The Research School of Physics performs research at the cutting edge of a wide range of disciplines.
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Astrophysics


Calibration of gravitational wave detectors
Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Profes Susan Scott


Optimising a neutron star extreme matter observatory
Dr Bram Slagmolen, Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Gravitational waves from ultralight boson clouds around black holes
Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Distinguished Profes Susan Scott, Dr Karl Wette


Exotic nuclear structure towards the neutron dripline


Radioimpurities in particle detectors for dark matter studies
Dr Michaela Froehlich , Dr Zuzana Slavkovska, A/Prof Stephen Tims, Professor Gregory Lane
Active orbital control systems for nano-sats orbiting the Moon
In space, no-one can hear you scream. Is this true?


Multi-messenger gravitational-wave astronomy
Distinguished Profes Susan Scott, Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Dr Karl Wette
Determining the orbital characteristics of a constellation of nano-sats orbiting the Moon


Paving the way to study the chronology of the early solar system
Dr Stefan Pavetich, Dr Michaela Froehlich , A/Prof Stephen Tims, Mr Dominik Koll


Gravitational waves from newborn neutron stars
Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Distinguished Profes Susan Scott, Dr Karl Wette


Continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars
Distinguished Profes Susan Scott, Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Dr Karl Wette
Atomic and Molecular Physics


Optical quantum memory


Positron applications in medical physics
A/Prof. James Sullivan, Professor Stephen Buckman, Dr Joshua Machacek
Microfabricated quantum ring atomic-gyroscope


Atomic ionization in super-strong laser fields


Benchmark positron scattering experiments
A/Prof. James Sullivan, Professor Stephen Buckman, Dr Joshua Machacek


Atomic magnetometer for exploring physics beyond the standard model


Interactions between antimatter and ultracold atoms
Dr Sean Hodgman, Professor Stephen Buckman, Dr Joshua Machacek


Measuring and modelling free-ion hyperfine fields
Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi, Dr Brendan McCormick


Coherent control of quantum-mechanical systems


Mass-entangled ultracold helium atoms


How does a quantum system reach equilibrium?


Attosecond time-resolved atomic reactions
Biophysics


Femtosecond laser for ultra-precise cavity drilling in modern dentistry


Positron applications in medical physics
A/Prof. James Sullivan, Professor Stephen Buckman, Dr Joshua Machacek


Understanding drought-resistance in Australian plants with 3D X-ray microscopy


Specific ion effects
Clean Energy


Migration of carbon dioxide injected in aquifers: convection, diffusion and dissolution


Renewable chemical fuels using III-V semiconductors
Dr Siva Karuturi, Professor Chennupati Jagadish, Professor Hoe Tan
Improving extraction of Critical MineralsÂ
Professor Mark Knackstedt, Dr Nicolas Francois, Prof Adrian Sheppard
Engineering in Physics


Vibration control for optical interferometry


Calibration of gravitational wave detectors
Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Profes Susan Scott


Nuclear structure studies with particle transfer reactions
Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane, Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi


Engineering Inter-spacecraft laser links


Magnetic nozzles and plasma generated by a remote source


Particle simulation of dual frequency processing plasmas


Optical sensors for inertial navigation
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Dr Paul Sibley, A/Prof Malcolm Gray, Mr Justin Wong


Directional dark matter measurements with CYGNUS
Dr Lindsey Bignell, Dr Peter McNamara , Dr Zuzana Slavkovska, Professor Gregory Lane


Optimising a neutron star extreme matter observatory
Dr Bram Slagmolen, Dr Lilli (Ling) Sun, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Plasma thrusters for spacecraft
Developing ultra-high resolution optical meta-surface sensors


Computer simulation of expanding plasmas


Wood-based mechanical metamaterials
Dr Nicolas Francois, Dr Mohammad Saadatfar, Professor Mark Knackstedt


Exploring physics with neural networks
Dr Aaron Tranter, Professor Ben Buchler, Professor Ping Koy Lam


Understanding energy dissipation in colliding quantum many-body systems
Dr Kaitlin Cook, Dr Ian Carter, Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, Professor David Hinde


Tracking noisy lasers using digitally enhanced fibre interferometers
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , A/Prof Malcolm Gray, Dr Paul Sibley


Nuclear lifetimes - developing new apparatus and methods
Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi, Professor Gregory Lane, Mr Ben Coombes
Fibre optic sensor arrays for vibrometry and acoustic sensing
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Dr Paul Sibley, A/Prof Malcolm Gray


