At Swinburne, our honours program emphasises independent research, with your individual research project accounting for 75% of your time, effort, and grade.

Browse honours projects

Browse the available projects and explore the areas that align with your interests to identify the right research project for you. Once you have picked a project, then email your future supervisor to discuss next steps.

Astrophysics and supercomputing

Supervisor Dr Ben McAllister
Contact bmcallister@swinburne.edu.au
Description The nature of dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in modern science – it makes up five sixths of the matter in the Universe, and is of unknown composition. It surrounds and passes through the Earth at all times. Axions are a hypothetical particle, and one of the leading candidates for dark matter. Swinburne is building a new axion detector to try and measure small effects induced by dark matter when it passes through the laboratory, and shed light on the mystery. The kind of experiment we are building is called an axion haloscope. The detector is being physically constructed and will be hosted at Swinburne – but work needs to be done on various aspects of the project, from detector characterisation, to control software and data analysis, including machine learning. This project could focus on any of these areas, tailored to fit the skills and interests of the student. There is room for multiple students, and you will be working in a small team with other researchers. You may be working with laboratory equipment, on code to control the experiment, or on a pipeline to acquire and tease through experimental data for hints of new physics using new data analysis techniques.
Supervisor Professor Michael Murphy
Contact mmurphy@swinburne.edu.au
Description Distant galaxies, seen in silhouette against bright, background quasars, imprint a characteristic pattern of absorption lines onto the quasar light as it travels to Earth. This pattern is determined by the fundamental constants of nature. Using spectra taken with the largest optical telescopes in the world (e.g. Keck and Subaru in Hawaii, VLT in Chile), this pattern can be compared with laboratory spectra to determine whether the fundamental constants were indeed the same in the distant, early universe as we measure them on Earth today. Several different avenues are available for exploration in this project. For example, one option is to analyse new spectra taken from the Keck and/or VLT with the aim of measuring the variability of the fine-structure constant (effectively, the strength of electromagnetism). Another option is to improve the methods used to make these exacting measurements so that we can make the best use of the existing telescopes, and the future 39-metre "Extremely Large Telescope" being built in Chile. These and a range of other possible options will be discussed with the candidate.
Further reading Murphy M.T. et al., 2022, Astronomy & Astrophys, 658, A123 (arXiv:2112.05819)
Supervisor Dr Ryan Turner, Professor Chris Blake
Contact rjturner@swinburne.edu.au
Description Galaxies, the building blocks of the Universe, are not fixed in space but feel the gravitational tugs of the surrounding clusters and voids. By measuring these galaxy motions, we can test whether the laws of gravity on the scale of the Universe match the predictions of General Relativity. In this project we will use the latest database of galaxy motions, from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, to measure the “pairwise velocity correlation” which quantifies how galaxies are pulled towards each other by gravity. We will then compare these measurements to theoretical predictions based on the growth rate of cosmic structure in General Relativity, and other models of gravity. This Project will allow you to develop research skills such as python coding, statistical analysis, handling large datasets, and reviewing the scientific literature.
Supervisor Associate Professor Deanne Fisher
Contact dfisher@swinburne.edu.au
Description In starburst galaxies, clusters of supernovae explode in the disk. The combined energy and momentum push gas up out of the spiral galaxy and into the halo above the disk. This alters the galaxy's properties and is considered by most theories to be a key mechanism regulating galaxy growth. We observe this as faint filaments of gas extending above star-forming galaxies. This project will study that gas, whose physical properties are directly linked to models of how large outflows evolve and shape galaxies. We will use data from the Keck 10m optical telescope and the VLT 8m telescope. At Swinburne, you will work with a team of PhD students, postdocs, and international collaborators.
Further reading

Galactic Winds Dictating Galaxy Evolution (YouTube), 20 min Lecture by L. Zscaechner

How Feedback Shapes Galaxy Evolution (YouTube), 1 hour lecture by Professor Christy Tremonti
Supervisor Associate Professor Michelle Cluver
Contact mcluver@swinburne.edu.au
Description Neutral, atomic hydrogen has fueled the stellar growth of galaxies (via its molecular phase) for over 13 billion years. As the SKA and its pathfinders reveal the amount and distribution of HI in and around galaxies across cosmic time, we must use this information to build our understanding of how galaxies evolve. A key first step is discerning between galaxies that lack (or are deficient in) HI and are therefore no longer forming stars, versus those with copious reservoirs of HI, but which are currently not forming stars efficiently. In the case of the latter, this gas may yet fuel star formation if the galaxy begins interacting with a neighbouring galaxy (as will be the case for the Milky Way and Andromeda). This project will make use of HI data from the AMIGA study of isolated galaxies, combined with high quality WISE mid-infrared measurements to develop a new calibration for determining the HI deficiency of galaxies.
Supervisor Associate Professor Michelle Cluver
Contact mcluver@swinburne.edu.au
Description Neutral, atomic hydrogen has fueled the stellar growth of galaxies (via its molecular phase) for over 13 billion years. As the SKA and its pathfinders reveal the amount and distribution of HI in and around galaxies across cosmic time, we must use this information to build our understanding of how galaxies evolve. A key first step is discerning between galaxies that lack (or are deficient in) HI and are therefore no longer forming stars, versus those with copious reservoirs of HI, but which are currently not forming stars efficiently. In the case of the latter, this gas may yet fuel star formation if the galaxy begins interacting with a neighbouring galaxy (as will be the case for the Milky Way and Andromeda). This project will make use of HI data from the AMIGA study of isolated galaxies, combined with high quality WISE mid-infrared measurements to develop a new calibration for determining the HI deficiency of galaxies.
Supervisor Dr Jade Powell
Contact jpowell@swinburne.edu.au
Description Hundreds of gravitational-wave signals have now been discovered from the merger of binary neutron stars and black holes, but other sources of gravitational waves have not yet been discovered. Some of the most violent explosive events in the Universe are predicted to emit bursts of gravitational waves, and may result in the next big multi- messenger discovery. One of the most promising astrophysical sources of gravitational waves is a core-collapse supernova. In this project, you will help to develop a new search for gravitational waves from core-collapse supernovae, and apply this new search to real data from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA gravitational-wave observatories.
Supervisor Professor Matthew Bailes, Dr Simon Stevenson
Contact mbailes@swinburne.edu.au
Description In our own galaxy, about a dozen neutron star pairs have been discovered that will coalesce in a spectacular fireball 100s to 1000s of million years from today. Upon coalescence, the neutron stars will emit a short burst of gravitational waves detectable by Advanced LIGO. In this Honours project the student will answer the question: Is the population of neutron star pairs in our own galaxy consistent with the observed merger rate from LIGO that observes millions of galaxies? This will be addressed by using supercomputer simulations of the neutron star population and comparing it with the results of pulsar surveys.
Supervisor Dr Anais Moller
Contact amoller@swinburne.edu.au
Description Exploding stars and bursts of radiation, called transients due to their limited timespan, provide information on the extreme and fundamental physics of the Universe. In this project we will use the data from the largest transient survey in the world, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory LSST, detecting up to 10 million transients per night. We will use Fink broker to explore this data and study properties of different types of transients including supernovae as well as new types of transients. In this project you will develop coding and analysis skills to disentangle transients and their properties.
Further reading Fink, a new generation of broker for the LSST community
Supervisor Professor Karl Glazebrook
Contact kglazebrooke@swinburne.edu.au
Description

The population of massive (>~1E11 stellar mass) quiescent galaxies in the early universe (from z=3 now up to z~7) continues to puzzle observers and theorists. They must exist in massive halos of dark matter that are predicted to be rare at these early epochs. Some of them have extremely old stellar populations that only form just after the Big Bang (e.g. Glazebrook et al. 2024). New evidence has recently emerged from JWST spectroscopic redshifts that they are clustered, i.e. they commonly have neighbours at the same redshift nearby on the sky. Such clustering is an extremely important measurement as it provides additional information on the dark matter halo population that could host them,

