Potential student research projects

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

By undertaking your own research project at ANU you could open up an exciting career in science.

Filter projects

Some other physics related research projects may be found at the ANU College of Engineering & Computer Science, the Mathematical Sciences Institute and the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Nanostructured Metasurfaces for Optical Telescopes

Traditional optical systems use multiple optical elements to achieve imaging or detection goals. Ground-based and space-based telescopes are limited by manufacturing and engineering constraints. The ultra-thin nature of metasurfaces makes them a superior design choice for optical systems that are constrained by the size, weight and complexity of conventional optics. 

Dr Josephine Munro, Prof Andrey Sukhorukov

Clean Energy

Flexible, Cost-effective III-V Semiconductor-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells

This project aims to develop high efficiency, cost-effective III-V semiconductor-perovskite tandem solar cells which are flexible and lightweight, while achieving excellent device stability.

Professor Hoe Tan, Dr Tuomas Haggren, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Engineering in Physics

Developing ultra-high resolution optical meta-surface sensors

The project aims to develop methods to improve the sensitivity of optical metasurfaces for the detection of chemical and biological markers. By tailoring a high-precision optical interferometric sensing solution to the optical properties of a metasurface under-test, the project will improve the sensitivity of these devices, developing a new range of targeted ultra-precise metasurface sensors.

Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Prof Dragomir Neshev

Nanostructured Metasurfaces for Optical Telescopes

Traditional optical systems use multiple optical elements to achieve imaging or detection goals. Ground-based and space-based telescopes are limited by manufacturing and engineering constraints. The ultra-thin nature of metasurfaces makes them a superior design choice for optical systems that are constrained by the size, weight and complexity of conventional optics. 

Dr Josephine Munro, Prof Andrey Sukhorukov

Materials Science and Engineering

Wearable III-V nanofilm photodetectors and sensors

Semiconductor nanofilms are just some tens of nanometres thick single-crystalline structures with lateral dimensions in cm-scale. The ultra-low thickness gives these films interesting properties differing from bulk materials, and enables interesting novel device concepts in photodetection and gas sensing.

Dr Tuomas Haggren, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Flexible GaN-based UV photodetectors

Flexible GaN for applications in wearable and flexible electronics.

Dr Sonachand Adhikari, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Nanowire photodetectors for photonic and quantum systems

Semiconductor nanowires are emerging nano-materials with substantial opportunities for novel photonic and quantum device applications. This project aims at developing a new generation of high performance NW based photodetectors for a wide range of applications.

Professor Lan Fu, Dr Ziyuan Li, Professor Hoe Tan

Flexible, Cost-effective III-V Semiconductor-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells

This project aims to develop high efficiency, cost-effective III-V semiconductor-perovskite tandem solar cells which are flexible and lightweight, while achieving excellent device stability.

Professor Hoe Tan, Dr Tuomas Haggren, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Nanowire lasers for applications in nanophotonics

This project aims to investigate the concepts and strategies required to produce electrically injected semiconductor nanowire lasers by understanding light interaction in nanowires, designing appropriate structures to inject current, engineer the optical profile and developing nano-fabrication technologies. Electrically operated nanowire lasers would enable practical applications in nanophotonics.

Professor Chennupati Jagadish, Professor Hoe Tan

Wearable III-V nanofilm photodetectors and sensors

Semiconductor nanofilms are just some tens of nanometres thick single-crystalline structures with lateral dimensions in cm-scale. The ultra-low thickness gives these films interesting properties differing from bulk materials, and enables interesting novel device concepts in photodetection and gas sensing.

Dr Tuomas Haggren, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Electrically injected metasurface lasers

Metasurfaces have emerged as a cornerstone for next-generation optics and optoelectronics. This project aims to create metasurface lasers from III-V semiconductor thin-films, that are additionally pumped electrically.  

Dr Tuomas Haggren, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Nanowire infrared avalanche photodetectors towards single photon detection

This project aims to demonstrate semiconductor nanowire based infrared avalanche photodetectors (APDs) with ultra-high sensitivity towards single photon detection. By employing the advantages of their unique one-dimensional nanoscale geometry, the nanowire APDs can be engineered to different device architectures to achieve performance superior to their conventional counterparts. This will contribute to the development of next generation infrared photodetector technology enabling numerous emerging fields in modern transportation, communication, quantum computation and information processing.

Professor Lan Fu, Dr Zhe (Rex) Li, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Quantum-well nanowire light emitting devices

In this project we aim to design and demonstrate  III-V compound semiconductor based quantum well nanowire light emitting devices with wavelength ranging from 1.3 to 1.6 μm for optical communication applications.

Professor Lan Fu, Dr Ziyuan Li, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Photonics, Lasers and Nonlinear Optics

Developing ultra-high resolution optical meta-surface sensors

The project aims to develop methods to improve the sensitivity of optical metasurfaces for the detection of chemical and biological markers. By tailoring a high-precision optical interferometric sensing solution to the optical properties of a metasurface under-test, the project will improve the sensitivity of these devices, developing a new range of targeted ultra-precise metasurface sensors.

Dr Chathura Bandutunga , Prof Dragomir Neshev

Nanowire lasers for applications in nanophotonics

This project aims to investigate the concepts and strategies required to produce electrically injected semiconductor nanowire lasers by understanding light interaction in nanowires, designing appropriate structures to inject current, engineer the optical profile and developing nano-fabrication technologies. Electrically operated nanowire lasers would enable practical applications in nanophotonics.

Professor Chennupati Jagadish, Professor Hoe Tan

Electrically injected metasurface lasers

Metasurfaces have emerged as a cornerstone for next-generation optics and optoelectronics. This project aims to create metasurface lasers from III-V semiconductor thin-films, that are additionally pumped electrically.  

Dr Tuomas Haggren, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Nanowire infrared avalanche photodetectors towards single photon detection

This project aims to demonstrate semiconductor nanowire based infrared avalanche photodetectors (APDs) with ultra-high sensitivity towards single photon detection. By employing the advantages of their unique one-dimensional nanoscale geometry, the nanowire APDs can be engineered to different device architectures to achieve performance superior to their conventional counterparts. This will contribute to the development of next generation infrared photodetector technology enabling numerous emerging fields in modern transportation, communication, quantum computation and information processing.

Professor Lan Fu, Dr Zhe (Rex) Li, Professor Chennupati Jagadish

Nanostructured Metasurfaces for Optical Telescopes

Traditional optical systems use multiple optical elements to achieve imaging or detection goals. Ground-based and space-based telescopes are limited by manufacturing and engineering constraints. The ultra-thin nature of metasurfaces makes them a superior design choice for optical systems that are constrained by the size, weight and complexity of conventional optics. 

Dr Josephine Munro, Prof Andrey Sukhorukov

Nanowire photodetectors for photonic and quantum systems

Semiconductor nanowires are emerging nano-materials with substantial opportunities for novel photonic and quantum device applications. This project aims at developing a new generation of high performance NW based photodetectors for a wide range of applications.

Professor Lan Fu, Dr Ziyuan Li, Professor Hoe Tan

Quantum-well nanowire light emitting devices

In this project we aim to design and demonstrate  III-V compound semiconductor based quantum well nanowire light emitting devices with wavelength ranging from 1.3 to 1.6 μm for optical communication applications.

Professor Lan Fu, Dr Ziyuan Li, Professor Hoe Tan, Professor Chennupati Jagadish