Ultra-fast lifetime measurements of nuclear excited states
Professor Gregory Lane, Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi
Improving extraction of Critical MineralsÂ
Professor Mark Knackstedt, Dr Nicolas Francois, Prof Adrian Sheppard


Miniature absolute gravimeter for long-term gravity surveys
by interrogating the position of a falling test mass using a laser interferometer. Our vision is to develop and prototype a miniaturised absolute gravimeter by
leveraging modern vacuum, laser, and micro-electromechanical systems.
Dr Samuel Legge, Professor John Close, Prof Patrick Kluth, Dr Giovanni Guccione


Plasma surface interactions under extreme conditions
Active orbital control systems for nano-sats orbiting the Moon
In space, no-one can hear you scream. Is this true?
Determining the orbital characteristics of a constellation of nano-sats orbiting the Moon


Coherently combined laser systems for breakthrough starshot and beyond
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Dr Paul Sibley, A/Prof Michael Ireland


System calculations for hunter killer satellites
Environmental Physics


Surface forces and the behaviour of colloidal systems


Migration of carbon dioxide injected in aquifers: convection, diffusion and dissolution


Nanobubbles


High pressure non-equilibrium plasma discharges in chemically reactive systems
Quantum gravimtery for ground water mapping and subsurface planetary structure mapping
Radioactivity in our environment
Fusion and Plasma Confinement


Diagnosing plasma-surface interactions under fusion-relevant conditions


Nano-bubble formation in fusion relevant materials
The effect of He irradiation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of W/ W alloys
Materials Science and Engineering


Spatial laser mode analysis for thermal noise measurements in optical cavities
Dr Johannes Eichholz, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Prof David McClelland
Exploring novel X-ray scanning trajectories


Ultrafast laser cleaning - The light touch


Controlling the properties of 2D materials by defect engineering


Diagnosing plasma-surface interactions under fusion-relevant conditions


Optical nonlinearities in 2D crystals
X-ray scatter in 3D microscopes


Solid state synapses and neurons - memristive devices for neuromorphic computing
Machine learning for tomographic reconstruction


Nano-bubble formation in fusion relevant materials


Creating new materials using pressure and diamond anvil cells


Quantum emitters in 2D materials


Shape engineering of semiconductor nanostructures for novel device applications


Light control with tunable metasurfaces


Renewable chemical fuels using III-V semiconductors
Dr Siva Karuturi, Professor Chennupati Jagadish, Professor Hoe Tan


High-bandwidth stabilisation of a 2µm-band laser
Dr Johannes Eichholz, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Using materials physics for ultra-low contact resistance next generation semiconductor devices


Tomography of dynamic processes (3D movies)
The effect of He irradiation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of W/ W alloys


Functional nanopore membranes


Nanofluidic diodes: from biosensors to water treatment


Efficient optical interconnect for quantum computers
X-ray speckle tracking


Colloidal systems in highly concentrated salt solutions
Deblur by defocus in a 3D X-ray microscope


Ultrashort laser processing for advanced applications


Neutron and X-ray imaging/tomography techniques at ANSTO & Australian Synchrotron


Exciton polaritons in 2D atomically thin materials


Making diamond from disordered forms of carbon


Can we make a new phase of carbon?


Developing wearable sensors for personalized health care technologies and solutions
Dr Buddini Karawdeniya, Prof Dragomir Neshev, Prof Patrick Kluth, Professor Lan Fu


Measurement of optical and mechanical losses of mirror coatings
Dr Johannes Eichholz, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Nanowire photodetectors for photonic and quantum systems
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology


Surface forces and the behaviour of colloidal systems


Controlling the properties of 2D materials by defect engineering


Nanowire lasers for applications in nanophotonics


Solid state synapses and neurons - memristive devices for neuromorphic computing


Shape engineering of semiconductor nanostructures for novel device applications


Nanowire infrared avalanche photodetectors towards single photon detection
Professor Lan Fu, Dr Zhe (Rex) Li, Professor Chennupati Jagadish


Nanobubbles


Nanoscale light sources with extreme parameters: high harmonics in subwavelength resonators


Using materials physics for ultra-low contact resistance next generation semiconductor devices


Quantum-well nanowire light emitting devices
Professor Lan Fu, Dr Ziyuan Li, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish


Functional nanopore membranes


Simulation of x-ray scattering from nano-objects


Nanofluidic diodes: from biosensors to water treatment


Colloidal systems in highly concentrated salt solutions


Optical metamaterials: from science fiction to transformative optical technologies


