Physics

Project

This will be to support a Ngāti Mutunga summer student. By the time of the 2023/24 summer, we intend to have a NIWA all-sky camera installed at the iwi's marae site in Urenui. This camera will collect cloud coverage data. Also by this time, we aim to have software in place to detect clouds and predict their motion on the sky.

The summer student will validate the prediction software by comparing (-1hr, -30mins, -10mins) algorithmic predictions of cloud coverage and position with reality. The student will also survey long-term residents about local microclimate conditions.

Project

Experimental projects are available to study microscale liquid dynamics using high-speed photography (producing cool slow-motion videos). We are particularly interested in drop impact experiments, in which drops collide with solid surfaces. Fluids of interest include partially dried dairy products, and ferrofluids which produce ‘spiky’ magnetic instabilities. Surfaces may be patterned in order to control the spreading, splashing and rebounding of the drops. A project could also focus on development of image analysis techniques.

Projects are suitable for students from any quantitative science / engineering background, and can be aligned with industrial (real-world) applications. Skills developed will include experimental methods for materials science, and understanding of fluid dynamics.

Lab website: https://fluidics.physics.auckland.ac.nz/

Project

Creation of new sustainable materials requires understanding of how small building blocks (e.g. microparticles) can be assembled into larger-scale structures.

These project(s) will develop and use computational analysis methods and/or theoretical models to study assemblies of asymmetric Janus spheres, which consist of two hemispheres with distinct properties. Computational methods will be used to study the relative orientation of Janus microspheres within small clusters, and/or for image analysis of equivalent experiments. It is also possible to study larger ensembles of aggregating particles, and even ‘active matter’ which involves collections of interacting, moving particles such as swarms and flocks. The techniques used in active matter can be extended to large collections of Janus spheres.

These projects are especially suitable for students with some computational / numerical experience.

Lab website: https://fluidics.physics.auckland.ac.nz/

Project

Project(s) are available to develop experiments in the Dynamic Microfluidics Lab which will allow us to study levitating droplets. Drying of droplets as they drift through the air is a critical process for some of the most important scientific challenges of our times, including climate science and the spread of infectious diseases.

The student would help to develop and test two experimental set-ups for studying droplets:

1. An acoustic levitator, which can hold a droplet suspended in air while the surrounding atmosphere is controlled
2. LED light-sheet optics, which allows characterization of a field of droplets e.g. emerging from a sprayer.

Lab website: https://fluidics.physics.auckland.ac.nz/

Project

Rye grass is the predominant outdoor feed of grazing animals in Aotearoa New Zealand. Being able to estimate the water content of rye grass can help farmers with assessing the state of their grazing fields, irrigation purposes as well as breeding particularly draught resistant rye grass. The grass is almost completely transparent in the Terahertz (THz) domain apart from the water within them. This coupled with its non-destructive nature makes THz radiation a much more attractive option than the destructive and inconvenient, traditional ’cutting and weighing’ method of estimating water content.

The overall aim of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility to measure the water content in rye grass using THz spectroscopy. The project is experimental; you will learn how to operate a state-of-the-art THz spectrometer and how to analyse the experimental data (in Python).

No previous knowledge in THz technology is required, some Python knowledge is advantages.

If you are interested or have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Dominik Vogt.

Project

Sensing technologies with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity are essential to better understand and harness the world around us. Enter Terahertz (THz) radiation – the final frontier of the electromagnetic spectrum. Located between microwave and infrared frequencies, THz radiation provides significant opportunities for advanced sensors.

The overall aim of this project is to demonstrate the detection of thin films using THz microresonators – sensitive devices that can confine THz radiation with exquisitely low losses.

The project is experimental; you will learn how to work in a cleanroom environment, fabricate ultra-high quality THz microresonators and deposit thin flims on the THz microresonators. After the successful deposition, you will measure the microresonators response to the thin films using a state-of-the-art THz spectrometer. No previous knowledge in THz radiation or microresonators is required.

If you are interested or have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Dominik Vogt.

Project

Microresonators are devices that can confine electromagnetic radiation with exquisitely low losses.

While such devices have enabled ground-breaking advances at optical frequencies, they remain almost entirely unexplored in the Terahertz (THz) domain. It is only very recently that the concept has been transferred to the THz domain highlighting its potential.

Our project aims to develop novel THz microresonators by exploiting the sub-wavelength confinement offered by ultrahigh quality thin disk resonators. The project involves numerical modelling (COMSOL Multiphysics) and experimental characterisation of the developed THz microresonators using a state-of-the-art THz spectrometer.