In this honours project you will work with galaxy formation simulations, extract model quiescent populations, and compare the clustering with that observed. How often do we see nearby groupings at the same redshift in the simulations and how does that depend on dark matter halo mass? This comparison may lead to an understanding of these galaxies in the current cold dark matter paradigm, but there is the exciting possibility it may also point the way to a need for new dark matter physics. The honours student will be embedded in the JWST Australian Data Centre group (jadc.swin.edu.au) a group of ~ten scientists and PhD students at Swinburne studying the early Universe with JWST, providing extensive expert support in observations and simulations.
Further reading A massive galaxy that formed its stars at z ≈ 11, Glazebrook et al. 2024 (Nature)
Supervisor Professor Christopher Fluke
Contact cfluke@swinburne.edu.au
Description Advanced Visualisation. Virtual Reality. Artificial Intelligence. Machine Learning. Human-Machine Teaming. Earth Observation. Space Domain Awareness. Space Systems. Augmented Human Performance. Cyber-Human Discovery Systems. Data- Intensive Space Applications. If any combination of these phrases captures your imagination, then this is your opportunity to co-create a customised Honours Project targeting augmented human-machine performance in the era of data-intensive space applications.
Further reading Fluke, C.J., Hegarty, S.E., MacMahon, C.O.-M., 2020, “Understanding the human in the design of cyber-human discovery systems for data-driven astronomy”, Astronomy & Computing, Vol 33, article id. 100423
Supervisor Associate Professor Ryan Shannon
Contact rshannon@swinburne.edu.au
Description The Universe is permeated by low frequency gravitational waves, a fundamental property of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The gravitational waves are produced by supermassive black holes, billions of times more massive than the Sun. These gravitational waves are signatures of some of the most significant interactions in our Universe: the collisions of galaxies and the inspiral of the supermassive black holes at their core. We can detect these through observations of pulsars, ultra stable rotating neutron stars that can be used as cosmic clocks, which we refer to as a pulsar timing array. Recently the first compelling evidence for these gravitational waves was announced by pulsar timing arrays in Australia, Europe, and North America. Swinburne leads the MeerKAT Pulsar Timing Array, which will soon have the most sensitive array in the world. However, there exists other signals in the data from alternate astrophysical sources. This creates difficulties in detecting and characterising the gravitational waves. The current method for searching for these signals is particularly slow and computationally expensive, involving the sampling of hundreds of parameters simultaneously. Soon, as data sets get larger, this will no longer be a viable strategy. In this project, you will develop machine learning techniques to find and remove these processes. Machine learning has been shown to perform equally accurately in other areas of astronomy so the potential is immense. You will use state of the art tools and the best data in the world to create a novel technique that is sorely needed in the field.
Supervisor Emma Carli
Contact ecarli@swinburne.edu.au
Description Pulsars are “dead” collapsed stars that are amongst the most extreme objects of the Universe - they are the fastest spinning stars (usually, they undergo one complete revolution in less than a few seconds); they are the smallest and densest stars, with approximately the mass of our Sun contained in a radius of a few tens of kilometres; and they have the strongest stellar magnetic fields. Their lighthouse-like radio beams are observed as faint radio pulses from the Earth. While well over 3000 pulsars have been found in the Milky Way, our own galaxy, only about 40 extragalactic pulsars have been found due to their distance. In this project, you will use a dataset from the state-of-the-art South African radio telescope MeerKAT to search for some of the fastest-spinning and relativistic pulsars outside of our galaxy.
Supervisor Associate Professor Edward Taylor
Contact entaylor@swinburne.edu.au
Description One of the biggest puzzles in galaxy formation and evolution is the existence of very massive galaxies in the very early Universe. There are many aspects to this puzzle: it's a surprise that they can assemble so much mass so quickly; it's a surprise that something seems to have very suddenly cut off their star formation; it's doubly surprising that they seem to have sizes that are 1/10th the size of similarly massive galaxies in the present day Universe. The implication is that, in order to grow into the kinds of galaxies we see in local Universe, these galaxies have to grow considerably in size, but without growing very much in mass, and we don't really understand how this might be possible. The aim of this project is to use recently reanalysed archival data from a variety of sources (and across the entire Southern sky) to find the local Universe counterparts to these first forming galaxies. What we will do is take spectral velocity dispersion measurements, which are a measure of the gravitational potential at the centre of galaxies, as a way to make the evolutionary link between galaxy populations from the earliest times back to the here and now.
Supervisor Dr Rebecca Davies
Contact rdavies@swinburne.edu.au
Description The James Webb Space Telescope has found many massive galaxies that formed all their stars and died early in the Universe’s history. Their rapid deaths may have been caused by galactic outflows, which are violent ejections of gas from galaxies triggered by accreting black holes and exploding stars. Outflows have enormous impacts on the galaxies they come from. They remove large amounts of hydrogen gas, depriving galaxies of fuel to form new stars. The student will use new state-of-the-art observations from the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate important open questions about outflows in the early Universe, with a range of possible topics such as: could outflows be responsible for shutting off star-formation in early massive galaxies? Is a black hole always needed to produce powerful outflows? Do radio jets contribute significantly to the total energy budget of outflows?
Supervisor Dr Yuzhe (Robert) Song
Contact yuzhesong@swinburne.edu.au
Description The recent release of the The Third Fermi Large Area Telescope Catalog of Gamma-ray Pulsars (3PC) has increased the number of detected gamma-ray pulsars to almost 300. This provides a good number of detected gamma-ray pulsars to study various topics related to gamma-ray emission mechanisms of pulsars. A recent study indicates that pulsars might be emitting weak, isotropic gamma-ray emission. As a follow up to this study, this project is aiming to lay the foundation to search for this emission in detected gamma-ray pulsars when their rotational phase is off-peak. In this project, we will aim to perform the following tasks. We would first perform timing analysis of gamma-ray pulsars in 3PC using Tempo2 or PINT with existing timing solutions, and update them if necessary. We will then create an accessible table of on- and off-peak phases of each gamma-ray pulsar. We will then perform likelihood analysis on the off-peak phase of each individual pulsar.
Further reading 3PC paper, this is an extremely good paper to understand the current state of observations of gamma-ray pulsars.
Supervisor Associate Professor Glenn Kacprzak
Contact gkacprzak@swinburne.edu.au
Description

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is the gaseous halo surrounding galaxies, playing a crucial role in galaxy evolution by regulating gas accretion and outflows. Despite its importance, the CGM remains poorly understood due to its diffuse nature and low density, making it challenging to detect and study. This project will involve analysing data from the Keck Telescope and other observatories to explore the physical properties of the CGM. You will use spectral line diagnostics to investigate the interactions between galaxies and their surrounding halos, focusing on how gas inflows and outflows impact galaxy growth and star formation. This work will help build a more complete understanding of how galaxies evolve over cosmic time.

You will develop skills in Python programming, data reduction, and visualisation while learning to work with astronomical datasets. The project may also involve comparing observations with theoretical models of the CGM, helping you gain a strong foundation in both observational and theoretical astrophysics.
Further reading Tumlinson et al., 2017, The Circumgalactic Medium
Supervisor Dr Joscha Jahns-Schindler
Contact jjahnsschindler@swinburne.edu.au
Description Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are intense, brief flashes of radio waves originating from distant galaxies. First discovered in 2006, they have generated significant excitement due to their mysterious origin, which remains unresolved. Several emission mechanisms have been proposed, including synchrotron radiation and synchrotron maser emission. However, testing these models is challenging, as the few predictions they make are difficult to verify. A promising approach is to study the temporal evolution of FRB spectra. Many FRBs exhibit a downward drift in frequency during their brief duration, a phenomenon known as the "sad trombone effect". Several models for the sad trombone effect exist that provide a link between emission mechanisms and observations. Yet, none of these models have been directly applied to the available data. In this project, you will compare how well different emission models explain the observed FRB data. Specifically, you will focus on a small set of bright, publicly available FRBs observed with the FAST and Arecibo telescopes. The analysis will involve using MCMC fitting techniques in Python and a Bayesian framework to perform model comparisons.

Chemistry and biotechnology

Supervisor Professor Mrinal Bhave
Contact mbhave@swinburne.edu.au
Description Mrinal has an extensive research profile in molecular biology and biotechnology, focussing on selected areas of priority in agriculture, environment and human health. For example, in the agricultural context, wheat and barley are among the world’s largest cereal crops, and have significant contribution to human health and nutrition. Mrinal’s projects focus on molecular and biochemical analysis of various factors determining grain quality, nutraceutial value, adaptations to environmental stresses such as salinity and drought, and assessing the potential applications of certain agricultural waste-products. In the infection control context, there is a significant need to develop novel biocidal agents to control persistent infections such as drug-resistant microorganisms, biofilms and spores. Mrinal’s projects involve design of novel antimicrobial peptides and testing their activity against diverse bacterial and fungal pathogens, and determining the mechanisms of action. In the context of environmental issues, heavy metal contaminants and methods of their early detection and bioremediation are key areas. A number of projects are available, e.g., (i) identifying diverse biochemical compounds, genes and alleles related to grain quality and composition e of wheat and barley, which are major cereals and export crops of Australia; (ii) studying the effects of salt and/or drought stress on lines of native and crop plants, by analysing selected biochemicals, whole metabolomes, gene structures, expression and/or stress response pathways; (iii) studying the effects of peptides we have developed on bacterial and fungal pathogens, analysing the mechanisms of action by diverse microscopy and staining techniques and assays, and testing for development of resistance against the peptides; (iv) expression of antimicrobial proteins and synthetic genes expressing antimicrobial peptides; (v) identifying the genetic systems of environmental bacteria involved in resistance to heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury, for developing applications. The work will involve a selection of biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology and/or bioinformatics theory and techniques, and may also involve contributions of co-supervisors, depending on the project. Some projects may be supported by a small performance-based scholarship; please contact Mrinal Bhave to enquire.
Supervisor Dr Vito Butardo Jr
Contact vbutardo@swinburne.edu.au
Description Malnutrition is a health condition characterised by insufficient, unbalanced, impaired assimilation, or excess intake of energy or nutrients. My major research goal is mitigating the impact of malnutrition by enhancing food security and nutritional value of cereal grains. I would also like to understand the impact of climate change on the yield, quality and nutritional properties of grains. In the past, I screened for low digestibility rice grain phenotypes from diverse wild, cultivated and mutant rice varieties. I then developed low digestibility rice grains by genetic engineering to alter the storage starch biosynthetic pathways in rice endosperm. This was accomplished by endosperm- specific RNA silencing of major starch branching enzymes and starch synthases in rice singly and in various combinations. I demonstrated that shifting the synthesis of amylose and amylopectin to elevate the proportion of long-chain amylopectin results in reduced starch hydrolysis and lowered glycemic impact. More recently, I used grain quality genomics and systems genetics approaches to understand grain quality and nutrition phenotypes using diverse core collections of world rice accessions. Interested honours students who are keen to establish a career in food and agricultural biotechnology can work with me on the following prospective research topics: (1) enzyme kinetic modelling of the synergistic and/or antagonistic effects of alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase in the digestion of cooked starch granules; (2) metabolomic and biochemical characterisation of phytochemicals from coloured cereals and pseudocereals; (3) cloning and characterisation of selected genes related to rice grain quality and nutrition, (4) micronutrient mobilisation of developing and germinating cereal grains using non-destructive surface imaging techniques such as x-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM), and (5) microorganisms associated with decomposing agricultural wastes in rice such as hay, hulls and bran.
Supervisor Dr Brett Cromer
Contact bcromer@swinburne.edu.au
Description Ion channels are responsible for rapid electrical signalling in nerves and muscle. The first step of these electrical signals is activation of ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs), by synaptically-released neurotransmitters. Dependent on LGIC ion selectivity, the signal initiated may be excitatory of inhibitory. We are particularly interested in inhibitory channels as they act as controllers of neuronal function and are major targets of many neuroactive drugs. We use a variety of techniques, including molecular modelling and simulations, molecular biology and mutagenesis, protein expression and purification, electrophysiology and fluorescent measurements to investigate the molecular mechanisms of these channels and how they are modulated by drugs. A range of projects are available, including: 1. Understanding general anaesthetic action on ion channels to improve future anaesthetics. 2. Investigating convergent evolution of neurotransmitter selectivity. 3. Defining LGIC specificity of marine cone-shell neurotoxins. 4. Identifying antiparasitic drug targets in Scabies. 5. Fluorescent tracking of LGIC assembly and synapse formation in cell lines and stem cells. 6. Using novel antibodies to define the role of inhibitory channels in muscle fatigue.
Supervisor Dr Daniel Eldridge (and others)
Contact deldridge@swinburne.edu.au
Description Water is one of our most precious resources, but we have contaminated it with a wide range of pollutants including heavy metals, dyes, antibacterial agents, pharmaceuticals, nutrients and more, all which have a detrimental effect on the environment. Adsorption is seen as a promising approach to remove such pollutants from water, where the pollutant is bound to a solid surface, making it easier to remove. Depending on the application of interest, we have studied adsorbents based on metal oxides, graphene oxides, carbon quantum dots, biopolymer materials and more. There are so many aspects of this technology yet to be explored. This research work may investigate removal of an emerging or challenging pollutant of interest, the development, characterisation and application of a novel adsorbent material, the creation of more tangible adsorbent physical forms as a means of making the technology more widely accessible, or investigation of the fundamental mechanisms responsible for adsorption. The exact direction taken will depend on the aspirations of the student.
Supervisor Dr Daniel Eldridge (and others)
Contact deldridge@swinburne.edu.au
Description Titanium dioxide, or titania, has long been revered for its capabilities as a photocatalyst, having the ability to absorb photons and create reactive oxygen species that can break down pollutants, microorganisms and more. One of the major limitations of titania is that UV light is required for this process to take place. This limits applications to outdoor environments or areas where synthetic UV light is in place. A recent development has resulted in the creation of black titania, a modified material that can absorb photons across the visible region, as well as into the UV and NIR regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Black titania has been proven to be effective in visible light alone. Our group has recently demonstrated the ability of this material to function as an antibacterial material, and to function as a surface coating for pollutant degradation. There are still many research questions regarding how this material works, more effective synthesis approaches, exploring the limits of what it can effectively degrade and for anyone with biological interests, researching its strengths and weaknesses in antibacterial applications. A project on black titania could explore any of these possible outcomes.
Supervisor Dr Corey Evans
Contact coreyevans@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Project 1: Analysis of high-resolution infrared spectra of complex molecules. The aim of the first project is to use data obtained from Australia Synchrotron Facility and analyse the high-resolution infared spectra of a number of molecules of astrochemical and atmospheric interest. These include HPCO, Formamide, Acetic Acid, Propynethial, N- methylformamide and methanediol. In this project you will gain an understanding of how to interpret high-resolution spectra, develop skills in using a range of programs and gain knowledge in fitting complex spectral features resulting from interactions such as Fermi resonances and Coriolis coupling. Some programming might be required in this project to help with the interpretation of the spectral data.

