Australian research centre to advance optical frequency comb technology

A collaborative research centre of excellence led by RMIT University will develop ultra-precise measuring devices, it was announced by the Australian Research Council.

RMIT University will lead a consortium of universities and industry partners in the new AUS$72 million ARC Centre of Excellence in Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS).

The devices could enable high-speed internet, better medical screening technologies and carbon emissions monitoring.

They will focus on bringing optical frequency comb technology – which translates electronic signals into light waves for high precision measurement – out of the lab and into a range of real-world applications.

The multi-disciplinary COMBS team includes world-leading experts from eight Australian universities and 23 global partner organisations.

This investment in the Centre will develop a trained, versatile and diverse researcher workforce engaging collaboratively and enabling advances in multiple application areas.

RMIT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation and Vice-President, Professor Calum Drummond, said COMBS was perfectly aligned with RMIT’s mission to drive research with impac, 'The high-impact applications we will see coming out of this new centre will catapult Australian research and industry into new domains.'