No previous knowledge in THz radiation/microresonators and Comsol is required.

If you are interested or have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Dominik Vogt.

Project

A project is available to investigate the electronic structure of the recently experimentally realised 2D graphullerene.

This project will involve carrying out density functional theory calculations to determine the density of states and bandstructure of this novel material. An extension to this project will be to examine changes to the electronic structure that arise as a result of twisting the 2D layers of this material relative to one another.

Throughout the course of this project, experience using high performance computing, coding and a fundamental understanding of material properties.

Project

This project focuses on assessing the performance of our photonic probes in animal prostate tissue. The project includes experimental work (design experiment, data collection) and data processing with a range of software we have developed (chemometrics techniques).

The fibre-based photonic probe uses Raman spectroscopy to identify healthy and malignant tissue. More specifically, the probe is based on a technique called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) which enables measurements on the surface and in the depth of the tissue. However, each probe design has its limitations (i.e. how deep can it measure).

This project will help understanding the maximum measurement depth in a range of biological samples.

Background
The current standard treatment for patients with prostate cancer is removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy). Evaluation of surgical margins during these radical prostatectomy procedures remains a significant challenge. Too often (up to 38% of cases) malignant tissue is left behind leading to cancer spreading again and thus significantly lowering the chances of surviving the disease.

We are developing a photonic probe capable of detecting prostate cancer in real-time. This probe will help surgeons during prostatectomy procedures to decide if they need to remove more tissue. Thus, the probe has the potential to significantly change current medical practice.

Key words
Biosensing, Photonics, Laser, Raman spectroscopy, Fibre laser, Chemometrics, Data analysis.

Note: The project can be extended to a Honours or Master project.

Project

Raman spectroscopy can provide powerful biochemical fingerprints of disease such as cancer. This project focuses on the development and optimization of the data processing algorithms used to process the spectroscopy(Raman) data we obtained during a clinical trial on humans.

The project will explore:

• Diagnostic performance as a function of the tissue origin within the prostate
• Advanced Chemometric analysis methods to resolve key differences between healthy and unhealthy prostate tissue
• Advanced computing methods (AI or machine learning) to improve diagnosis ability

This project sits across multiple disciplines (Physics, Chemistry, Biophysics, advanced computing, and Chemometrics). We already have the data, so the work to be done is more computer-based: data processing and coding (Python or Matlab) and data analysis (chemometrics).

Project

Experimental opportunities are available to students with a background in science or engineering to join our exciting project focused on the fabrication of a high finesse fibre resonator. This hands-on project offers a unique experience for students in the fields of science and engineering to explore the fascinating world of optics and photonics while working on cutting-edge research. You will have the chance to apply your scientific knowledge and technical skills to contribute to the fabrication and characterization of high finesse fibre resonators. You will gain valuable insights into fibre optics and resonator fabrication techniques, and their applications in frequency comb generation.

This project will provide a supportive and collaborative research environment, where you can expand your knowledge and gain practical experience in a real-world laboratory.

https://laserlab.blogs.auckland.ac.nz

Project

Experimental opportunities are available to motivated students with a background in science or engineering to join our dynamic research project focused on ultrafast imaging using a visible frequency comb. This is an exciting project for students who are passionate about optics and photonics to delve into the cutting-edge field of ultrafast imaging and explore its wide range of applications. You will have the chance to work with state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to capture images with unprecedented high speed frame rate.

Your role will involve assisting in the setup and alignment of experimental systems, data acquisition and analysis, and contributing to the development of novel imaging methodologies.

Through this project, you will gain valuable hands-on experience in ultrafast optics, laser technology, and imaging techniques. If you are eager to push the boundaries of science and engineering and have a passion for optics, we encourage you to join our team and be part of this exciting project.

https://laserlab.blogs.auckland.ac.nz

Project

Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) are an increasing concern for freshwater quality, aquatic and human health. This group of contaminants are manufactured compounds used for a variety of purposes (e.g. pesticides, pharmaceuticals, preservatives and food additives, personal care products), and are classed as “emerging” due to relative recent detection related to advances in sensing and more extensive monitoring. Optical-based methods such as fluorescence and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy may be used to determine the presence and concentration of these molecules in water. We will investigate combining optical methods of sensing with paper microfluidics for the testing of organic contaminants in water.

This project is appropriate for a student with a chemistry or physics background.