Project 2: Enhancing chemical education through gamification. This project explores the impact of gamification on students’ understanding of key concepts in analytical chemistry. By integrating game-based learning into the curriculum, we aim to determine whether this approach can enhance comprehension and retention of complex topics. In this project, we have developed an interactive website designed to engage students through gamified scenarios. Participants will use analytical chemistry techniques to solve real-world problems, such as identifying a fake coin or investigating a murder involving poison. These scenarios are crafted to mimic challenges faced by chemists, providing a hands-on, immersive learning experience.

Project 3: Got an idea for a project? Happy to discuss and develop a project with you. I have wide range of interests including analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, atmospheric chemistry, ionic liquids, biospectroscopy, computational chemistry, chemical education, electrochemistry, and environmental science.
Supervisor

Dr Ayman Ahmed Elkholy

Professor Peter Kingshott
Contact

aeahmed@swinburne.edu.au

pkingshott@swinburne.edu.au
Description Nanomaterials represent a unique class of materials with unique properties distinct from their bulk counterparts. As a result, they have potential applications in various fields including catalysis, nanomedicine, energy storage and conversion, etc. Surface modification of nanomaterials is crucial to improve their properties and make them suitable for certain applications. This modification can be achieved via either coating nanoparticles with a layer of another material or via anchoring specific functional groups on the nanoparticle surface. We areworking with various nanomaterials particularly those with magnetic and photoactive properties such as iron and titanium oxides. We employ various techniques to synthesize and modify nanoparticles such as the sol-gel method, electrochemical approach, plasma polymerisation and atomic layer deposition. In addition, we use various advanced techniques for nanoparticle characterisation such as XRD, XPS, SEM, DLS, Zeta potential, FTIR and more. We are currently focusing on the functionalisation of nanoparticles with DNA. DNA-nanoparticle conjugates have emerged as promising materials for various applications such as targeted drug delivery, electrochemical and biological sensors, and water treatment. In this project, you will have the opportunity to learn advanced research skills in various areas: (1) nanoparticle synthesis using a wide range of synthesis approaches, (2) surface modification using various strategies, and (3) material characterization using multiple techniques.
Supervisor Associate Professor Rosalie Hocking
Contact rhocking@swinburne.edu.au
Description One of the biggest challenges of the 21st century will be to develop ways to generate and store energy without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. One promising strategy is to use solar-derived electricity to make fuels, called solar fuels and other commodity chemicals. Our research is focussed on the development of catalysts for these conversions. We particularly interested in developing new materials that can harvest sunlight to make hydrogen, reduce nitrogen to ammonia and the chemical reduction of CO2. We use a number of tools in the design of our materials including electrochemistry, synthesis and range of spectroscopic techniques including Raman and Synchrotron based spectroscopies. In addition to our work in catalysis we also have related projects in sensing (we are working with a company to develop a sensor for Asbestos) and in understanding the origins of life. Please do not hesitate to contact Rosalie if you want further details.
Supervisor Professor Peter Kingshott
Contact pkingshott@swinburne.edu.au
Description New materials and surfaces capable of controlling complex biological processes are desperately needed in many industrial sectors. These include biomaterials, medical devices, biosensors, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, disease diagnosis and treatment, microbial induced corrosion, bioprocessing and biofouling in food production/packaging, water purification, industrial processes, shipping/marine structures, and buildings. Our research is highly interdisciplinary and aims to improve our understanding of how biology and man-made materials interact with each other. The new knowledge gained will help manufacture the next generation of advanced material surfaces for primary use in the biomedical sector, but the scientific fundamentals are applicable to many areas as highlighted above. Our research has a strong emphasis on controlling the interfacial interactions of surfaces with mammalian cells such as stem cells and infectious bacteria. The main aims are to generate new surfaces that: 1) can either optimise the behaviour of cells on surfaces, e.g. for using stem cells in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine; or 2) prevent bacteria from attaching to medical devices, thus preventing infections and antimicrobial resistance build-up. The research focus includes use of surface advanced modification (e.g. micro- and nanotechnology approaches); and advanced surface characterisation (XPS, SEM, AFM, SPR) combined with the development of new 1, 2 3, and 4D biology models.
Supervisor Dr Peter Mahon
Contact pmahon@swinburne.edu.au
Description Electrochemistry involves understanding how chemistry and electricity interact and electron transfer is a fundamental process for the transference of chemical energy. (i) Energy storage is very topical and in collaboration with CSIRO, there are a range of projects that address important issues in the development of improved battery technology. (ii) Bioelectrochemical systems are also of interest with the Microbial Fuel Cell being able to generate electricity from biomass due to microbial activity – there are still many questions regarding the way that electrons are able to be transferred between a microbe and the electrode. (iii) Molecular electron transfer can generate structural instability that causes fragmentation and the combination of an electrochemical flow cell with a mass spectrometer enables these processes to be characterized. This approach seeks to mimic metabolic processes with drug metabolism being of particular interest.
Supervisor Associate Professor François Malherbe
Contact fmalherbe@swinburne.edu.au
Description

François’s research interests are diverse, focusing on the development, characterisation, and application of innovative materials and composites. These materials are customised by altering their morphologies and enhancing their physico-chemical properties. The research spans from inorganic materials like zeolites and hydrotalcites, used as adsorbents and in clean technologies, to polymer (nano)composites tailored for specific applications. The overarching goal is to provide smart solutions through the development of innovative functional materials.

Materials development and characterisation rely on a diverse array of analytical techniques, ranging from basic FTIR to advanced X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), through methods like BET- Nitrogen Adsorption and Extended X-Ray Fine Structure Spectroscopy (EXAFS) at the Australian Synchrotron. From conceptualising innovative solutions to implementing practical strategies, through fostering collaborative teamwork and leveraging cutting-edge technology, the aim is to drive sustainable progress.

Targeted research areas: (1) Technological Challenges: Micro/nano devices, chemical sensors, IoT. (2) Sustainable Alternatives: Renewable sources. (3) Clean Processes: Environmentally responsible manufacturing.

Examples of research projects: (1) Exploring carbonaceous materials (graphite, graphene oxide, carbon black, CQDs). (2) Developing inorganic materials for CO2 sequestration. (3) Creating conductive biocompatible polymers. (4) Fabricating thin film micro-batteries using RF sputtering. (5) Valorising biomass wastes. (6) Designing mixed oxides sensors.

Do you have a unique research idea you’d like to explore? François encourages proactive engagement and welcomes discussions on potential projects tailored to your interests.
Further reading

Jayawardena, R., Eldridge, D.S. and Malherbe, F., 2022. Sonochemical synthesis of improved graphene oxide for enhanced adsorption of methylene blue. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 650, p.129587.

Tatai, L., Moore, T.G., Adhikari, R., Malherbe, F., Jayasekara, R., Griffiths, I. and Gunatillake, P.A., 2007. Thermoplastic biodegradable polyurethanes: the effect of chain extender structure on properties and in-vitro degradation. Biomaterials, 28(36), pp.5407-5417.

Thathsara, T., Harrison, C.J., Schönauer-Kamin, D., Mansfeld, U., Moos, R., Malherbe, F.M., Hocking, R.K. and Shafiei, M., 2024. Pd Nanoparticles Decorated Hollow TiO2 Nanospheres for Highly Sensitive and Selective UV- Assisted Hydrogen Gas Sensors. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 7(14), pp.5608-5620. 

