavy atomic nuclei are drawing inspiration from the fluid motion of giant flocks of birds.
Some nuclei behave like a collection of individual...
24
Apr
2021
Self-propelling self-navigating vehicles a step closer
Vehicles that can propel themselves along the water and self-navigate around any object in their path could soon be a reality thanks to new research from The Australian National University (ANU).
According...
25
Mar
2021
World's first market-ready diamond-based quantum accelerator coming to Australia
Quantum Brilliance, a venture-backed Australian quantum computing startup from The Australian National University (ANU), will install the world’s first diamond quantum accelerator at the Pawsey...
11
Mar
2021
David McClelland recipient of Australian Academy of Science Medal
Professor David McClelland is awarded a prestigious medal by the Australian Academy of Science The Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal. Prof. McClelland received this recognition for his life-long contributions...
22
Feb
2021
The sloshing of a quantum fluid reveals superfluid properties
An Australian-led team of physicists have gained new insights into superfluidity by creating sloshing quantum liquids comprised of light and matter, in a bucket formed by lasers.
“These...
12
Feb
2021
Unleashing the superpowers of materials with the flash of a laser
Scientists have devised a way to reveal the superpowers of a crystal, with a mere flash of laser light.
The superpowers in question, known as topological phases of light, include the ability...
08
Feb
2021
Scientists create armour for fragile quantum technology
An international team of scientists has invented the equivalent of body armour for extremely fragile quantum systems, which will make them robust enough to be used as the basis for a new generation...
03
Feb
2021
New software allows scientists to “walk inside” samples
New software will allow scientists to see data in 3D and create life-like models of objects like fossils and mummies, making it possible to "zoom in" on smaller details without damaging the original.
The...
07
Dec
2020
Hidden data could pose a threat to quantum encryption
Quantum encryption offers unbreakable codes, but don’t get your encoding equipment from Dr Michael Hall. He’s discovered exactly how to hide code-breaking information in a quantum-encryption...
19
Nov
2020
How to make instant diamonds
An international team of scientists has found a way to speed up the creation of diamonds, making them in a room-temperature lab in mere minutes.
One of the lead researchers, Professor Jodie...
16
Nov
2020
New tractor beam has potential to tame lightning
Lightning never strikes twice, so the saying goes, but new technology may allow us to control where it hits the ground, reducing the risk of catastrophic bushfires.
Many of Australia's...
02
Nov
2020
PM’s Prize for Science honours gravitational-wave researchers
The 2020 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science has been awarded to two physicists from The Australian National University (ANU) and two scientists from other institutions for their ground-breaking...
19
Oct
2020
Laser-based atom filter shows the way to back-to-front technology
Scientists at ANU have designed a back-to-front filter which uses lasers to process clouds of atoms.
The device is back-to-front because it creates mirrors made of laser beams that reflect atoms....
06
Oct
2020
Element of surprise: Carbon creation finding set to rock astrophysics
A new measurement of how quickly stars create carbon may trigger a major shift in our understanding of how stars evolve and die, how the elements are created, and even the origin and abundance...
03
Sep
2020
Mammoth collision of `impossible’ black holes detected for the first time
The most massive black hole collision ever detected has been directly observed by the LIGO and VIRGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes scientists from The Australian National...
25
Aug
2020
Ocean sediments reveal nearby supernovae mystery
A mystery surrounding the space around our solar system is unfolding thanks to evidence of supernovae found in deep-sea sediments.
Professor Anton Wallner, a nuclear physicist at ANU Research...
10
Aug
2020
A tiny can of light at the heart of tomorrow’s technology
Physicists have manufactured a small can of light and shown it could be used to make optical devices such as tiny sensors and light-based computer chips.
The team from ANU, ITMO University and Korea...
28
Jul
2020
The Photonics Industry: Australia’s invisible giant
A report released today reveals that the photonics industry in Australia and New Zealand has grown remarkably in recent years and is now a significant contributor to the economy.
Lighting Economic...
22
Jul
2020
Researchers develop tiny but tough lasers
Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have developed a new robust type of light technology that could lead to cheaper and faster devices.
The team report in Light: Science...
16
Jul
2020
Next-generation navigation technology developed in Australia
CGA researchers, Associate Professor Jong Chow and his team, in partnership with industry will develop, design and manufacture the next-generation of optical gyroscopes for high-precision...
02
Jul
2020
CGA gravitational wave scientists smash quantum noise limits
Results published on 2 July 2020 in the prestigious journal Nature show the standard quantum limit has been breached using squeezed light technology pioneered at the Australian National...
24
Jun
2020
Mysterious collision of a black hole and a much smaller object 800 million years ago
A black hole around 23 times the size of the Sun has swallowed a mysterious, much smaller astrophysical object, according to new research announced today...
18
Jun
2020
Zeptosecond collisions – the remarkable speed of nuclear reactions
Scientists have for the first time calculated the speed of the most complex nuclear reactions and found they’re really fast: mere zeptoseconds.