Project

Determination of bacterial concentrations is important for determining food and water quality. In this research project you will be involved in the development of optical methods for the rapid quantification of bacteria in suspension.

This project is appropriate for a student with a microbiology, chemistry or physics background.

Project

Liquid metals are a fascinating new type of material that combines the conductivity of a metal with the disorder and motion of a liquid. We have been using theoretical methods to study liquid metals as catalysts. In this project, you will train machine learned models on the forces present in a liquid metal system, and explore whether we can use this to simulate reactions on the surface.

The project is suitable for students with an interest in materials science, modelling, and coding. Feel free to get in touch for more information.

Project

Ultrasound (acoustic) imaging is a sensitive way to probe the human body and other materials. We are currently developing a new type of ultrasound imaging to track motion with unprecedented sensitivity. We are creating state-of-the-art techniques to study two different types of systems: (a) the human body, and (b) melting/solidifying materials.

Depending on the interests of the student, this summer project can include:

1. Experiments: using a medical ultrasound machine to perform experiments and gather acoustic data in the laboratory,
2. Computational problems: working with the acoustic data to unearth ‘hidden’ information and make images
3. Numerical modeling of acoustic propagation through materials and human tissue
4. A combination of the above

Experience in programming in python or matlab would be ideal, but the main requirement is a willingness to learn and try new things.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss further!

Project

An international team of researchers has embarked on a large project to learn why the Auckland Volcanic Field is here. As part of this project, we are installing a seismic network in Northland and Auckland to image the subsurface. This Summer project will involve a wide variety of tasks and opportunities that include installation and/or servicing of the seismic stations, as well as data management, processing, and interpretation.

Part of this Summer project will be field work.

Skills? Knowledge of Python, and (at least an interest in) seismology.

A driver’s license would be helpful.

Project

The Hubbard model is a very important model in solid-state physics describing fermionic/bosonic particles in an optical lattice. The extended version allows for interactions between particles on neighbouring sites on the lattice in addition to on-site interaction and hopping between sites. It shows a very rich phase diagram with superconducting, insulating, density waves and other exotic states.

The summer project involves using a computer code (RIMU) written in the modern programming language, Julia, and implementing a stochastic quantum Monte Carlo algorithm to study that system. Besides analyzing data, software development on the RIMU code itself can be interwoven into the project.

While some coding experience is advantageous, the necessary coding skills can be gained during the project as well as the theoretical condensed-matter theory background needed.

The project is suitable for students with physics or computational science background.

Project

This summer project aims at developing Python notebooks that can be used to further secondary-school teachers' basic programming skills. The notebooks should use physics examples from the secondary school curriculum and be designed in a way that enables their use in the physics classroom.

Some basic Python skills and a general interest in physics education are of advantage.

The project is suitable for students with physics, education and computational science background.

Project

In this project, the student will contribute to the development of an OCTA data acquisition and processing pipeline using time series OCT images to detect and quantify flow in samples. Based on an existing OCT system, the student will develop algorithms and methods to acquire the data and extract flow parameters in samples.

Skills gained and ideal student

The student completing this project will learn about OCT techniques, developing skills with optics, data acquisition, image analysis and data visualization.

The Lab work will be completed in the biophotonics laboratory of the physics department (City Campus). Previous experience in an optics laboratory and/or with coding would be great but not necessary.

Project

This project is based on polarisation sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT), an interferometric technique that allows high resolution in vivo imaging and identification of the sample optical axis. The student will learn about the technique of OCT and will adjust an existing OCT system to be polarisation sensitive. They will characterize the system and test it on a few samples.

Skill gained

The student will develop skills with optics and learn about optical coherence tomography. The Lab work will be completed in the biophotonics laboratory of the physics department (City Campus).

Ideal student

Previous experience in an optics laboratory would be great but not necessary.

Project

This project is based on polarisation sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) and vibrational spectroscopy. PS-OCT provides structural information while spectroscopy provides information about the molecular content. Combining both systems to co-register the information will allow for better understanding of the sample.

We will test the probe on soft tissues and fruits. The students will be responsible for design and testing probes that allow both signals to be detected from the same location on the sample. The Lab work will be completed in the biophotonics laboratory of the physics department (City campus).

Ideal student

Previous experience in an optics laboratory would be great but not necessary.

Project

Students with an interest in optical spectroscopy, coding and condensed matter research are encouraged to apply for this project.

This project will include the participation in the design of a Second Harmonic Generation Spectroscopy, and studying a series of condensed material systems such as superconductors and ferroelectrics.