Gharib, D.H., Gietman, S., Malherbe, F. and Moulton, S.E., 2017. High yield, solid exfoliation and liquid dispersion of graphite driven by a donor-acceptor interaction. Carbon, 123, pp.695-707. 
Supervisor Professor Enzo Palombo
Contact epalombo@swinburne.edu.au
Description Microbes play vital roles in most aspects of our everyday lives. Although infectious agents receive much attention, microbes also bring many benefits and are influential to the food industry, environmental science and biotechnology. Many traditional foods are produced by microbial fermentation although much of the underlying microbiology remains a mystery. Other microbes are detrimental to food production and can cause a safety issue if contamination occurs. A number of projects are available to examine the microbiology of natural systems and industrial processes (including food manufacture) and to discover new ways to control or eliminate microbes from these environments. Other projects are focussed on the foods themselves and the compounds present that may have wider applications, including their ability to influence microbial growth. Additional projects will explore new and rapid ways to identify and characterise microbes from foods and other sources.
Supervisor

Dr Rohan Shah

Dr Snehal Jadhav (Deakin University)

Dr Huseyin Sumer
Contact rshah@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Exosomes and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are naturally occurring nanosized vesicles secreted by eukaryotic cells and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. These vesicles have gained significant interest due to their roles in intercellular communication and potential applications in diagnostics and therapeutic delivery. This project aims to isolate and characterise these vesicles from milk and bacterial cultures, providing insights into their physical and biochemical properties. The project will involve:

Isolation: Extraction of exosomes from milk using differential ultracentrifugation and filtration techniques. OMVs will be isolated from bacterial cultures (e.g., Escherichia coli) using ultracentrifugation and density gradient separation.

Characterisation: Analysis of the isolated vesicles using particle sizer for size distribution and concentration, zeta Potential Measurements to evaluate surface charge and stability, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for detailed morphological studies, protein quantification (BCA assay) and biomarker validation (western blotting) to assess vesicle composition and purity.

Comparative Analysis: Investigate differences in vesicle properties, such as yield, size, and biomolecular composition, between milk-derived exosomes and bacterial OMVs.

Application Testing: Explore dye or drug encapsulation that may influence their use in delivery systems.

This project provides foundational knowledge and skills in nanoscale vesicle research, with potential applications in bioengineering, nanomedicine, and biotechnology. Student will gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art techniques in vesicle isolation and characterisation, while contributing to a growing area of research with exciting translational potential.
Supervisor Dr Rohan Shah
Contact rshah@swinburne.edu.au
Description

The development of hybrid lipid-polymer nanostructures has opened new possibilities in targeted drug delivery, diagnostics, and therapeutic systems. By combining the biocompatibility of lipids with the tunability of polymers, this project aims to design and synthesise novel composite nanostructures that respond to environmental triggers such as pH, glutathione (GSH) concentration, and temperature. The project will involve:

Synthesis: Fabrication of lipid-polymer composites using methods thin-film hydration, or emulsion techniques. The lipid components (e.g., DSPC or DPPC) will ensure biocompatibility while polymers (e.g., PEG derivatives, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) will be selected or functionalised for responsiveness to specific stimuli.

Characterisation: Analysis of the hybrid systems using dynamic light scattering (DLS) for size and polydispersity, zeta potential for surface charge, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for chemical confirmation.

Stimuli-Responsiveness Testing: Incorporate pH-sensitive polymers or lipids (e.g., incorporating weak acids/bases) and test their structural and release profiles under acidic (tumoral) and neutral (physiological) conditions. Introduce disulfide bonds in the polymer matrix and assess degradation or payload release in GSH-rich environments mimicking intracellular conditions. Use thermosensitive polymers to create hybrids that undergo phase transitions at specific temperatures.

Application Testing: Investigate the encapsulation and release profiles of model drugs or nanoparticles under various stimuli. Evaluate the systems' potential for controlled and targeted delivery.

This project provides a foundation in materials science and nanotechnology, with potential applications in drug delivery, diagnostics, and smart material design. Students will gain hands-on experience in synthesis, characterisation, and performance evaluation of advanced nanomaterials.
Supervisor

Dr Rohan Shah

Dr Avinash Karpe (CSIRO)
Contact rshah@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Antimicrobial resistance presents one of the most critical challenges to global health, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics due to their broad-spectrum activity and reduced likelihood of resistance development. However, their clinical potential is limited by issues such as enzymatic degradation, instability, and suboptimal efficacy. Cubosomes, nanostructured lipid-based particles with a cubic liquid crystalline architecture, offer a robust platform for the encapsulation and delivery of bioactive agents. These versatile nanoparticles improve the stability of encapsulated compounds, provide protection from degradation, and enable targeted delivery. This project aims to develop and evaluate novel cubosome formulations encapsulating metallic nanoparticles, such as iron or silver, alongside antimicrobial peptides. Metallic nanoparticles are well-known for their intrinsic antimicrobial properties, and their combination with AMPs within cubosomes offers the potential for synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial efficacy. The project will involve:

Synthesis: Fabrication of cubosomes using lipids such as monoolein, stabilised with Pluronic F127. Encapsulation techniques will incorporate either metallic nanoparticles or AMPs, or both, to create multifunctional formulations.

Characterisation: The resulting cubosomes will be characterised using dynamic light scattering (DLS) to measure particle size, polydispersity, and surface charge, as well as advanced analytical methods such as UV-Vis spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis to quantify the encapsulation of nanoparticles and peptides.

Antimicrobial Testing: The antimicrobial efficacy of these formulations will be rigorously tested by determining their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against pathogenic bacteria. Comparative studies will assess the effectiveness of nanoparticle-loaded cubosomes, peptide-only cubosomes, and free peptides to elucidate the contributions of each component. The potential for synergistic effects between metallic nanoparticles and AMPs will also be explored, providing insights into the mechanisms that enhance antimicrobial activity.

This interdisciplinary project bridges advanced nanotechnology with microbiology to address a pressing global health issue. By integrating metallic nanoparticles with antimicrobial peptides within a cubosome delivery system, this research aims to develop next-generation antimicrobial platforms. Student will gain hands-on experience in the synthesis and characterisation of nanoparticles, as well as biological testing, contributing to cutting-edge solutions for combating resistant pathogens and advancing the field of nanomedicine.
Supervisor

Dr Huseyin Sumer
Contact hsumer@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Embryonic/pluripotent stem cells have the unique ability to differentiate into all cell types and tissues of the body making them ideal for the use in cellular therapies. However, the transplanted cells need to be matched to the patient as they may be rejected by the hosts immune system. One of the most exciting advances in cell biology has been the ability to wind back the developmental clock of an adult cell back to an embryonic state restoring pluripotency. The process of reprogramming a differentiated adult cell to a pluripotent state involves the forced expression of a number of pluripotency genes. A number of projects are available to generate,

analyse and explore the use of pluripotent stem cells or adult stem cells for applications in biotechnology including; 1. Baculovirus gene delivery for production of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. 2. Analysis of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from adipose tissue cultured in different media. 3. Analysis of pluripotent stem cells grown and differentiated on novel surfaces. 4. Differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into functional neurons.
Supervisor

Associate Professor Chenghua Sun
Contact chenghuasun@swinburne.edu.au
Description

With the development of high performance clusters (HPC), computational simulation and calculations become very powerful. Under this context, computer-aided materials design has become quite approachable. Dr Sun’s group focuses on the development of high performance catalysts based on computational calculations, including three directions: (i) Catalysts for ammonia synthesis at room temperature – This is to remarkably reduce the cost and carbon emission associated with ammonia production; (ii) catalysts for better methane oxidation – This project aims to provide better options to use methane and reduce potential pollution related to methane emission; and (iii) catalysts for biomass conversion – This project is to make use of biomass to produce high-value chemicals. The basic idea is to screen large amount of potential catalysts using HPC, followed lab-based validation.
Supervisor

Professor Feng Wang
Contact fwang@swinburne.edu.au
Description

The world is changing and we are now entering a digital age. The nature presents us a cohort of very complex and interconnected phenomena which require theory guided smart experimental design. Computational chemistry has played a role with increasing importance in all areas of chemical science, spectroscopy, biochemistry, energy and materials science etc. It serves modern science and technology as if we need GPS when we are exploring a new territory---it does not merely tell us the route to the destinations, it also suggested the optimal route to avoid traffic and road work etc. Computational chemistry studies molecules which are the smallest particle exhibiting properties of materials. A large number of measurements, such as synchrotron sourced spectroscopic experiments, measure properties of materials, which should be predictable, in principle, by solving the quantum-mechanical equations governing their constituent electrons. Such calculations require only a small number of chemical elements in appropriate positions through forces. Often experiments without theoretical guidance can be blind. Projects in computational chemistry offer a broad spectrum of quantum mechanical driven discoveries in molecular spectroscopy (IR, XPS, EMS, NMR etc.) for a wide range of organic molecules, drugs, isomers, dyes, and other function molecule studies and their design, such as molecular switches and molecular machines etc. There are possibilities to collaborate with (international) experiments, other organisations and industry. Your project results may also lead to peer refereed publications like other students in the group.
Supervisor

Dr Hayden Webb
Contact hkwebb@swinburne.edu.au
Description Nanotechnology is the study of materials that have at least one dimension in the range of 100 nm or less. Objects at this size can perform all sorts of interesting functions, such as exhibiting catalytic, antimicrobial and electroactive properties. One of the main factors behind these interesting and often unusual properties is the increased surface area to mass ratio. Nanotechnology frequently overlaps with biotechnology, as many cells and cell components also lie within the same size range. Many key applications of nanotechnology fall within these overlapping areas, such as microbial fuel cells and bioelectrochemistry, biocorrosion, antimicrobial materials, biosensors, drug delivery technologies and more. Some available projects in this field include: 1. Generation of bioelectricity using redox active microbial communities, 2. Investigation of biocorrosion of metals, and 3. Development of liposome-based antimicrobial therapies. Other projects may be possible on discussion, ranging from chemical science (esp. physical and analytical chemistry) through to biological science (esp. microbiology and biotechnology) and anywhere in between. It is, however, encouraged that potential projects of interest span both disciplines.
Supervisor

Professor Aimin Yu
Contact aiminyu@swinburne.edu.au
Description Food spoilage caused by foodborne microorganisms will not only cause significant economic losses, but also the toxins produced by some microorganisms will also pose a serious threat to human health. Some essential oil (EO) has significant antimicrobial activity. The project will study the extraction method of EO from fruits (such as orange) wastes and the application strategies of EO as a sustained-release antimicrobial agent in food preservation. The purpose of this study is to provide possible solutions for the preparation of new antibacterial packaging materials based on plant active components to ensure food safety and reduce food waste.
Supervisor

Dr Bita Zaferanloo
Contact bzaferanloo@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Endophytic bacteria and fungi represent untapped reservoirs of microorganisms that live symbiotically within the intercellular spaces of plant tissues. These remarkable organisms are increasingly recognised for their ability to produce novel secondary metabolites with promising applications in medicine, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. Recent research has uncovered a wealth of bioactive compounds from endophytes, including antibiotics, antimycotics, immunosuppressants, anticancer agents, bio-protective substances, biofuels, and compounds that promote biodegradation.

