IPAS Deputy Director won ARC Industry Laureate Fellowship

Congratulations to Prof Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem for being successfully awarded $3,359,464 ARC Industry Laureate Fellowship. This four-year fellowship will be a valuable opportunity for Heike to collaborate with Flawless Photonics group to develop efficient purification methods for ZBLAN optical fibres. ZBLAN is a fluoride glass that has the potential to overcome the limitations of silica glass, which is currently used to make fibre optic cables. By developing ZBLAN fibre optic cables, there is the potential for longer-distance light transport and higher data transfer rates which can meet the increasing demand for faster internet and global connectivity.

It is also exciting that this project will be the first in the world to develop automation of ZBLAN fibre manufacture to achieve fibre production at scale, enabling commercialisation in a range of industries including defence, mining, medical devices, and data communications. This will be also an excellent opportunity to advance research and innovation in the broader field of optical glass and fibre technology. Congratulations Heike.