Overview
Background
Professor Bowen is Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology, and leads the Quantum Optics Laboratory at UQ. He is recognised both nationally and internationally for research at the interface of quantum science and nanotechnology; including bioimaging, biotechnology, nanophotonics, nanomechanics, quantum optomechanics and photonic/quantum sensing. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics.
Professor Bowen's research spans from the very fundamental, e.g. how does quantum physics transition into our everyday world at large scales?, to applied, e.g. developing next generation sensors for medical diagnostics and navigation. To pursue this research, his lab works in close partnership with industry and uses state-of-the-art facilities for nanofabrication, nanoanalysis, precision optical measurement and deep cryogenic refrigeration available in-house or on campus at UQ.
Professor Bowen has supervised more than thirty postgraduate students, who have been recognised with prizes such as Fulbright Scholarships, an Australian Youth Science Ambassadorship, a Springer PhD theses prize, the Queensland nomination for the Australian Institute of Physics Bragg Medal, the Australian Optical Society Postgraduate Student Prize and UQ Graduate of the Year. He regularly has projects available, both for postgraduate students and for postdoctoral researchers. Please check his website, above, or contact him directly for details (w.bowen@uq.edu.au).
Availability
- Professor Warwick Bowen is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University
Research interests
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Quantum biotechnology
Prof Bowen works on the applications of quantum technologies in the life sciences and biotechnology: quantum-enabled medical imaging systems and medical diagnostics, better tools for the development of drugs and proteomics, and better methods to see biological structures and dynamics in cells and proteins. His laboratory has developed the first quantum-enhanced light microscopes to better image cells, and new proteomic tools to observe the dynamics of proteins at unprecedented speed. They are developing new magnetic sensing technology to detect biomagnetic fields from the brain, heart and muscle.
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Quantum measurement and control
Prof Bowen works on furthering our understanding of measurements at the quantum level, and how these measurements can be used to control quantum devices. His interests in quantum measurement range from the very fundamental to applications for quantum technologies. He particularly focuses on quantum optomechanics, studying how light interacts with nanofabicated mechanical devices. Fundamental questions include: how does quantum decoherence occur?, how can quantum mechanics be reconciled with the classical physics at everyday size scales?, and what limits does quantum mechanics place on measurement precision? Quantum technological applications include quantum computing components such as interfaces to map quantum information between light and computing nodes and mechanical quantum memories.
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Quantum and precision sensing
Prof Bowen develops quantum and precision sensing technologies for applications in ares ranging from biomedicine to aerospace, resources and defence. His laboratory have pioneered optomechanical sensing, for instance developing the first optomechanical magnetometers and ultrasound sensors. These sensors have significantly advanced the state-of-the-art in precision silicon-chip based sensing. Prof Bowen's laboratory is working with industry partners to translate the sensors they develop into practical applications such as improved navigation on drones, geological surveying, and through-Earth communications, and to provide new capabilities in biomedical imaging.
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Superfluid physics and devices
Superfluids are a quantum state of matter that exists at very low temperature. They exhibit a macroscopic quantum wave function, and counter-intuitive behaviour such as flow without resistance. Superfluid helium is the only liquid superfluid. Prof Bowen's laboratory has led the applications of nanophotonics (light confined to very small scales on a silicon chip) to understand and control superfluid helium. This has allowed them to demonstrate new capabilities, such as laser cooling of a liquid, and new understanding, such as about the turbulent behaviour of quantum vortices. It also allows them to build liquid quantum technologies, where the quantum nature of superfluid helium promise capabilities far beyond what is possible with other technologies. For instance, accelerometers with millions of times better precision than can otherwise be achieved.
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Nanomechanical computing
Semiconductor computers have been transformational for humanity, offering unprecedented computational power. This has been driven, in large part, by Moore's Law - that the number of transistors that can be packed into an integrated circuit doubles every two years. However, Moore's Law cannot continue indefinitely, and is already reaching its limits. Moreover, the energy consumption of semiconductor computing is now a large fraction of total global energy use. Prof Bowen's laboratory is working to address this challenge, developing alternative computer architectures based on nano mechanical devices: computing using the flow of vibrations rather than electrons. This offers the possibility to reduce energy consumption by a factor of 10,000. It also allows intrinsically radiation hard computing, promising to improve the robustness of the world satellite communications systems to solar flares and other radiation phenomena.