Being this fast – a zeptosecond is a billionth...
04
Jun
2020
Wave physics encourages bacteria to grow biomaterials
Physicists at ANU have developed a way to use waves to manipulate the growth of bacteria biofilms – one of the most abundant forms of life on earth.
The team found the growth of biofilms...
22
May
2020
ANU at forefront of Australia’s quantum future
The Australian National University (ANU) will play a key role in shaping Australia’s next-generation technology, according to a new roadmap for the emerging quantum industry launched by the CSIRO...
12
May
2020
ANU MakerSpace leads push to make free protective equipment for health workers
The ANU MakerSpace is helping to ensure health workers have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the coronavirus pandemic, by coordinating the production of thousands...
06
May
2020
The key to a safe high-quality medical scans: a golden bow tie
Physicists have unveiled a design for a high-precision detector in the shape of a golden bow tie, that could enable a new generation of safe, compact scanners.
Two tiny triangles of solid gold...
05
May
2020
Using a pocket rocket to explore distant planets
A plasma thruster, developed at ANU for use on miniature satellites, is being used to look for evidence of life on distant planets – but not in the way you might expect.
The system,...
03
Apr
2020
Researchers discover photons trapping each other
A photon can trap another photon within a material, researchers have discovered.
ANU honours student Janet Zhong made the surprise discovery that a photon can be localised within a second photon...
20
Feb
2020
Reducing noise of quantum light below the sound of silence
An international team of researchers has developed a technology that manipulates quantum states of light at noise levels that are quieter than the sound of silence.
The technology is an important...
20
Jan
2020
Establishment of The ANU Centre for Gravitational Astrophysics (CGA)
ANU Centre for Gravitational Astrophysics (CGA) kicked off Jan 1st, 2020. The Centre is established jointly under RSPhys and RSAA and aims to advance the science and technology of gravitational...
08
Jan
2020
The curious case of a star crash in a galaxy far, far away
The detection of two neutron stars colliding in space about five billion trillion kilometres away has left an international team of scientists scratching their heads.
ANU Professor Susan Scott,...
07
Jan
2020
How magnesium could help cut carbon emissions from concrete
Concrete contributes about eight percent of the world’s carbon footprint – around 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide – but research into a new type of concrete that actually...
13
Dec
2019
Rhodes Scholarship a dream come true for honours student
Physics honours graduate Matt Goh is Oxford-bound after winning a Rhodes Scholarship.
Matt’s studies of ultracold atoms that could contribute to a new kind of quantum computing platform...
31
Oct
2019
Researchers apply the squeeze to better detect stellar-mass black holes
Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have found a way to better detect all collisions of stellar-mass black holes in the Universe.
Stellar-mass black holes are formed by the gravitational...
11
Oct
2019
Lights on for holograms in your hands and super-fast Li-Fi
Monitoring systems for safer driving, moving holograms on your phone and super-fast, light-based WiFi are a step closer thanks to $34.9 million in Australian Government funding for the Australian...
09
Oct
2019
Leadership award for student mentoring scheme
A passion for helping fellow students has earned RSPE's Lauren Bezzina a college-wide award, the Janet Elspeth Crawford award for postgraduate leadership.
Lauren, a PhD student in Nuclear Physics...
07
Aug
2019
ANU Physics students attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in physics
By Janet Zhong and Tim Hume
From the 30th of June to the 6th of July, we attended the 2019 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in physics. It was a meeting that invited 39 Nobel laureates in physics...
03
May
2019
Ancient star-crash detection ushers new dawn for space discovery
An international team of scientists, including from The Australian National University (ANU), have detected two stars colliding in space about 500 million years ago.
The discovery comes just...
26
Apr
2019
New silicon promises sunnier days for solar tech
An international research team led by The Australian National University (ANU) has made a new type of silicon that better uses sunlight and promises to cut the cost of solar technology.
The...
14
Mar
2019
ANU research set to shake-up space missions
A new study from The Australian National University (ANU) has found a number of 2D materials can not only withstand being sent into space, but potentially thrive in the harsh conditions.
It...
24
Jan
2019
Liquid Instruments secures $11m international investment
Canberra-born technology company Liquid Instruments has this week announced more than $11 million (US$8.16M) has been invested in their growing business.
Liquid Instruments was started by a team...
11
Jan
2019
A step closer to a data superhighway for future internet
An international team of researchers led by ANU is helping to build a safe data superhighway for the highly anticipated quantum internet, which promises a new era of artificial intelligence and ultra-secure...
14
Dec
2018
Invention promises airport security screening without queues
A research team led by The Australian National University (ANU) has invented a device that could be developed into ultra-sensitive cameras for security screening that would not require people...
04
Dec
2018
Scientists detect biggest known black-hole collision
An international team of scientists have detected ripples in space and time, known as gravitational waves, from the biggest known black-hole collision that formed a new black hole about 80 times...
30
Nov
2018
Study could lead to safer and cheaper 3D medical imaging
A new study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has discovered a promising way to significantly lower doses of X-rays that has the potential to revolutionise 3D medical imaging and make...
