IPAS builds on foundations of the CoEP to support Defence

by Tanya Monro, IPAS Director, 3 September 2012

Recently the decision was made to close the Centre of Expertise in Photonics (CoEP). The Centre was established in early 2005 and was formally launched on 31 May 2006 as a collaborative initiative between DSTO and The University of Adelaide with 3 key aims:

• To stimulate growth in research capacity in physics at The University of Adelaide;
• To create research capabilities in photonics of relevance to DSTO;
• To produce graduates who could embark on careers at DSTO.

The CoEP has achieved all of these core aims over the last 6 years.

CoEP research outcomes contributed strongly to The University of Adelaide's ERA scores of 5 both in Physics (02) and in Optical Physics (0205), and has produced large volumes of high quality publications, generated significant IP, and stimulated numerous productive collaborations both within Australia and internationally. Critically, the CoEP initiative lead to the successful completion of more than 20 research tasks, active collaborative projects that brought together CoEP research staff and students with DSTO staff to conduct research of particular interest to Defence. In addition the CoEP completed a CTD project, a SA Premier's Science and Research Fund project and also conducted significant internationally funded research in national security.

The focus of research in the CoEP was initially soft glass microstructured optical fibres for lasers and nonlinear optics. DSTO supported projects enabled this scope to broaden to other areas of
defence interest including mid-infrared glass development, biosensing, radiation dosimetry and chemical sensing. This has involved ongoing partnerships with DSTO scientists from SA and VIC.
I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate both the outcomes from these tasks and the sustained collaborative partnerships they have forged.

The CoEP initiative led to the establishment of an extensive suite of laboratories for glass research, optical fibre fabrication, and device development. As a result The University of Adelaide now hosts one of the leading optical fibre research facilities and capabilities in the world. These facilities are available to researchers both from universities and companies, within Australia and across the world, via the Optofab node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), an NCRIS initiative.

A number of the recent PhD graduates from the CoEP have taken up staff positions at the DSTO, and the University's Laser Physics and Technology named degree offers an attractive pathway for careers in defence research, as well as to other areas. Each year DSTO has generously supported scholarships for students in this degree (previously named the Optics and Photonics degree), and winners of these scholarships have had the opportunity to interact with the DSTO laboratories and establish key relationships.

The success of the CoEP initiative underpinned the formation of IPAS, The Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing. IPAS extends the reach of this research capability by adding luminescence, surface functionalisation and synthetic chemistry capabilities to the underpinning glass, fibre and device research capabilities. This combination is unique, and is enabling us to pioneer new sensor technologies for fields ranging from defence to health. We look forward to the opening of "The Braggs", the new headquarters for IPAS, in February 2013. This development will herald new opportunities for research, and we are particularly looking forward to being able to work within new specialised laboratory facilities, including pioneering transdisciplinary laboratories.

I would like to take this opportunity to offer my deepest thanks to DSTO for their support of the centre, and for continuing support and engagement with IPAS researchers. The CoEP initiative has created strong partnerships, world-leading research infrastructure and a strong foundation that will support innovation in defence for years to come. IPAS looks forward to building on the CoEP foundation to support DSTO's mission in the future.

Centre of Expertise in Photonics

Formed in May 2006, the Centre of Expertise in Photonics is a joint venture between the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and the University of Adelaide and sits within the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS).

Photonics is the science and technology that allows the generation and control of light using glass optical fibres.

The Centre, located in the Physics Building at the North Terrace campus at the University of Adelaide, will boost defence research into photonics technologies, which is the study and use of light, ranging from the visible to the mid infra-red spectrum.

Photonics is fundamental to many modern defence capabilities including communications, radar signal processing, electronic warfare systems and sensing.

People

 Research staff | Students | Professional/Technical staff

Research Staff

Students

Professional/Technical Staff