Research impacts
Professor Bowen's laboratory has made important contributions, including demonstrating that quantum techniques can enhance the performance of biological microscopes; developing a new class of state-of-the-art magnetometers that allow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to be miniaturised to chip-scale with prospective applications in medical/chemical diagnostics, geological surveying and other areas; showing that laser cooling techniques can be applied to superfluid helium, an important medium for generation-after-next sensors in navigation; and reaching the quantum limit to performance in single molecule sensors.
Professor Bowen is highly motivated to translate progress in quantum technologies into real-world applications across health, energy, resources, medical diagnostics and other areas. Recently, for example, he led the establishment of the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance, a collaboration of 27 partners across academia, government and industry to apply quantum technologies towards reaching net zero.
Works
Search Professor Warwick Bowen’s works on UQ eSpace
2002
Journal Article
Quantum teleportation with Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen optical entanglement
Lam, P. K., Bowen, W. P. and Ralph, T. C. (2002). Quantum teleportation with Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen optical entanglement. The Physicist, 39 (3: 72)
2002
Journal Article
Recovery of continuous wave squeezing at low frequencies
Bowen, W. P., Schnabel, R., Treps, N., Bachor, H.-A. and Lam, P. K. (2002). Recovery of continuous wave squeezing at low frequencies. Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semi-Classical Optics, 4 (6), 421-424. doi: 10.1088/1464-4266/4/6/309
2001
Conference Publication
Optical quantum information processing: Experiments with CW laser light
Bachor, HA, Lam, PK, Bowen, W, Schnabel, R, Bennetts, S, Buchler, B, Andersen, UL and Ralph, TC (2001). Optical quantum information processing: Experiments with CW laser light. 1st International Conference on Experimental Implementation of Quantum Computation, Sydney Australia, Jan 16-19, 2001. PRINCETON: RINTON PRESS, INC.
2001
Conference Publication
Optical quantum information processing: experiments with CW laser light
Bachor, Hans-A., Lam, P. K., Bowen, W. P., Schnabel, R., Bennetts, S., Buchler, B. C. and Ralph, T. C. (2001). Optical quantum information processing: experiments with CW laser light. 1st International Conference on Experimental Implementation of Quantum Computation, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, 16th-19th January, 2001. Rinton Press Inc.
2000
Journal Article
Modulation-free control of a continuous-wave second-harmonic generator
Shaddock, D. A., Buchler, B. C., Bowen, W. P., Gray, M. B. and Lam, P. K. (2000). Modulation-free control of a continuous-wave second-harmonic generator. Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics, 2 (5), 400-404. doi: 10.1088/1464-4258/2/5/309
1999
Journal Article
Efficient tunable ultraviolet generation in periodically poled lithium niobate
White, R. T., Bowen, W. P., McKinnie, I. T. and Wadsworth, W. J. (1999). Efficient tunable ultraviolet generation in periodically poled lithium niobate. Electronics Letters, 35 (8), 642-643. doi: 10.1049/el:19990411
1998
Other Outputs
High repetition rate Nd:YAG pumped Ti:sapphire lasers
Bowen, W. P. (1998). High repetition rate Nd:YAG pumped Ti:sapphire lasers. Honours Thesis, School of Physical Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Warwick Bowen is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Projects in quantum microscopy, nanoscience, optomechanics and precision sensing
Professor Bowen regularly has projects available. Please check his website, above, or contact him directly for details (w.bowen@uq.edu.au).
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Quantum biotechnology
Professor Bowen has PhD opportunities in quantum biotechnology in areas including:
- Quantum light microscopes to observe biological structures that are invisible to the best existing microscopes
- Quantum proteomics to fingerprint proteins at the single molecule level and understand enzyme dynamics
- Quantum and precision medical imaging technologies to measure biological magnetic fields from the brain and heart
- Precision microscopes that exploit technologies from gravitational wave detection for cell based assays
Please contact him directly for details (w.bowen@uq.edu.au).
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Liquid quantum technologies
Professor Bowen has a range of PhD opportunities in the fundamentals and applications of superfluid helium, the only naturally occuring quantum liquid. This includes, fundamental understanding of quantum turbulence, quantum devices based on the flow of superfluid helium on a silicon chip, and applications of superfluid devices to understand classical tubulence in the ocean and atmosphere.
Please contact him directly for details (w.bowen@uq.edu.au).