For example, in sustainable agriculture, endophytes have shown great potential to enhance plant growth, improve crop resilience to stress, and serve as biocontrol agents against pathogens and pests. Environmentally, they contribute to bioremediation by breaking down pollutants and fostering ecological balance. Several research projects are underway to explore the bio-prospecting potential of microbial endophytes isolated from Australian native plants. These projects include: (1) Metabolic mining of endophytic fungi for bio-protective agents: Identifying metabolites with biocontrol properties to protect plants and crops. (2) Extracellular metabolic profiling of endophytic fungi: Developing alternative solutions to control aquaculture pathogens through metabolite characterization. (3) Exploring the potential of endophytes from Australian medicinal plants: Investigating alternative sources to combat drug-resistant bacteria. (4) By harnessing the diverse metabolic capabilities of these symbiotic microorganisms, endophyte research is opening new pathways for innovation in health, agriculture, and environmental conservation, contributing to a more sustainable future.

Students involved in this cutting-edge research can expect to work with a range of techniques, including endophyte isolation, metabolite profiling, antimicrobial/biofilm assays, biocontrol evaluations, light microscopy, HPLC, LC-MS, ICP analysis, sub-culturing, and plant germination assays. These methods support advancements in antibacterial solutions, sustainable agriculture, and environmental innovation.
Supervisors A/Prof Nadia Zatsepin and Dr Chris Szeto
Contact nzatsepin@swinburne.edu.au
Description

The Zatsepin lab develops and applies cutting-edge X-ray methods to help answer fundamental questions in biology. Serial crystallography enables high-resolution, room-temperature structure determination from very small crystals, while minimising radiation damage. The newest advance, time-resolved serial crystallography (TR-SX), allows us to capture molecular movies of biomolecules in action at atomic resolution. Our work is highly interdisciplinary, combining crystallography, biochemistry, X-ray physics, structural biology, high-performance computing, and collaborations with the Australian Synchrotron, and other universities.   

Honours projects include:  

1. Time-Resolved Structural Studies of DsbA  

Investigate the structural dynamics of DsbA, a key bacterial enzyme and drug target to fight antimicrobial resistance. You will prepare and analyse DsbA microcrystals to capture “molecular movies” of its activity, in collaboration with La Trobe and Monash.  

2. Nanocrystals and Delivery Systems for Synchrotron Crystallography  

Prepare and characterise nanocrystals to test new X-ray methods and new delivery methods (like tape-drive systems). The goal is to optimise data quality and push time resolved crystallography to its limits, in collaboration with RMIT and the Australian Synchrotron.  

3. Serial Crystallography of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)  

Explore how serial crystallography can be applied to MOFs, porous materials with applications in gas storage, catalysis, and sensing. This project combines structural chemistry with modern X-ray methods, in collaboration with UNSW and the Australian Synchrotron.  

4. Radiation Damage in Microcrystal Screening and Fixed Targets  

Investigate how X-ray-induced reactive species spread between microcrystals, causing “dark damage.” Using experiments or simulations (e.g. GEANT4), you will develop models to optimise dose distribution for in-tray crystal screening and fixed-target serial crystallography, with direct applications in drug discovery and time-resolved crystallography.   

5. Computational and data-analysis projects  

For students with a strong interest in coding, modelling, or data analysis, projects are available that focus purely on computational aspects of crystallography experiments, without lab work.

Mathematics

Optical sciences

Supervisor

Professor DJ Moss

D J Wu
Contact jiayangwu@swinburne.edu.au
Description This project will focus on theoretical designs of high performance optical filters in integrated silicon photonic nanowire resonators [1]. It will use mode interference in formed by zig-zag waveguide coupled Sagnac loop reflectors (ZWC-SLRs), tailored to achieve diverse filtering functions with good performance. These include compact bandpass filters with improved roll-off, optical analogues of Fano resonances with ultrahigh spectral extinction ratios (ERs) and slope rates, and resonance mode splitting with high ERs and low free spectral ranges. The project will verifies the feasibility of multi-functional integrated photonic filters based on ZWC-SLR resonators for flexible spectral engineering in diverse applications.
Further reading H.Arianfard, J.Wu, S.Juodkazis,D.J. Moss,“Spectral Shaping based on Integrated Coupled Sagnac Loop Reflectors Formed by a Self-Coupled Wire Waveguide”, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters 33 (13) 680 (2021)
Supervisor

Professor DJ Moss

D J Wu
Contact jiayangwu@swinburne.edu.au
Description This project will investigate enhanced nonlinear optics in complementary metal-oxide- semiconductor (CMOS) compatible photonic platforms through the use of layered two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO) films [1]. It will investigate the integration of GO films with silicon-on-insulator nanowires (SOI), high index doped silica glass (Hydex) and silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides and ring resonators, to demonstrate an enhanced optical nonlinearity including Kerr nonlinearity and four-wave mixing (FWM). The GO films are integrated using a large-area, transfer-free, layer-by-layer method while the film placement and size are controlled by photolithography. In SOI nanowires we will observe a dramatic enhancement in both the Kerr nonlinearity and nonlinear figure of merit (FOM) due to the highly nonlinear GO films. Self-phase modulation (SPM) measurements will show significant spectral broadening enhancement for SOI nanowires coated with patterned films of GO. The dependence of GO’s Kerr nonlinearity on layer number and pulse energy will be investigated to show trends of the layered GO films from 2D to quasi bulk-like behavior. This project will help to demonstrate the strong potential of GO films to improve the nonlinearity of silicon, Hydex and SiN photonic devices.
Further reading Wu, L. Jia, Y. Zhang, Y. Qu, B. Jia, and D. J. Moss,“Graphene oxide: versatile films for flat optics to nonlinear photonic chips”, Advanced Materials 33 (3) 2006415, pp.1-29 (2021)
Supervisor Professor DJ Moss
Contact dmoss@swinburne.edu.au
Description Integrated Kerr micro-combs will be investigated as a powerful source of many wavelengths for photonic RF and microwave signal processing as well as optical neural networks [1,2]. They are particularly useful for transversal filter systems and have many advantages including a compact footprint, high versatility, large numbers of wavelengths, and wide bandwidths. This project will investigate photonic RF and microwave high bandwidth temporal signal processing based on Kerr micro-combs with spacings from 49-200GHz. It will consider a range of possible functions from integral and fractional Hilbert transforms, differentiators, integrators as well as optical neural networks. The potential of optical micro-combs for RF photonic applications in terms of functionality and ability to realize integrated solutions will be explored.
Further reading

M. Tan, X. Xu, J. Wu, R. Morandotti, A. Mitchell, and D. J. Moss, “RF and microwave photonic temporal signal processing with Kerr micro-combs”, Advances in Physics X 6 (1) 1838946 (2021)

X. Xu, M. Tan, B. Corcoran, J. Wu, A. Boes, T. G. Nguyen, S. T. Chu, B. E. Little, D. G. Hicks, R. Morandotti, A. Mitchell, and D. J. Moss, “11 TOPs photonic convolutional accelerator for optical neural networks”, Nature 589 (7840) 44-51 (2021)
Supervisor

Dr S H Ng

Professor S Juodkazis

Dr A Codoreanu

Professor A Duffy
Contact soonhockng@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Observations of ocean waves, their orientation, and height play an important role in the study and modelling of the climate. This information can be used to track the effects of climate change or help with the prediction of severe weather events. This project will investigate adapting a polariscopy method developed for use at the Australian Synchrotron to satellite applications. The method involves taking transmission measurements at 4 different linear polarisations (0°, 45°, 90°, and 135°) and is able to determine orientation of a sample, even when the structures are far below the diffraction limit.