22
Oct
2018
AI changing the way ANU scientists carry out experiments
There’s plenty of speculation about what artificial intelligence, or AI, will look like in the future, but researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) are already harnessing...
27
Sep
2018
Hunter-killer satellite: new weapon in battle against space junk
It may sound futuristic, but researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) and Tohoku University in Japan have found a new way of dealing with space junk – and it involves a new type...
19
Sep
2018
Tiny camera lens may help link quantum computers to network
An international team of researchers led by The Australian National University (ANU) has invented a tiny camera lens, which may lead to a device that links quantum computers to an optical fibre...
15
Aug
2018
ANU invention could help turbo-charge internet speeds
RSPE scientists have invented a new ultra-thin device that can turn invisible light into the visible and change the colour of light, with the potential to be used to help turbo-charge internet...
10
Aug
2018
RSPE physicist named ACT Scientist of the Year
The secure networks, artificial intelligence and new drugs of the future could all find their origins in a crystal, according to research by the 2018 ACT Scientist of the Year Dr Rose Ahlefeldt...
25
Jun
2018
ANU Physics Project Market Day
Over 60 ANU physics academics will present posters detailing their research with more than 100 student projects at all levels on offer including:
Undergraduate:
Summer scholarships
3rd...
22
Jun
2018
Discovery may help find new ways to innovate with light
The Australian National University (ANU) has contributed to a ground-breaking discovery that promises to help revolutionise the science behind the next generation of light-harvesting technologies,...
20
Jun
2018
Invention could help to crack down on illegal drug trade
A research team involving The Australian National University (ANU) has invented a system that can detect chemicals in miniscule quantities and could be developed into a portable drug-testing...
07
Jun
2018
Jointly developed sensors open the door to a wearable medical diagnostic device
Scientists from The ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering and The ANU Research School of Engineering have designed tiny optical sensors that open the door to developing a wearable device...
23
May
2018
New satellites with ANU laser technology launched into space
Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) have helped design new satellite instruments that are part of a joint NASA and German mission launched into space today to study changes...
22
May
2018
Three Minute Thesis - Jacob Ross
In August 2017 several members of the Research School of Physics and Engineering represented the School at the Joint Colleges of Science 3MT final, where they were challenged to present their...
04
May
2018
Three Minute Thesis - Haitao Chen
In August 2017 several members of the Research School of Physics and Engineering represented the School at the Joint Colleges of Science 3MT final, where they were challenged to present their...
30
Apr
2018
RSPE student wins Melbourne semi-finals of FameLab
An ANU PhD physics student who is studying the impact of disease on the cell walls of plants has won the 2018 FameLab regional semi-finals in Melbourne.
Toby Hendy will head to the national...
18
Apr
2018
Crystal-clear future for quantum computing
It’s been predicted that by 2040, we will not have the capability to power all of the world’s computers. This is why the effort to build a quantum computer—which overcomes the limitations...
20
Mar
2018
Scientists detect electrons outside of their regular orbits
A research team including The Australian National University (ANU) has detected electrons outside of their regular orbits, a phenomenon that could be harnessed to develop next-generation electronics...
13
Mar
2018
Three Minute Thesis - Bryce Henson
In August 2017 several members of the Research School of Physics and Engineering represented the School at the Joint Colleges of Science 3MT final, where they were challenged to present their...
01
Mar
2018
Three Minute Thesis - Yi Zhu
In August 2017 several members of the Research School of Physics and Engineering represented the School at the Joint Colleges of Science 3MT final, where they were challenged to present their...
20
Feb
2018
Three Minute Thesis - Mitchell deVries
In August 2017 several members of the Research School of Physics and Engineering represented the School at the Joint Colleges of Science 3MT final, where they were challenged to present their...
16
Feb
2018
Gravitational wave leader wins Boas medal
Professor David McClelland has been awarded the prestigious Boas medal, by the Australian Institute of Physics, "for key contributions to one of the greatest achievements in the history of physics – the...
07
Feb
2018
Research will help scientists understand how stars create elements
New research involving The Australian National University (ANU) has, for the first time, demonstrated a long-theorised nuclear effect, in a feat that will help scientists understand how stars...
02
Feb
2018
New technology can help scientists peer into deep space
A team of Australian scientists, including researchers from The Australian National University (ANU), have found a new way to use the telecommunications network to synchronise radio telescopes,...
18
Jan
2018
Buckingham Palace built with mineralised microbes from the Jurassic
A new study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found that the building blocks of Buckingham Palace in London and many other iconic...
21
Dec
2017
ANU launches virtual tour of lab searching for traces of exploded stars
The Australian National University (ANU) has launched an online virtual tour of its Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility, which is searching for traces of exploded stars, known as supernovae, in the ocean.
ANU...
19
Dec
2017
Award for cultural change as makerspace gets students thinking like a physicist
Dr John Debs from the Physics Education Centre has won a 2017 Australian Award for University Teaching, announced by Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham.