Nanoscale optical isolators: disruptive nanotechnology to control light


Developing wearable sensors for personalized health care technologies and solutions
Dr Buddini Karawdeniya, Prof Dragomir Neshev, Prof Patrick Kluth, Professor Lan Fu


Micro-ring lasers for integrated silicon photonics


Metaphotonics and Mie-tronics with resonant dielectric structures


Specific ion effects


Engineering optical chirality with nanotechnology
Photonics, Lasers and Nonlinear Optics


Femtosecond laser for ultra-precise cavity drilling in modern dentistry


Spatial laser mode analysis for thermal noise measurements in optical cavities
Dr Johannes Eichholz, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Synthesising non-Hermitian gauge fields for microcavity exciton polaritons


Ultrafast laser cleaning - The light touch


Low-noise offset-phase locking and heterodyne interferometry with 2µm-band lasers
Dr Johannes Eichholz, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Engineering Inter-spacecraft laser links


Optical nonlinearities in 2D crystals


Optical nanoantennas


Nanowire lasers for applications in nanophotonics


Laser levitation of a macroscopic mirror


Quantum squeezed states for interferometric gravitational-wave detectors
Distinguished Prof David McClelland, Professor Daniel Shaddock, Dr Bram Slagmolen


Optical sensors for inertial navigation
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Dr Paul Sibley, A/Prof Malcolm Gray, Mr Justin Wong


Quantum photonics with nanostructured metasurfaces


Light control with tunable metasurfaces
Developing ultra-high resolution optical meta-surface sensors


High-bandwidth stabilisation of a 2µm-band laser
Dr Johannes Eichholz, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Nanowire infrared avalanche photodetectors towards single photon detection
Professor Lan Fu, Dr Zhe (Rex) Li, Professor Chennupati Jagadish


Nanoscale light sources with extreme parameters: high harmonics in subwavelength resonators


Nonlinear topological photonics


Quantum-well nanowire light emitting devices
Professor Lan Fu, Dr Ziyuan Li, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish


Synthetic multi-dimensional photonics


Tracking noisy lasers using digitally enhanced fibre interferometers
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , A/Prof Malcolm Gray, Dr Paul Sibley


Satellite based geodesy


Integrated quantum photonics
Prof Andrey Sukhorukov, Dr Jinyong Ma, Dr Jihua Zhang, Prof Dragomir Neshev
Fibre optic sensor arrays for vibrometry and acoustic sensing
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Dr Paul Sibley, A/Prof Malcolm Gray


Optical metamaterials: from science fiction to transformative optical technologies


Ultrashort laser processing for advanced applications


Metasurface polarization optics and quantum photonics


Exciton polaritons in 2D atomically thin materials


Coherently combined laser systems for breakthrough starshot and beyond
Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Dr Paul Sibley, A/Prof Michael Ireland


Nanoscale optical isolators: disruptive nanotechnology to control light


Measurement of optical and mechanical losses of mirror coatings
Dr Johannes Eichholz, Dr Bram Slagmolen, Distinguished Prof David McClelland


Micro-ring lasers for integrated silicon photonics


Metaphotonics and Mie-tronics with resonant dielectric structures


Non-equilibrium quantum condensation of microcavity exciton polaritons


Machine learning for optics and controls


Engineering optical chirality with nanotechnology


Nanowire photodetectors for photonic and quantum systems
Physics Education


Science education with meriSTEM


Virtual reality for physics education
Physics of Fluids


Understanding drought-resistance in Australian plants with 3D X-ray microscopy


Plasma-liquid interactions
Physics of the Nucleus


Nuclei that fall apart: the role of sub-zeptosecond processes in reactions of weakly-bound nuclei
Dr Kaitlin Cook, Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, Professor David Hinde


Nuclear structure studies with particle transfer reactions
Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane, Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi


Nuclear batteries: Energy-storage applications of nuclear isomers


Time dependence of nuclear fusion


Directional dark matter measurements with CYGNUS
Dr Lindsey Bignell, Dr Peter McNamara , Dr Zuzana Slavkovska, Professor Gregory Lane


Nuclear magnetism - magnetic moment measurements
Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi, Professor Gregory Lane, Dr Brendan McCormick


Towards a global understanding of nuclear fission
Dr Kaitlin Cook, Professor David Hinde, Professor Mahananda Dasgupta


Understanding energy dissipation in colliding quantum many-body systems
Dr Kaitlin Cook, Dr Ian Carter, Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, Professor David Hinde


