CAOUS ARC successes

CAOUS received four grants in the 2008 round of ARC Discovery and Linkage grants announced on 15 October. Grant details are listed below.

Discovery grants

Prof P Hannaford; Prof KA Nugent; Dr HM Quiney; Dr JA Davis; Prof LV Dao; Prof Y Koyama
A New Window on Photosynthesis: Ultrafast Coherence Dynamics in Biomolecules and Semiconductor Nanostructures
Total funding $280,000 over three years
Project Summary
Recent research has indicated that the remarkable efficiency of energy capture and transfer in photosynthesis may be due to the effects of quantum coherence, which is an intrinsically non classical phenomenon. We will investigate these effects in biological and nanofabricated systems using ultrafast laser spectroscopy . An understanding of these energy transfer processes may open the door to the development to a range of new technologies, including clean and virtually limitless energy sources that convert solar energy directly into useful power and quantum computers that will revolutionize our ability to process information.

Dr X Liu; Prof G Modugno (LENS, Florence); Dr M Modugno (LENS, Florence)
Imbalanced superfluidity: The quantum mystery that defies solution
Total funding $265,570 over five years
ARF: Dr X Liu
Project Summary
The project focuses on ground breaking research in ultra cold atomic Fermi gases, the fastest developing area in twenty first century physics. Australia has already invested heavily in ultra cold atomic Bose gases including atom lasers. An experimental program on atomic Fermi gases has also been initiated in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Atom Optics (ACQAO). Our project, if successful, will help elevate Australia to a major international research centre in cold Fermi gases, complementing its ongoing strength developed through the ACQAO experiments, and will bring fundamental knowledge that could have a significant and profound influence upon future technologies: for example, novel electronics, lossless power transmission and magnetic levitation.

Linkage International grants

Prof PD Drummond; Prof H Hu (Beijing)
Superfluidity in strongly correlated ultra cold atomic Fermi gases
Funding: $98,570
Project Summary
Ultra cold atoms are one of the most rapidly developing areas in twenty first century physics. The scientific importance of studying strongly interacting Fermi gases is indicated by the fact that five Nobel prizes in physics were awarded in fields relevant to ultra cold atoms in the last decade. Australia is now developing a reputation for world class research in this new area, with new ultra cold fermion experiments now underway in Melbourne. This project will build national and international cooperation in this field, provide world class research training opportunities and advance Australia's leadership position. As well as improving scientific understanding, it has the potential to lead to new energy saving technologies in the future.