Dr...
27
Nov
2017
ANU to host library of beautiful, useful patterns
ANU is set to host a new virtual library of beautiful intricate patterns, which are unlocking secrets of chemical structures and triggering a revolution in new technology.
The intricate regular...
07
Nov
2017
CT Lab scans challenge theories of ancient glass making
Scans from the CTLab in RSPE are challenging centuries-old theories on how ancient Roman cameo glass was made and suggest the British Museum's most famous Roman glasswork is wrongly classified.
The...
25
Oct
2017
Australian of the year trophy designed with makerspace skills
RSPE’s ANU Makerspace has played a key role in designing and producing the newly unveiled Australian of the Year trophies.
Design sketches from the School of Art were digitised at the Makerspace,...
18
Oct
2017
Nanowires the key to safer scans
New miniature sensors developed at ANU could be the key to future safer medical imaging and security scans.
A team of physicists that developed a detector for terahertz radiation made from nanowires...
17
Oct
2017
Gravitational waves detected for first time from two stars colliding
Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and around the world have detected for the first time ripples in space and time, known as gravitational waves, from the collision of two very...
05
Oct
2017
Gravitational wave team earns Nobel Prize
Congratulations to the Department of Quantum Sciences for their part in the detection of gravitational waves for the first time, which has earned the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Barry Barish,...
12
Sep
2017
Quantum internet a step closer with data storage breakthrough
Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have found a new way to store quantum data long enough to share the information around a next-generation internet which promises to be impervious...
16
Aug
2017
400 million year old fish fossil reveals jaw structure linked to humans
A new study from The Australian National University (ANU) on a 400 million year old fish fossil has found a jaw structure that is part of the evolutionary lineage linked to humans.The fossil...
21
Jul
2017
Realising Feynman's quantum computing dreams
Jacob Ross is taking up the mantle of Richard Feynman in his PhD, trying to develop a quantum simulator, using ultracold gases called Bose-Einstein condensates.
"Feynman's idea was to build...
20
Jul
2017
Nano device promises ultra-fast graphics on gaming consoles
An international team of scientists led by The Australian National University (ANU) has designed a new nano device that promises ultra-fast rendering of high-definition graphics on gaming consoles.
Senior...
14
Jul
2017
Travelling the world in search of diamonds
Tom Shiell has the travel bug – during his PhD he's made good use of the international connections that ANU has.
During his two and a half years of study, he's spent close to a year at labs...
05
Jul
2017
The positive attractions of positrons
The combination of antimatter and Canberra sold Tamara Babij on her PhD project.
Her honours year at Flinders University in Adelaide included six months working in the positron lab at ANU Physics,...
04
Jul
2017
ANU invention may help to protect astronauts from radiation in space
Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have designed a new nano material that can reflect or transmit light on demand with temperature control, opening the door to technology...
28
Jun
2017
Exciting nuclei with strange shapes
As a kid growing up in New Zealand, Jackson Dowie was fascinated by nuclear physics, like his Kiwi predecessor Ernest Rutherford.
"I'd heard that ANU was the best place in the southern hemisphere...
22
Jun
2017
Materials student strikes gold
For her PhD project Wenjie Yang has asked her supervisor for a lot of gold.
It's not for bling; she wants to embed it into silicon as part of the quest to make it a better absorber of light,...
14
Jun
2017
Myanmar trip an enriching experience for physics academic
An ANU nuclear physics academic is hoping his recent trip to the University of Yangon in Myanmar is just the start of a meaningful collaboration that will see ANU help to grow Myanmar's research...
08
Jun
2017
Bright Future for Physics Fellows
Two physicists at RSPE have won ARC Future Fellowships, for researching quantum communication for satellites, and nonlinear nanotechnology.
Dr Chunle Xiong from Quantum Sciences will use his fellowship...
05
Jun
2017
Meet the man behind LIGO
When Director of LIGO David Reitze visited ANU to give a seminar, he found time to chat about the his wild ride since the discovery of gravitational waves.
Hear how LIGO was tested with...
02
Jun
2017
Third gravitational wave detection offers new insight into black holes
An international team of researchers has made a third detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time, in a discovery that provides new insights into the mysterious nature of black...
19
May
2017
Multi-disciplinary collaboration builds a brain on a chip
ANU researchers have developed a suitable material to allow brain cells to grow and form predictable circuits, which could lead to the development of prosthetics for the brain.
The research...
18
May
2017
Prestigious fellowship to solve burning issues in fusion energy.
An Australian physicist has been enlisted into an international network of scientists working to build a sustainable future with fusion energy.
Associate Professor Matthew Hole of RSPE has been...
15
May
2017
Scientists find a way to pack grains and drugs most efficiently
Scientists have discovered a way to solve a problem that has baffled humans for so long it is mentioned in the Bible: achieving the most efficient packing of objects such as grains and pharmaceutical...