The project will involve processing of currently available altimeter, synthetic aperture radar, and scatterometer satellite data to determine the feasibility of applying this technique to Earth observation and in reflection. It will seek to understand how the low-level data can be processed to extract the required polarisations and if not, how this data can still be utilised. There is the possibility of experimentally validating the method in reflection (subject to easing of restrictions), and future prospects include design and implementation of an instrument for validation in space.
Supervisor

Dr V Anand

Professor Karl Glazebrook

Dr S H Ng

Professor S Juodkazis

T Katkus
Contact sjuodkazis@swinburne.edu.au
Description This project is set up to establish the modeling of micro-optical elements for observational astronomy. Coupling of light from the sky into a fiber-optical element for spectral measurement has to meet stringent constraints for angular light acceptance, collection, high efficiency of light transmission, and simplicity/robustness of design for fabrication of micro-optical elements. In this 1 year project, we will establish the design and optimize for the collection of light by 5-m-diameter lens into an optical fiber with a 0.5 mm core. What micro-optical element(s) made out of pure silica or sapphire (for high UV-IR transmission) is(are) required will be established. The project will prepare a design that is amenable by femtosecond laser fabrication (3D printing). The optical design or laser fabrication can have the main focus of the project.
Supervisor

Associate Professor James W M Chon

Professor Saulius Juodkazis
Contact jchon@swinburne.edu.au
Description Metallic and semiconductor nanoparticles have tunable interaction ability in the visible and near-infrared range with size and shape. This provides a wealth of choice for resonant modes, ideal for enhancing any light scattering/absorption/emission processes in the range. Such is very attractive for linear or nonlinear biomedical imaging modalities, as well as for photodynamic therapy. Recently fabrication methods of silicon nanoparticles have greatly improved with femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation. In this project, we use amplified femtosecond pulsed laser to synthesise nanoparticles and characterise them using multiphoton microscopy and spectroscopic technique. In particular we utilize dynamic light scattering (DLS) and high-order fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (H-FCS) to characterize the size and shape distribution of nanoparticles produced inside solution and be able to separate monodisperse silicon nanoparticles with controlled sizes from 50 -250 nm. This project involves experimental (laser fabrication and spectroscopies), theoretical (Light scattering theory) and numerical simulations (T-matrix and finite element methods in EM). Students will be able to learn nonlinear optics, plasmonics, and correlation spectroscopies.
Supervisor

Professor Jeff Davis
Contact jdavis@swinburne.edu.au
Description A polariton is a quasi-particle that is part light and part matter, which can arise where there is strong light-matter coupling, such as is the case where 2D semiconductor is incorporated within a light cavity formed by two mirrors. Alternative means of trapping the light involve photonic crystals, or metamaterials, which allow more flexibility to tune the properties of the trapped light [1]. These polariton systems offer great flexibility to control the properties of and interaction between polaritons with the potential to form condensed phases of matter that cannot be achieved with material physics alone. This ability to control the properties of these hybrid light-matter systems opens the door to a range of novel applications. In this project, you will use femtosecond (10-15 s) laser pulses and state of the art multidimensional coherent spectroscopy experiments to measure the dynamics and interactions between polaritons in different situations. Depending on interest and aptitude, there is also the potential to model the metamaterial/photonic crystal structures, determining the bandstructure and affect of the strong light- matter coupling.
Supervisor

Professor Jeff Davis
Contact jdavis@swinburne.edu.au
Description Understanding the mechanisms of high-temperature superconductivity has been one of the great challenges in condensed matter physics over the past 30 years since superconductivity was first observed in cuprate materials. We have recently been able to successfully realise the first measurements of coherent dynamics in these materials, which we expect will help to provide great insight into the mechanisms responsible for superconductivity in these materials[1]. This project will expand upon that work, measuring the coherent dynamics of cuprate superconductors and/or other strongly correlated electron systems, using femtosecond (10-15 s) laser pulses and state of the art multidimensional coherent spectroscopy experiments. The aim of these measurements is to disentangle and quantify the interactions between electrons, phonons, magnons, and any other degrees of freedom (and the interplay between them), which are ultimately responsible for the macroscopic properties inherent in these strongly correlated systems, including superconductivity, charge density waves, excitonic insulators, the “strange metal” and “pseudogap” phases, and more!
Further reading Novelli, Tollerud, Davis Science Advances 6, Persistent coherence of quantum superpositions in an optimally doped cuprate revealed by 2D spectroscopy, eaaw9932 (2020)
Supervisor

Professor Jeff Davis
Contact jdavis@swinburne.edu.au
Description Since the Nobel Prize winning discovery of graphene (a 2D sheet of Carbon atoms, 1 atom thick) in 2006, there has been rapid growth in research on graphene and other 2D materials with remarkable properties. More recently, the ability to stack layers (of either the same or different material) with carefully controlled twist angles has opened the door to a range of new and controllable quantum phases. Interactions between electrons, phonons, photons, and more, are responsible for the properties and functionality of all molecules, materials and devices, including these monolayer and stacked monolayer semiconductors. Understanding and quantifying these interactions is therefore essential for optimising and controlling the properties and functionality of these new material systems. In this project you will utilise various ultrafast spectroscopy techniques, including multidimensional coherent spectroscopy, to reveal, identify and quantify the dominant interactions in these material systems under different conditions (see eg[1]). This will help develop a detailed understanding of the physics in these 2-dimensional systems and validate or contradict existing models.
Further reading Muir … Davis Nature Communications 13, 6164 (2022)
Supervisor

Dr Sascha Hoinka
Contact shoinka@swinburne.edu.au
Description We are setting up a quantum gas microscope for ultracold dysprosium atoms, creating a versatile platform for quantum simulation, fundamental tests of quantum physics, and precision measurement. This hands-on project will give you the opportunity to contribute to various aspects, depending on your interests and our progress at the time you join. Cold atom experiments are typically built from the ground up, requiring a broad range of skills. You could work on laser cooling of atoms, including characterisation and simulations, laser and experimental control, customised RF electronics, or the imaging system, with potential overlap between tasks. This project provides practical experience in building complex quantum gas experiments while allowing you to learn the underlying physics involved in ultracold atoms, quantum mechanics, and atomic physics.
Supervisor

Dr Paul Dykes
Contact pdykes@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Ultracold atomic gases can display remarkable quantum behaviours at nanoKelvin temperatures such as superfluidity or flow with zero resistance. Understanding the motion of particles and impurities in strongly correlated superfluids represents a key challenge in modern physics.

Project 1 Developing a homogenous Fermi-Gas: In this project you will design, construct, and implement a homogeneous Fermi gas in a flat-bottomed optical potential that will overcome resolution limits imposed by our current harmonically trapped ultracold Fermi gas. This will be the first step towards the production of a definitive map of the dynamical properties of an ultracold Fermi gas superfluid with resonant interactions, using two-photon Bragg spectroscopy.

Project 2 Vortex dynamics in a two-dimensional Fermi gas: This project aims to produce a single vortex in a superfluid Fermi gas cooled to nanoKelvin temperatures confined to a pancake shape potential. Using two photon Bragg spectroscopy we will probe the vortex and produce a definitive map of the spectral properties.
Supervisor

Associate Professor Tapio Simula
Contact tsimula@swinburne.edu.au
Description Quantum turbulence occurs in superfluids and is associated with chaotic dynamics of quantised vortices. These non-equilibrium quantum systems feature remarkable behaviours such as absolute negative temperature states and large scale Onsager vortex flows. A broad range of publication- worthy problems on these topics can be tailored to suit the candidates' skills and interests. You will also have an opportunity to present your results at an international research conference at the end of the year. Please contact Tapio to discuss the details of your personalised Honours Project.
Supervisor

Associate Professor Tapio Simula
Contact tsimula@swinburne.edu.au
Description Millimeter sized droplets can be made to bounce on the surface of a periodically driven fluid. For suitably Floquet engineered parameters these droplets begin to "walk" at speeds exceeding tens of millimeters per second. Furthermore, these curious wave-droplet entities have been shown to allow creation of classical time crystals and to mimic the behaviour of various quantum systems. A broad range of publication-worthy problems on these topics can be tailored to suit the candidates' skills and interests. You will also have an opportunity to present your results at an international research conference at the end of the year. Please contact Tapio to discuss the details of your personalised Honours Project.
Supervisor

Associate Professor Tapio Simula
Contact tsimula@swinburne.edu.au
Description The future of computing inevitably involves quantum computers. Topological quantum computation is a novel decoherence resilient way of performing quantum information processing and may be achieved using novel particles called non-Abelian anyons, which are neither bosons or fermions. A broad range of publication-worthy problems on these topics can be tailored to suit the candidates' skills and interests. You will also have an opportunity to present your results in an international research conference at the end of the year. Please contact Tapio to discuss the details of your personalised Honours Project.
Supervisor

Professor Peter Hannaford

Professor Andrei Sidorov
Contact phannaford@swinburne.edu.au
Description This project involves the creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of ultracold potassium- 39 atoms bouncing under the action of gravity on an oscillating atom mirror. The experiment is a forerunner to creating a “time crystal”, which is a new form of quantum matter in which a periodically driven many- body system spontaneously evolves with a period longer than the driving period, allowing the periodic structure to resist external perturbations and, in principle, to persist indefinitely in time. Such a time crystal has potential applications in extending condensed matter physics to the time dimension and in quantum technology.
Supervisor

Associate Professor Jeremy Brown
Contact jmbrown@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Over the last decade one of the most significant technological advances made in the field of nuclear instrumentation and detector physics was the development of Silicon Photomultipler (SiPM) sensors. These compact novel optical photosensors have enabled significant gains in radiation detector performance, whilst also reducing unit size and power consumption. Swinburne's Applied Nuclear Physics Laboratory specialises in the development of scintillator-SiPM based radiation detectors, and possesses the required production and experimental infrastructure in-house to support development through the full development cycle:

Phase 1: initial concept and in-silico optimisation.

Phase 2: desktop prototyping and performance assessment.

Phase 3: real-world field trials in collaboration with industry partners.

The following list outlines a selection of potential projects topics offered which can be tailored to specific student interests (computational, experimental, or a combination of both).
Further reading

Novel Scintillator-SiPM Based Radiation Detectors and Position Read-Out Algorithms for Nuclear Medicine (PET and SPECT) [1,2]

Dual End Scintillator Crystal Readout to Maximise Depth of Interaction and Time of Flight Performance in PET Radiation Detectors

Dual Mode Gamma Ray/Neutron Radiation Detectors and Signal Processing Algorithms for Stand-Off Radiation and Nuclear Threat Detection [3]

Large Area Fast Neutron Radiation Detectors and Signal Processing Algorithms for Stand-Off Detection

Development and Validation of Geant4 Monte Carlo [4] Simulation Applications of In-Service Radiation Detectors at ANSTO [5], ARPANSA [6], and DSTG [7]

J. M. C. Brown et al. (2019), A high count-rate and depth-of-interaction resolving single-layered one- side readout pixelated scintillator crystal array for PET applications, IEEE Transactions on Radiation and Plasma Medical Sciences 4(3): 361-370.