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Quantum and precision sensing
Professor Bowen has several PhD opportunities in optomechanical sensing technolologies that exploit the physics of kilometer-scale gravitational wave detectors, miniaturised to chip-scale, to achieve extreme precision. These projects range from magnetic, acoustic and inertial sensor technology development, to applications in resources, defence, aerospace, navigation and biomedical imaging, often in partnership with industry.
Please contact him directly for details (w.bowen@uq.edu.au).
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Quantum measurement and control
Professor Bowen has PhD opportunities in the foundations of quantum measurement and control, as well as in the applications of these methods in quantum computing and foundations. These projects generally combine both experiment and theory, developing the theory of applications of quantum measurement and control. and exploiting nanoscale devices fabricated on a silicon chip to demonstrate them. Ulitimately, this research aspires to enable new tests of the interface of quantum and classical physics, and to enable quantum interfaces and memories for large-scale quantum computers.
Please contact him directly for details (w.bowen@uq.edu.au).
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Nanomechanical computing
Professor Bowen has PhD opportunities in the development of alternative computing architectures based on mechanical vibrations in nanofabricated devcies on a silicon chip. These devices promise to address the energy problem in computing, reducing energy consumption by many orders of magnitude. They also promise to enable more robust computing in radiation-harsh environments such as Earth orbit.
Please contact him directly for details (w.bowen@uq.edu.au).
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Quantum acoustodynamics for quantum technologies and fundamental science
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Benjamin Carey
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Doctor Philosophy
Engineering phonons to improve superconducting quantum computing
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Arkady Fedorov
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Doctor Philosophy
Optomechanical monitoring of quantum Brownian motion and the challenge of Heisenberg
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Scalable and reversible computing with integrated nanomechanics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin, Dr Christopher Baker
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Doctor Philosophy
Integrated optomechanical magnetometer for through-earth wireless communication.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Benjamin Carey
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Doctor Philosophy
Deep-learning enhanced quantum microscopy
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding biological viscity using quantum-limited and quantum enhanced sensors
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin
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Doctor Philosophy
Laser control of quantum vortices
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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Doctor Philosophy
Cascaded Nanomechanical Logic
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin, Dr Christopher Baker, Dr Nishta Arora
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Doctor Philosophy
Quantum single molecule sensing
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin
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Doctor Philosophy
Towards Nonlinear Superfluid Hydrodynamics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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Doctor Philosophy
Molecular optomechanics for single molecule fingerprinting
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Allison Fish, Mr Igor Marinkovic
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Doctor Philosophy
Building quantum devices out of superfluid helium
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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Doctor Philosophy
Low frequency magnetic field sensing using cavity optomechanical magnetometers
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Benjamin Carey
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Doctor Philosophy
Advanced Optomechanical Acoustic Sensing
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nathaniel Bawden, Dr Benjamin Carey
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Doctor Philosophy
Photonic readout & control of superfluid helium films
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Sensing and imaging molecules beneath the diffraction limit
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lars Madsen, Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Nonlinear microscopy with squeezed light
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Dissipation Engineered Crystalline Nanomechanical Resonators
Principal Advisor
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Optomechanical state preparation via strong measurement
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Catching waves: Superfluid and light on a silicon chip
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Probing Quantum Macroscopicity with Cavity Optomechanics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Integrated cavity opto-electromechanics: Electrical tuning and control of optomechanical systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Micro-resonator Optomechanics with Superfluid Helium
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Probing two-dimensional quantum fluids with cavity optomechanics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Christopher Baker
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Phononics: Engineering and control of acoustic fields on a chip
Principal Advisor
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Biosensing at the quantum noise limit
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lars Madsen
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Quantum optomechanics in the unresolved sideband regime
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lars Madsen, Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Cavity Optomechanics with Feedback and Fluids
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gerard Milburn
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Quantum Measurement and Control of a Mechanical Parametric Oscillator
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Tom Stace
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Gravity as a classical information channel: Consequences and proposals towards detecting wave function collapse
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gerard Milburn
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2014
Master Philosophy
Investigation of All-fibre Methane Sensors for Underground Coal Mines
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Saiied Aminossadati, Associate Professor Mehmet Kizil
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
Development of a Sequential Multipoint Fibre Optic Methane Measurement System for Coal Mines
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Mehmet Kizil, Associate Professor Saiied Aminossadati
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Warwick Bowen directly for media enquiries about:
- quantum biotechnologies
- quantum computing
- quantum for navigation
- quantum imaging and microscopy
- quantum in health
- quantum in sport
- quantum industry
- quantum innovation
- quantum medical technologies
- quantum sensing
- quantum technologies
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