09
May
2017
Final Australian plasma in H1
ANU is poised to provide China with its first Stellarator device, which enables experimental research on magnetically confined plasma that is vital for developing fusion energy.
It's part of a transition...
19
Apr
2017
Australian-built satellites launched into space
The first satellites built in Australia in the past 15 years have been launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida to the International Space Station, where they will be deployed into space.
The...
12
Apr
2017
RSPE to work with Chinese scientists on fusion energy
The ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering will work with the University of South China (USC) on fusion energy research, with the prospect of Australia providing China with its first...
10
Apr
2017
Developing leaders against the backdrop of Antarctica
The trip of a lifetime will be just one part of an inspiring journey for Professor Susan Scott, as she takes part in the Homeward Bound, an international leadership, strategic and science initiative...
08
Mar
2017
Physicists design a device inspired by sonic screwdriver
Physicists have designed a handheld device inspired by the sonic screwdriver in Doctor Who and the tricorder in Star Trek that will use the power of MRI and mass spectrometry...
17
Feb
2017
Research opens door to smaller, cheaper, more agile communications tech
Research led by The Australian National University (ANU) on the use of magnets to steer light has opened the door to new communications systems which could be smaller, cheaper and more agile...
10
Feb
2017
ANU scientists make new high-tech liquid materials
Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have controlled wave-generated currents to make previously unimaginable liquid materials for new technological innovations, including techniques...
02
Feb
2017
ANU team join quest for MRI revolution
ANU physicists are set to play a prominent role in a revolution in medical scanning.
A team from the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering has been invited to join a major European...
24
Jan
2017
Sci-Fi Holograms a Step Closer With ANU Invention
ANU physicists have invented a tiny device that creates the highest quality holographic images ever achieved, opening the door to imaging technologies seen in science fiction movies such as Star...
12
Jan
2017
Indian Academy honours ANU Physicist
Distinguished Professor Chennupati Jagadish has been elected an Honorary Fellow of the Indian Academy of the Sciences, one of only two in 2017.
Professor Jagadish has had a successful career...
12
Dec
2016
New diamond harder than ring bling
The Australian National University (ANU) has led an international project to make a diamond that’s predicted to be harder than a jeweller’s diamond and useful for cutting through...
08
Dec
2016
ANU invention to inspire new night-vision specs
ANU scientists have designed a nano crystal around 500 times smaller than a human hair that turns darkness into visible light and can be used to create light-weight night-vision glasses.
Professor...
06
Dec
2016
New telescope chip offers clear view of alien planets
Scientists have developed a new optical chip for a telescope that enables astronomers to have a clear view of alien planets that may support life.
Seeing a planet outside the solar system which...
01
Dec
2016
ANU demonstrates 'ghost imaging' with atoms
A team of physicists at ANU have used a technique known as 'ghost imaging' to create an image of an object from atoms that never interact with it.
This is the first time that ghost imaging...
25
Nov
2016
Boost for ANU space and quantum technology
The Australian National University (ANU) has welcomed ACT Government funding to bolster high-technology quantum communications for the space industry.
ACT Minister for Higher Education, Training...
17
Nov
2016
Twisted light record boosts secure communication
Optical communications could be enhanced by controlling the amount of twist in the light, allowing you to send more information with fewer photons.
Scientists from Australia, Austria and Canada...
07
Nov
2016
$5M CTLab upgrade to help with carbon storage research
An X-ray microscopy laboratory at The Australian National University (ANU) was officially opened on Monday following a $5 million upgrade to help store carbon dioxide underground.
Minister for Education...
27
Oct
2016
Dunbar Physics Honours Scholarship applications are now open
The Dunbar Physics Honours Scholarship applications are now open until 30 November 2016.
The Dunbar Physics Honours Scholarship is the difference between being lectured about physics and receiving...
27
Sep
2016
Quantum computing a step closer to reality
Physicists at The Australian National University (ANU) have brought quantum computing a step closer to reality by stopping light in a new experiment.
Lead researcher Jesse Everett said controlling...
21
Sep
2016
ANU Giving Day - Let’s make Konzo disappear
Wednesday 21 September 2016
This year the ANU Giving Day will raise funds to help eradicate Konzo. Konzo is a neurological disease that causes irreversible paralysis of the legs, often...
04
Jul
2016
A little impurity makes nanolasers shine
Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have improved the performance of tiny lasers by adding impurities, in a discovery which will be central to the development of low-cost biomedical...
16
Jun
2016
Gravitational waves detected for second time
Scientists have detected gravitational waves for a second time, caused by the collision of two black holes 14 and eight times the size of the sun.
The team, including scientists from The Australian...
05
May
2016
Gravitational Wave team shares in major physics Prizes
ANU physicists who worked on the first detection of gravitational waves are among the team that has won two prestigious physics prizes, the $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental...
26
Apr
2016
Nanomaterial to drive new generation of solar cells
Physicists have discovered radical new properties in a nanomaterial, opening new possibilities for highly efficient thermophotovoltaic cells that could one day harvest heat in the dark and turn...