J. M. C. Brown (2021), In-silico optimisation of tileable philips digital SiPM based thin monolithic scintillator detectors for SPECT applications, Applied Radiation and Isotopes 168: 109368.

J. M. C. Brown et al. (2023), Modelling the Response of CLLBC (Ce) and TLYC (Ce) SiPM-Based Radiation Detectors in Mixed Radiation Fields with Geant4, arXiv:2303.09709.

Geant4 Monte Carlo Radiation Modelling Toolkit

Australian Nuclear Sceince and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)

Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG)
Supervisor

Associate Professor Jeremy Brown
Contact jmbrown@swinburne.edu.au
Description

High performance materials and tightly controlled fabrication processes are critical for the development of next-generation satellites, extra-terrestrial exploration vehicles, and modular habitation structure systems key to humankind's plans to explore and settle on objects other than earth. These satellites, vehicles, and structures will need to endure extreme temperatures, unpredictable radiation events, high speed debris impacts, and near perfect vacuums with little or no opportunity for repair. Even if these materials/structures can tolerate the extremes of space, further refinement will be required to ensure that human passengers and their supply payloads are sufficiently protected to survive the planned mission span. To meet these challenges, engineers, scientists and manufacturers need innovative components, shielding and repair solutions that deliver sustainable performance in space without compromising vehicle weight/cost. The following list outlines a selection of potential projects topics offered within the Swinburne Space Technology and Industry Institute [1] that can be tailored to specific student interests (computational, experimental, or a combination of both):

Development of new material systems and fabrication techniques to mitigate the impact of radiation, temperature extremes and collisions with debris

Additive manufacturing repair processes and developing light weight, thermally protected structures for vehicle components to survive the temperature extremes of space

Modelling radiation exposure associate risks to food supplies, electronics, humans, and structures on long-term missions
Further reading Swinburne Space Technology and Industry Institute
Supervisor

Associate Professor Nadia Zatsepin
Contact nzatsepin@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Macromolecular X-ray crystallography (MX) is the leading method for atomic-resolution structure determination in biology. Structure and dynamics of macromolecules determine their function, so MX provides mechanistic insights into life-enabling biochemical processes like photosynthesis, all our senses, the molecular basis of infection and disease, and structure-based pharmaceutical drug discovery [1]. The new MX3 beamline at the Australian Synchrotron promises to provide the high flux, microfocus beam required to push the frontiers of MX to static and time-resolved studies of tiny microcrystals of weakly- diffracting and/or radiation-sensitive macromolecules at room temperature (not currently possible in Australia [2]). This project aims to test the limits of MX3 capabilities through optimising serial macromolecular crystallography (SMX) by exploring the influence of experimental parameters on data quality (e.g. X-ray energy, bandwidth, focus size, exposure time/crystal, and various sample delivery approaches: standard goniometer, fixed target, in-tray screening, high-viscosity extrusion). The project involves X-ray physics, protein crystallography experiments, structural biology, high-performance computing, and close collaboration with the MX3 team [3].
Further reading

Pearson & Mehrabi, Curr. Op. Struct. Bio. 2020, 65:168-174.

Martin-Garcia et al. IUCrJ (2017). 4, 439-454, and J. Synch. Rad. (2022), 29(3), 896-907.

High Performance Macromolecular Crystallography Beamline (MX3)
Supervisor

Associate Professor Nadia Zatsepin
Contact nzatsepin@swinburne.edu.au
Description

Time-resolved serial macromolecular crystallography (TR-SMX) is a recently invented technique for direct visualisation of biomolecules in action, aka experimental “molecular movies”. X-ray free- electron laser (XFEL) serial crystallography enables femtosecond-scale dynamics to be imaged in light-activated biomolecules [1], while reactions initiated by chemical binding are (currently) limited by microfluidic mixing and diffusion rates to ~ ms time scales [2]. This project is the beginning of a long-term goal to image structural dynamics of small molecule binding in an enzyme involved in protein folding: disulphide bond-forming enzyme A (DsbA). DsbA is a key target for a new type of antibacterial drug to fight antimicrobial resistance, which is increasing worldwide [3]. However, DsbA is particularly sensitive to X-ray induced radiation damage at room temperature, so pursuing TR-SMX on DsbA requires a thorough understanding of local and global radiation damage. To this end, this project will determine the first room- temperature structures of DsbA in reduced and oxidised states, in two different crystal forms, and compared with “undamaged” structures obtained with an XFEL (where “diffraction before destruction” outruns structural X-ray-induced damage by using extremely brilliant femtosecond-scale X-ray pulses) [1,2]. The project involves X-ray physics, crystallography experiments, structural biology, high-performance computing, close collaboration with Prof Begoña Heras’ lab (La Trobe University, [3,4]) and might include opportunities for experiments overseas. The project also forms an excellent introduction to a PhD focusing on XFELs or synchrotron-based TR-SMX (e.g. to understand DsbA interactions with small molecule inhibitors, substrates, and other enzymes to aid structure-based drug discovery based on DsbA inhibition [4]).
Further reading

Tenboer, Basu, Zatsepin et al. 2014. Science 346 (6214), 1242-1246.

Stagno et al. 2017. Nature 541(7636), 242-246.

Heras et al. 2009. Nature Reviews Microbiology 7 (3), 215-225.

Smith, Paxman, Scanlon & Heras 2016. Molecules 21 (7), 811.
Supervisor

Associate Professor Nadia Zatsepin
Contact nzatsepin@swinburne.edu.au
Description

The ASU Compact X-ray Light Source (CXLS) is a novel, compact, hard X-ray source being constructed at Arizona State University based on inverse Compton scattering [1]. The CXLS aims to deliver synchrotron undulator-like capabilities on a table-top scale, with pulsed hard X-rays (100’s fs in duration at 1kHz), with a widely tuneable beam that will be usable for ultrafast spectroscopy, micro-crystallography and phase contrast medical imaging. CXLS will also comprise phase I of the construction of a recently-funded room-sized Compact X-ray free-electron laser (CXFEL) [2], and both are being considered as potential next- generation X-ray sources to build in Australia.

In this simulation project you will simulate serial crystallography data (X-ray diffraction from protein microcrystals with stochastically varying size, orientation, mosaicity) using nanoBragg [3] to (a) explore the capabilities of CXLS for serial macromolecular crystallography (SMX), and (b) compare the performance of CrystFEL [4] and Careless [5] on difficult data (e.g. beam divergence, polychromaticity & crystal mosaicity and weak diffraction, limited detector dynamic range). CrystFEL is the most widely used suite of programs for serial crystallography data analysis [4], while Careless is a new tool for merging crystallography data that uses deep learning and variational inference [5]. The project is in collaboration with the CXLS/CXFEL team. This work will contribute to a pipeline for planning future experiments at CXLS as well as a science case for Australia to pursue such powerful and flexible sources. You might also have an opportunity to participate in the world-first SMX experiments at CXLS if feasible.
Further reading

First-of-its-kind instrument officially ushers in new era of X-ray science

Graves et al. “ASU Compact XFEL” 2017. Proc. 38th Int. FEL Conference

nanoBragg and Sauter et al. 2020, Acta Cryst D 76(2), 176-192.

White et al., Zatsepin & Chapman. 2013 Acta Cryst D. 69 (7), 1231-1240.

Dalton, Greisman & Hekstra. 2022. Nature Comm. 13 (7764), 1-13.

Quantum science and technology

Supervisor

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Professor Xia-Ji Liu,

Dr Jia Wang
Contact hhu@swinburne.edu.au
Description

The theory of strongly interacting fermions/bosons is of great interest. Interacting fermions/bosons are involved in some of the most important unanswered questions in condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Though weakly interacting fermions/bosons are well understood, new approaches are required to treat strong interactions. In these cases, one encounters a “strongly correlated” picture which occurs in many fundamental systems ranging from strongly interacting electrons to quarks.

This project will consider a simplified case of “polarons”, which involves one impurity immersed in a background of N fermions or bosons. In this N+1 problem, the strongly interaction between impurity and background atoms might be handled. To further simplify the problem, we will focus on the one-dimensional situation by using the Bethe Ansatz technique. The results of this project can be tested in future cold atom experiments.
Further reading Hui Hu, Peter Drummond, and Xia-Ji Liu, Nature Physics 3, 469 (2007)
Supervisor

Professor Xia-Ji Liu

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Dr Jia Wang
Contact xiajiliu@swinburne.edu.au
Description Few-body systems have become increasingly crucial to the physics of strongly correlated ultracold atomic gases. Because of large interaction parameters, conventional perturbation theory approaches such as mean-field theory, simply break down. A small ensemble of a few fermions and/or bosons, which is either exactly solvable or numerically tractable, is more amenable to non-perturbative quantal calculations. The few-body solutions can be efficiently used for investigating high temperature properties of strongly correlated quantum gases, through the well documented virial expansion method. This Honours project will investigate few-body exact solutions and high-temperature properties of ultracold atomic gases with s-wave and p-wave interactions. In particular, the project will focus on the few-body solutions of a one-dimensional Bose/Fermi gas and obtain several low-order virial expansion coefficients.
Further reading Xia-Ji Liu, Physics Reports, Vol 524, Issue 2, Pages 37-83 (2013)
Supervisor

Professor Xia-Ji Liu

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Dr Jia Wang
Contact hhu@swinburne.edu.au
Description Over the past few years, a newly discovered phase of ultracold, dilute quantum droplets has attracted increasingly attention in different fields of physics. In sharp contrast to other gas-like phases in containers, quantum droplets are self-bound, liquid-like clusters of ten to hundred thousands of atoms in free space, formed by the delicate balance between the attractive mean-field force and repulsive force from quantum fluctuations. The purpose of this project is to develop better microscopic theories of quantum droplets and to solve some challenging theoretical difficulties in this field. This Honours project will focus on the theory of quantum droplets in low-dimensional and mass-imbalanced binary Bose mixtures. Furthermore, the project will explore collective excitations of an ultradilute quantum droplet.
Further reading Hui Hu and Xia-Ji Liu, Physical Review Letters, 125 (19) 195302 (2020)
Supervisor

