Biophotonics and Laser Science
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Centre for Biophotonics and Laser Science
Laser Physics Group
Laser Diagnostics
Soft Condensed Matter Physics
Quantum Technology Laboratory
Optical Nanoprobe Laboratory
Biophotonics is the application of light and laser-based tools and techniques to biological systems, covering fundamental science, biological sensing and imaging, through to biomedical procedures. The application of light and laser methods enables breakthrough discoveries in biology, health and clinical sciences, and has an important role to play in meeting the grand challenges in the life sciences eg. finding single abnormal cells allowing early cancer diagnosis, or single molecule detection and manipulation, molecular motors.
Laser Science has long been a major strength of Australian Physics. We have been, and continue to be, major players in the field of laser science within Australia, particularly in the areas of experimental quantum atom optics, laser trapping, and hypersonic flow diagnostics. Furthermore, we are at the forefront of Australia's biophotonics efforts through our involvement in the Centre for Biophotonics and Laser Science, and are leading a bid for an ARC Centre of Excellence in Biophotonics with CIs from seven other institutions and also involved a bid led by UQ on Scramjet development.
Our Centre for Biophotonics and Laser Science has five major programs. Laser Fundamentals encompasses quantum atom optics experiments (funded by one of the largest ARC program grants awarded in 2003), hyperpolarized gas NMR, nanostructured optical material development, and laser diagnostics of hypersonic flow with largest ARC discovery grant commencing in 2004. Micromanipulation deals with optical tweezers and measurement of microscopic forces and torques in micromachines and cells. Our papers on angular momentum of light have over 800 citations. Biological Spectroscopy focuses on hard and soft tissues and the new paradigms needed to understand the properties of natural and synthetic melanins. Biological Imaging and Sensing deals with optical coherence tomography and Fourier techniques for improved optical imaging of tissue. Biomedical and Clinical Applications is particularly concerned with applications of lasers and optical techniques to dentistry. In the last two years we have begun to attract significant consulting work in these areas.
Our vision is to create a critical mass of researchers who can apply strong fundamental physics skills to physics or biology problems over a range of scales from single molecule interactions, through to molecules and cells, to tissues and organs. We want to provide world class facilities which will allow our early career researchers and postgraduate students to reach their potential and make discoveries which will contribute to the Centre becoming an international leader in biophotonics and laser science.
Faculty
Prof Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
A/Prof. Norman Heckenberg
Prof Laurence Walsh (UQ Dentistry)
Dr. Paul Meredith
Dr. Andrei Zvyagin
Dr. Timo Nieminen
Dr. Tim McIntyre
Dr. Taras Plakhotnik
Dr. Andrew White
Dr Marlies Friese
Group
2 postdocs and 10 PhD students.
Collaborations at UQ
McKenzie (Phys), Ralph (CE Quantum Computer Technology), Campbell (Anat), Upcrofts (QIMR), Brereton (CMR), Morgan (Eng), Crozier (Eng), Nielsen (Chem Eng), Trau (Chem)
Collaborations outside UQ
AMOLF, Vrie University, Columbia U, U. Innsbruck, Jagielloski U, Toronto U, Beckman Laser Institute, Leiden U, Stanford, NIST, MIT, Imp College ,U. Tuebingen
Selected recent publications
(with citations)
Bishop,Nieminen, Heckenberg,and Rubinsztein-Dunlop 2004 Phys Rev.Letters, 92,19,198104
Hensinger, Haeffner, Browaeys, Heckenberg, Helmerson, McKenzie, Milburn, Phillips, Rolston, Rubinsztein-Dunlop, and Upcroft, (2001) Nature, 412, 52-55.
Plakhotnik and Palm.2001 Phys. Rev. Letters, 87,18,183602
Vogel, Harvey, Edwards, Meredith, Heckenberg, Trau, Rubinsztein-Dunlop2002 Macromol. 35 (6): 2063-2070
Zvyagin, White, Ohtsu 1997 Optics Letters 22 (13): 955-957
Other Activities
Organised ACOLS2001 optics conference, 6 patent applications