18
Apr
2016
Micro-Satellite workshop at held at ANU
Last week Professor Christine Charles hosted the first Australian-Japanese workshop on making micro-satellites with the view to exploring Pocket Rocket activities, as well as CubeSat and Ground...
08
Apr
2016
Iron-60 used to detect nearby supernovas
An international team of scientists has found evidence of a series of massive supernova explosions near our solar system, which showered the Earth with radioactive debris.
The scientists found...
07
Mar
2016
Hundred million degree fluid key to fusion
Zhisong Qu, Mathew Hole and Michael Fitzgerald of the Plasma Theory and Modelling group have solved a puzzle of why their million-degree heating beams sometimes fail, and instead destabilise...
12
Feb
2016
Gravitational Waves Detected: Einstein Proven Right
Scientists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) including a team from the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering have announced the world first detection...
27
Jan
2016
Professor Jagadish recieves top Australia Day honour
Distinguished Professor Chennupati Jagadish has been awarded Australia's highest honour for his service to physics and engineering, leading a string of ANU academics recognised in the 2016 Australia...
10
Dec
2015
New ANU endowment for developing-world scientists
Distinguished physics Professor Chennupati Jagadish and his wife Vidya have kickstarted a new endowment fund to bring science students and academics from the developing world to study and do research...
24
Nov
2015
QuintessenceLabs wins global award
A high-technology company started by physicists from The Research School of Physics and Engineering has won a major international award for its quantum cyber-security technology.
QuintessenceLabs...
19
Nov
2015
Liquid Instruments wins national innovation awards
Liquid Instruments recently won four awards in the 2015 Tech23 Australian innovation awards. Daniel Shaddock impressed the audience with his engaging presentation taking away the Tech23...
20
Oct
2015
New link with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
A new Memorandum of Understanding on research collaboration was signed in September 2015 between the Plasma Research Laboratory (home to the APFRF) and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics....
09
Sep
2015
PRL research featured in International Innovation
A team from the Plasma Research Laboratory at the Australian National University has developed new optical instruments for studying plasma behaviour. The so-called coherence-imaging systems are advancing...
19
Aug
2015
Rising-star graduates from RSPE
It is possible to create a star on earth with a nuclear fusion device, with the H1-Heliac at the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering doing just this. The research school...
12
Jun
2015
The 2015 Stjepan Marcelja Fellowships
The Department of of Applied Mathematics is delighted to announce the first recipients of the 2015 Marcelja Fellowships. The Marcelja Fellowship, named in honour of Stjepan Marcelja, provides...
08
May
2015
Test cricket Brad Haddin helps ANU bat researchers
Scientists from the ANU have sought the advice of Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for their high-technology research into cricket bats.
ANU physicists are for the first time studying English...
07
May
2015
Fusion energy boost for high-tech Australia
The world's largest fusion energy experiment, ITER, has turned to Australian physicists to supply a crucial imaging system for the multi-billion-euro experiment.
Engaging with ITER is a great...
24
Apr
2015
ANZAC Day image fabricated by Focused Ion Beam
The ANZAC pattern was fabricated by using Focused Ion Bean (FIB) system at the Australian National Fabrication Facility by Dr Evgeny Mironov a recently graduated visiting PhD student from ADFA,...
05
Mar
2015
School seminar Dates 2015
Date
Department speaker
19 March
AMPL
16 April
AM
21 May
NP
18 June
EME
16 July
Laser
20 August
NLPC
17...
09
Jan
2015
Physics student wins top ANU student prize
“I was not the brightest in the physics class,” says Tillyard Prize winner Lachlan McGinness, who has been conferred with his Bachelor of Science with honours.
“But...
09
Jan
2015
Quantum hard drive breakthrough
Physicists developing a prototype quantum hard drive have improved storage time by a factor of more than 100.
The team’s record storage time of six hours is a major step towards...
14
Nov
2014
A gift of Love to ANU
After a long career of teaching and research, Emeritus Professor John Love believes it is now time to give some more.
Professor Love is donating $1 million to the ANU to fund a new scholarship...
22
Oct
2014
Long-distance reversible laser tractor beam created
Laser physicists have built a tractor beam that can repel and attract objects, using a hollow laser beam that is bright around the edges and dark in its centre.
It is the first long-distance...
11
Aug
2014
Physicists create water tractor beam
Physicists at The Australian National University have created a tractor beam on water, providing a radical new technique that could confine oil spills, manipulate floating objects or explain...
11
Jul
2014
Launch of the H-1 facility upgrade
The Australian Plasma Fusion Research Facility (APFRF) held a successful launch of the H-1 facility upgrade yesterday in coordination with the launch of the strategic plan for fusion science.
Senator...
24
Jun
2014
ANU Physics Project Market Day - Travel Scholarships available NOW
ANU Physics Project Market Day - Travel Scholarships available NOW
This year are offering travel scholarships to students interested in doing a Physics Project at ANU (i.e. Honours, Masters...