Professor Xia-Ji Liu

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Dr Jia Wang
Contact xiajiliu@swinburne.edu.au
Description Recent realization of synthetic gauge fields in ultracold atoms, i.e., the creation of a spin- orbit coupling between the spin and the orbital degrees of freedom, has led to a new frontier that is endowed with a strong interdisciplinary character and a close connection to other research fields, including condensed matter physics, quantum computation and astrophysics. This Honours project will investigate the characterization of novel topological fermionic superfluids and possible exotic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) with non-trivial spin- textures.
Further reading Hui Hu, B. Ramachandhran, Han Pu, and Xia-Ji Liu, Physical Review Letters 108, 010402 (2012)
Supervisor

Professor Xia-Ji Liu

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Dr Jia Wang
Contact xiajiliu@swinburne.edu.au
Description Polaritons - often referred to as quantum fluids of light – are half-light, half-matter “particles” that keep most characteristics of the underlying photons but also possess intrinsic nonlinearities for easy manipulation. Polariton – based novel photonic technologies such as energy - efficient polariton laser and practical optical transistor will someday radically improve our everyday life, similar to the monumental development of electronic transistor in the last century. In this project we will review recent development in this field and learn basic theoretical method to investigate quantum fluids of light.
Further reading Hui Hu, Hui Deng, and Xia-Ji Liu, Physical Review A 106 (6), 063303 (2022)
Supervisor

Professor Xia-Ji Liu

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Dr Jia Wang
Contact jiawang@swinburne.edu.au
Description Quantum droplets, stabilized by quantum fluctuations, represent a fascinating quantum phenomenon—autonomous, self-bound systems that achieve equilibrium under zero pressure in free space. These droplets have been experimentally observed in two-component Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) with inter-species interactions, as well as in dipolar BECs. Within these systems, the droplets exhibit collective excitations, which are categorized as bulk or surface modes, depending on the droplet’s finite size. A particularly intriguing aspect of small quantum droplets is the existence of an excitation-forbidden regime, where no bound collective excitations exist below the particle-emission threshold. The nature of these excitations plays a crucial role in determining the self-evaporation dynamics of the quantum droplet. In this project, we will conduct a systematic investigation of the collective excitations of quantum droplets as they transition from three-dimensional free space to lower-dimensional confinements, such as quasi-two- dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional geometries. By examining how these excitations evolve under varying degrees of spatial confinement, we aim to uncover deeper insights into the stability and dynamical behavior of quantum droplets. These findings may have significant implications for understanding exotic phases of matter in low-dimensional quantum systems.
Supervisor

Professor Xia-Ji Liu

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Dr Jia Wang
Contact jiawang@swinburne.edu.au
Description Quantum entanglement, the non-classical correlation between separate systems, is a fundamental resource in quantum computation and information. Recently, it has also been recognized as a crucial element in understanding quantum phase transitions in many-body systems. The entanglement entropy of a free scalar bosonic field adheres to the well-known area law, initially explored in the context of black-hole physics. In contrast, Fermi liquids exhibit a subtle violation of the area law, featuring a multiplicative logarithmic correction. In this study, we aim to develop an exact method for calculating quantum entanglement in fermionic systems and apply it to investigate the scaling law in systems with effective fractional dimensions, such as quasi-crystals. Additionally, we plan to explore quantum entanglement in bilayer systems with twisted angles, with particular focus on the regime near the so-called "magic angle”, where the system's properties undergo dramatic changes.
Supervisor

Professor Xia-Ji Liu

Associate Professor Hui Hu

Dr Jia Wang
Contact jiawang@swinburne.edu.au
Description When an impurity is immersed in a quantum medium, its behavior can be profoundly altered, leading to the formation of a quasiparticle known as a polaron. The properties of a polaron are fundamentally determined by the dispersion of excitations in the quantum medium. In the context of a quantum Hall liquid composed of non-interacting fermions, the system exhibits a macroscopic degeneracy in its single-particle spectrum. We have discovered that introducing immobile impurities into this system allows for exact solutions to the many-body polaron states and polaron-polaron interactions. However, to experimentally observe these polaron-polaron interactions, it is essential to identify their spectroscopic signatures. In this project, we aim to calculate these signatures in a multidimensional spectroscopy, a technique that measures the correlations between absorption and emission photons coupled to the system.
Supervisor

Dr Manushan Thenabadu

Dr Jia Wang

Professor Margaret Reid

Professor Peter Drummond
Contact

mthenabadu@swinburne.edu.au

jiawang@swinburne.edu.au
Description Many computationally challenging (NP-complete or NP-hard) problems, such as the maximum cut problem (MAX-CUT) in a graph, protein folding, and the traveling salesman problem, can be mapped onto the Ising model with pairwise spin-spin interactions. The Coherent Ising Machine (CIM) is an effective optical computational device for solving these problems by finding the ground state of the corresponding Ising model. However, some NP-hard problems stem from the presence of many-body interactions in spin systems. For instance, the Boolean satisfiability (k-SAT) problem becomes NP-hard when k≥3, where k represents the order of interactions or constraints. In this project, we aim to investigate CIMs incorporating many-body interactions via a measurement-feedback scheme. We will implement and compare two techniques: the positive-P phase-space representation and the Monte Carlo Wavefunction method, to explore the effectiveness of these approaches in solving complex many-body interaction problems.
Supervisor

Professor Margaret Reid

Professor Peter Drummond
Contact mreid@swinburne.edu.au
Description The topic is to investigate gradient sensing in opto-mechanics. These are cryogenic nano- cantilever systems that can couple to an optical cavity. They are driven externally, and damped internally. They can experience a non-equilibrium steady-state when input and output powers are equal. With recent technology improvements, such devices can be fabricated in a variety of configurations and topologies. The project will investigate different possible topologies, including rectangular arrays. The devices themselves can either be coupled to each other, or uncoupled. The objective of the topic is to investigate the potential applications of such novel arrays of interacting quantum systems. There is an analogy with quantum optics, in that a single opto-mechanical cantilever has the properties of an atom or molecule, but with much greater mass. As a terrestrial sensor, the cantilever design is the most practical, and an investigation will be carried out on the combination of Gaussian boson sampling techniques involving Fourier transforms to obtain quantum enhanced sensing of gravitational field gradients. Current experiments on optomechanical systems are operated at Oxford University (UK) and Caltech (USA, as well as at UQ, with proposed experiments at Sydney U. The use of optomechanical arrays is a new feature, with a fabrication facility at Caltech for silicon arrays. The largest gaussian boson sampling experiments are at USTC (China), Xanadu Corp/NIST (Canada/US), at Imperial College (UK) and Paderborn U in Germany. These are currently used for quantum computing. This project will investigate adapting QC to gravitational sensing.
Supervisor

Professor Peter Drummond

Dr Run Yan The
Contact pdrummond@swinburne.edu.au
Description The topic is to investigate the use of artificial intelligence LLM to carry out a code translation project from Matlab to Julia. The target code is the xSPDE toolbox, which treats stochastic partial and ordinary differential equations. This is currently written in Matlab. The existing code computes averages, including time-step and/or sampling error estimation, with applications in biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine, physics and quantum technologies, as well as providing higher order convergence, Fourier spectra and probability densities. The advantage of Julia, a new language developed at MIT, is that it is faster and is a free open source project, as opposed to the licensed model of Matlab. While the two languages are similar, there are sufficient differences so that much of the code has to be rewritten. Recoding by hand is possible, but it is labor intensive, and can give errors. The project will investigate the use of artificial intelligence large language models to generate efficient Julia code. As xSPDE is modular, the project will only treat part of the entire package. The project will use as a reference, two earlier partial translations of xSPDE, and the goal is to obtain equal features and speed to earlier Julia codes. Provided testing benchmarks are achieved, a full translation may be feasible, leading to a complete Julia version. xSPDE is currently hosted on Github, and is used in the CQSTT theory group. Extending this to Julia could make it faster and much more widely available. The new version will then have its own Github open source project, provided that the pilot translation is successful.
Supervisor

Dr Nathan Clisby
Contact nclisby@swinburne.edu.au
Description The hard sphere model is the simplest non-trivial model in classical statistical mechanics: it is also called the billiard ball model of a gas, and involves spheres bouncing off each other elastically but otherwise not interacting. Fascinatingly, this model undergoes a freezing transition if you compress it, going from a gas to a crystalline state. A related model which is less physical but easier to work with is the hard parallel cube model, which involves cubes bouncing off each other instead. In this project you will be calculating virial coefficients for the hard cube and hard sphere models. For hard cubes, the calculations involve some fun combinatorics, and there is an opportunity to make significant progress on the state of the art. For hard spheres, the necessary calculations involve integrals over arrangements of spheres, and the goal is to calculate some quantities exactly for the first time. In each case there is a combination of mathematical and physical insight required, together with some computer programming or use of Mathematica, and your calculations will allow for deeper insight into the physics of these important systems.
Supervisor

Dr Nathan Clisby
Contact nclisby@swinburne.edu.au
Description Self-avoiding walks are walks on a grid that never re-visit a previously visited site, and are the most fundamental model of polymer systems. Through the magic of universality we can discover exact information about real-world polymer systems by studying this highly idealised model! For example, we can study the typical size of a polymer with N atoms in the chain, which theoretical arguments demonstrate grows as N^ν, where ν is the so-called Flory exponent. Real-world light scattering experiments with polymers in solution have determined that ν = 0.59(1), while fast Monte Carlo computer simulations of self-avoiding walks using the pivot algorithm have determined that ν = 0.5875970(4) - a dramatically more accurate result. In this project you will perform Monte Carlo computer simulations of self-avoiding walks to explore interesting phenomena, including the effect of confinement on polymer behaviour. You will need to be willing to understand C code, run simulations, and analyse data, and if you are so inclined you will have the opportunity to develop and implement your own algorithms.

General enquiries about honours

Please contact Dr Huseyin Sumer, Honours Coordinator hsumer@swinburne.edu.au.

Interested in the Bachelor of Science (Honours)?

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