Exotic nuclear structure towards the neutron dripline


Nuclear lifetimes - developing new apparatus and methods
Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi, Professor Gregory Lane, Mr Ben Coombes


Measuring and modelling free-ion hyperfine fields
Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi, Dr Brendan McCormick


Ultra-fast lifetime measurements of nuclear excited states
Professor Gregory Lane, Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi


Radioimpurities in particle detectors for dark matter studies
Dr Michaela Froehlich , Dr Zuzana Slavkovska, A/Prof Stephen Tims, Professor Gregory Lane


Effect of nuclear structure on dark matter-nucleus interactions


Quantum drivers to nuclear fission


Paving the way to study the chronology of the early solar system
Dr Stefan Pavetich, Dr Michaela Froehlich , A/Prof Stephen Tims, Mr Dominik Koll


Nuclear vibrations in near-spherical and deformed nuclei
Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Professor Gregory Lane, Dr AJ Mitchell, Mr Ben Coombes
Plasma Applications and Technology


Magnetic nozzles and plasma generated by a remote source


Particle simulation of dual frequency processing plasmas


Plasma thrusters for spacecraft


Computer simulation of expanding plasmas


Plasma surface interactions under extreme conditions


Plasma-liquid interactions


High pressure non-equilibrium plasma discharges in chemically reactive systems


System calculations for hunter killer satellites
Quantum Science and Technology


Vibration control for optical interferometry


Synthesising non-Hermitian gauge fields for microcavity exciton polaritons


Optical quantum memory


Dual torsion pendulum for quantum noise limited sensing


Quantum super resolution
Microfabricated quantum ring atomic-gyroscope


Laser levitation of a macroscopic mirror


Experimental quantum simulation with ultracold metastable Helium atoms in an optical lattice


Quantum squeezed states for interferometric gravitational-wave detectors
Distinguished Prof David McClelland, Professor Daniel Shaddock, Dr Bram Slagmolen


Quantum photonics with nanostructured metasurfaces


Quantum emitters in 2D materials


Atomic magnetometer for exploring physics beyond the standard model


Exploring physics with neural networks
Dr Aaron Tranter, Professor Ben Buchler, Professor Ping Koy Lam


Beam matching using machine learning


Synthetic multi-dimensional photonics


Satellite based geodesy


Interactions between antimatter and ultracold atoms
Dr Sean Hodgman, Professor Stephen Buckman, Dr Joshua Machacek


Quantum multi-parameter estimation


Efficient optical interconnect for quantum computers


Integrated quantum photonics
Prof Andrey Sukhorukov, Dr Jinyong Ma, Dr Jihua Zhang, Prof Dragomir Neshev


Miniature absolute gravimeter for long-term gravity surveys
by interrogating the position of a falling test mass using a laser interferometer. Our vision is to develop and prototype a miniaturised absolute gravimeter by
leveraging modern vacuum, laser, and micro-electromechanical systems.
Dr Samuel Legge, Professor John Close, Prof Patrick Kluth, Dr Giovanni Guccione


Metasurface polarization optics and quantum photonics
Quantum gravimtery for ground water mapping and subsurface planetary structure mapping


Mass-entangled ultracold helium atoms


How does a quantum system reach equilibrium?


Non-equilibrium quantum condensation of microcavity exciton polaritons
Theoretical Physics


Optical nanoantennas


Time dependence of nuclear fusion


Atomic ionization in super-strong laser fields


Nuclear magnetism - magnetic moment measurements
Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi, Professor Gregory Lane, Dr Brendan McCormick
Combinatorics and integrable systems


Introduction to quantum integrable systems


Quantum multi-parameter estimation


Effect of nuclear structure on dark matter-nucleus interactions


Neutron and X-ray imaging/tomography techniques at ANSTO & Australian Synchrotron


Stochastic dynamics of interacting systems and integrability


Coherent control of quantum-mechanical systems


Quantum drivers to nuclear fission


Attosecond time-resolved atomic reactions


Variational approach to many-body problems
Topological and Structural Science
Ghost imaging in the third dimension


Wood-based mechanical metamaterials
Dr Nicolas Francois, Dr Mohammad Saadatfar, Professor Mark Knackstedt


Nonlinear topological photonics


Tomography of dynamic processes (3D movies)


Simulation of x-ray scattering from nano-objects
Updated: 7 February 2023/ Responsible Officer: Director, RSPhys/ Page Contact: Physics Webmaster