06
May
2014
Launch of the Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility Endowment Fund
The Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility Endowment Fund, created to give new opportunities to accelerator staff and students, will be launched by the VC Professor Ian Young on Wednesday 7 May at the Department...
27
Feb
2014
School meetings for 2014
School Planning DayFriday 11 April
Founder's DayFriday 17 October
School Forum
Friday 7 March
Friday 6 June
Friday 5 September
Friday 5 December
Heads of Departments meetings
Friday...
17
Jan
2014
School Seminar dates for 2014
The School Seminar series will be held at 4:00pm on the third Thursday of the month, March-November.
The dates are:
4:00pm Thursday 20 March
4:00pm Thursday 17 April
4:00pm Thursday 15 May
4:00pm...
15
Jan
2014
Director's Colloquium dates for 2014
The Director's Colloquia will be held in the Leonard Huxley Theatre at the following times in 2014:
12:00 Wednesday 5 March. Professor Veena Sahajwalla, UNSW.
12:00 Thursday 10 April, Professor...
18
Nov
2013
Tiny laser breakthrough by ANU researchers shines light on faster computers
Faster, smaller electronics are one step closer with researchers from The Australian National University successfully making the first room temperature lasers from gallium arsenide nanowires.
“The...
06
Nov
2013
Laser tripod for better levitation
Physicists from The Australian National University have shown that three lasers are better than one when it comes to levitating small but visible objects on light, designing an extremely precise...
15
Oct
2013
Applications for the Dunbar physics honours scholarships 2014 are now open
Applications are open for the Dunbar Physics Honours scholarships 2014 – to find out more about the Dunbar Physics Honours scholarship and to submit an application, please visit the Dunbar...
22
Aug
2013
Untraceable
ANU researchers have created a crack-proof encryption system that’s got the nod from NASA. TEGAN DOLSTRA reports.
Your bank account details and medical records might be safe from prying...
22
Aug
2013
The devil in the detail
Long, spiny legs and alien-like armour sound like the stuff of science fiction, but our terrestrial neighbours can look out of this world if you look up close.
ANU School of Art PhD student,...
22
Aug
2013
Industry partnership towards cancer treatment
A Sirtex Professorial Chair position at the School was launched by the VC on Wednesday 21 August 2013.
Sirtex Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based pharmaceutical company whom Department of Applied Mathematics...
24
Jul
2013
Royal Medal for remarkable mathematician
Emeritus Professor Rodney Baxter has been awarded the Royal Society’s Royal Medal for his breakthrough work in mathematics.
Professor Baxter, who retired in 2003 after almost 35 years...
24
Jun
2013
Searching for objects in turbulent seas
Imagine an object was dropped in the stormy sea.
It may be a life raft, a person overboard or a black box from an aircraft.
One needs to find it, or at least predict where to search for it.
Even...
12
Feb
2013
2013 dates for School Seminar Series
RSPE School Seminars will be held at 4:00pm on the third Thursday of the month March through to November in the Leonard Huxley Theatre.
Thursday 28 March. Dr Bianca Haberl, EME. Chair: Drew...
04
Dec
2012
2013 dates for Director's Colloquium
Leonard Huxley TheatreFollowing Thursdays at 12:00
Refreshments from 11:30am in the RSPE tearoom
7 March Professor Keith Nugent, University of Melbourne - The Laser Revolution in X-ray Physics:...
27
Sep
2012
Dr William (‘Bill’) Stewart Woolcock 1934-2012
Bill was born in Brisbane on 14 April 1934 and died in Canberra on 16 September 2012. He graduated BSc from the University of Queensland before obtaining a postgraduate place at Clare College...
06
Sep
2012
Dr Kailash Kumar 1933-2012
Kailash Kumar was born in Uttar Pradash, India, on 24 November 1933 and died in Sydney on 30 August 2012. He graduated BSc from Agra University and MSc from Allahabad University before obtaining...
30
Aug
2012
Dunbar physics honours scholarship
up to $25,000 package including accommodation assistance
mentoring and networking program
diverse research options
largest physics program in Australia
travel grants to discuss interests
open...
29
Aug
2012
ANU wins Eureka Prize for Commercialisation of Innovation
The ANU collaboration with UNSW and Digitalcore have been awarded the 2012 Rio Tinto Eureka Prize for Commercialisation of Innovation. The prize is part of the most comprehensive and prestigious...
15
Aug
2012
ANU Physics - Australia's highest scorer subject worldwide
The Australian today released some interesting statistics on University performance and rankings. Both the front page and in the Higher Education Supplement, the high ranking of Australian...
13
Aug
2012
Canon Information Systems Research Australia (CiSRA) Prize 2012
An award will be presented, on Founder’s Day (12 October 2012), to a student who is author (or joint author) of a research paper seen by the Selection Panel as making a substantial and original...
02
Jul
2012
Physics student wins prize for the best PhD project
Congratulations go to Sean Hodgman who is the recipient of the 2011 J.G. Crawford prize for the best science graduate student.
The ANU J.G Crawford prize is awarded each year to the most...
15
Jun
2012
Lasers replicate extreme weather events
Studies in the laboratory involving pulsing lasers could lead to a warning system that will alert ships to the imminent approach of a devastating freak wave.
The research led by Professor Nail...
21
May
2012
Quantum computer leap
The main technical difficulty in building a quantum computer could soon be the thing that makes it possible to build one, according to new research from The Australian National University.
Dr...
24
Apr
2012
Sounds of silence proving a hit
Researchers at The Australian National University have developed the fastest random number generator in the world by listening to the ‘sounds of silence’.
The researchers –...
05
Apr
2012
Lego pirate proves, survives, super rogue wave
Scientists have used a Lego pirate floating in a fish tank to demonstrate for the first time that so-called ‘super rogue waves’ can come from nowhere in apparently calm seas and engulf...
26
Mar
2012
3D printing in Canberra, Canberra Times article
Professor Tim Sendon talks to the Canberra Times about Applied Math's 3D printer.
Read the article and watch the video on the Canberra Times website.
14
Dec
2011
2012 dates - Director's Colloquium
Leonard Huxley TheatreFollowing Thursdays at 12.30
Refreshments @ noon in the tea room
1 March - Prof Geoffrey Taylor, University of Melbourne
5 April - Prof Will Steffen, Climate Change...
14
Dec
2011
2012 dates - School Seminars
2012 SPEAKERS
Leonard Huxley Theatre
Following Thursdays at 4pm
Speakers from RSPE Departments
22 March - Dr Dinesh Venkatachalam, EME (Chair, Drew Parsons)
Memories...
18
Nov
2011
More great ARC results for the school
Congratulations to our six successful ARC Future Fellows Duk-Yong Choi, Lan Fu, Andrey Miroshnichenko, Elena Ostrovskaya, Matt Sellars and Hoe Tan. And to our two DECRA award winners Hua Xia and Zhiyong...
03
Nov
2011
From little things big things grow
Australia’s first processing unit offering world-class facilities in the field of photonics has been opened at The Australian National University by Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr.
The...
19
Aug
2011
ANU Tall Poppies the pick of the bunch
Three ANU researchers have won 2011 ACT Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
Dr Cormac Corr, Dr Gonzalo Estillo and Dr Liana Leach were named at a ceremony held on 17 August.
Dr Corr from the Research...
01
Jul
2011
Revolutionary ANU ‘plasma thruster’ set for blast off
ANU has won a $3.1 million grant from the Federal Government to help propel Australian satellite technology and exploratory missions into the furthest reaches of deep space.
The University...
22
Jun
2011
Nanotechnology pushes battery life to eternity
A simple tap from your finger may be enough to charge your portable device thanks to a discovery made at RMIT University and ANU.
Dr Simon Ruffell from the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering...
21
Jun
2011
Revolutionary ANU ‘plasma thruster’ set for blast off
ANU has won a $3.1 million grant from the Federal Government to help propel Australian satellite technology and exploratory missions into the furthest reaches of deep space.
The University...
02
May
2011
Scientists make quantum breakthrough
Scientists from The Australian National University have demonstrated for the first time that atoms can be guided in a laser beam and possess the same properties as light guided in an optical...
09
Mar
2011
Physics of pruney fingers revealed
An exploration of mathematical shapes could explain why skin gets wrinkled after too much time in the tub. Understanding the geometry of wrinkly skin could help design new materials that can stretch...
28
Feb
2011
ANU scientists show atoms act like lasers
Scientists from The Australian National University have developed an atom laser that behaves exactly like a light laser, opening up new possibilities in things like holograms.
The research...
19
Nov
2010
Congratulations for recent staff awards and ARC Future Fellowships
ANU Staff Excellence Awards
The ANU Staff Excellence Award Ceremony was held at the Great Hall this Tuesday with the following RSPE staff members receiving awards: Drs Adrian Ankiewicz &...
26
Oct
2010
ANU congratulates ARC major grant winners
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb has congratulated all Australian Research Council (ARC) Major Grants recipients – especially those connected to the 105 ANU research projects announced...
25
Oct
2010
Audio Recording - Public Lecture: Tunes in time
How physics can contribute to the study of fossils and music
Friday, October 15 2010
Professor Tim Senden & Professor Neville Fletcher
An audio recording of the talks is now available...
22
Sep
2010
'Dance Your Ph.D.' Finalists Announced
The dreaded question. "So, what's your Ph.D. research about?" You could bore them with an explanation. Or you could dance. That's the idea behind "Dance Your Ph.D." Over the past 3 years, scientists...
09
Sep
2010
Tractor beam one step closer to reality
Researchers from The Australian National University have developed the ability to move particles over large distances, using a specially designed laser beam.
Professor Andrei Rode’s...
Updated: 3 December 2021/ Responsible Officer: Director, RSPhys/ Page Contact: Physics Webmaster
