Ben Sparkes

School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

I am a quantum technology researcher working within the Precision Measurement Group in the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (School of Physics Sciences). I obtained my PhD in Physics from the Australian National University in 2013, where I developed techniques to store and manipulate optical quantum information. In 2013 I moved to the University of Melbourne to work on the development of a cold atom electron/ion source, our goal being to create ultra-short ultra-bright bunches of electrons for single-shot diffraction imaging of biological samples, as well as incredibly focused ion beams for sub-nanometer resolution fabrication. I was awarded a McKenzie Fellowship from the University of Melbourne from 2014-2016, which allowed me to investigate novel methods to improve the source performance. In 2017 I joined the University of Adelaide as an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow, working towards realising a fibre-based optical quantum information network for absolutely secure communications and next-generation computing.

My Research
Career
Publications
Grants and Funding
Teaching
Supervision
Professional Activities
Contact

For more information on the research being carried out by the Precision Measurement Group, please see its website. In July 2019 I presented the University of Adelaide Research Tuesday seminar on the important role quantum mechanics is playing in our lives today, and its promise for the world of tomorrow, which can be viewed here. I am also involved in outreach through The Amazing University of Adelaide Laser Radio program. For this work I was awarded the 2018 SA Tall Poppy of the Year award at the SA Science Excellence Awards.

Video courtesy of the Department for Industry and Skills, Government of South Australia.

Appointments

Date	Position	Institution name
2020 - ongoing	Quantum Technology Researcher	Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing
2017 - 2020	ARC DECRA Fellow	The University of Adelaide
2014 - 2016	McKenzie Fellow	The University of Melbourne
2013 - 2013	Research Fellow	The University of Melbourne

Awards and Achievements

Date	Type	Title	Institution Name	Country	Amount
2019	Scholarship	Fulbright Future Scholarship	Australian-American Fulbright Commission	Australia	-
2018	Award	SA Tall Poppy of the Year	Australian Institute of Policy & Science	Australia	-

Education

Date	Institution name	Country	Title
2010 - 2011	The Australian National University	Australia	Graduate Certificate in Higher Education
2009 - 2013	The Australian National University	Australia	PhD
2005 - 2008	The Australian National University	Australia	Bachelor of Philosophy in Science (PhB - Hons)

Research Interests

Atom Optics Photonics, Optoelectronics and Optical Communications Quantum Information, Computation and Communication Quantum Optics Quantum Physics

Journals

Year	Citation
2024	Rowland, J., Perrella, C., Luiten, A. N., Gartman, R., Kaczmarek, K. T., Nunn, J., & Sparkes, B. M. (2024). High-bandwidth warm-atom quantum memory using hollow-core photonic crystal fibers. Physical Review Applied, 21(1), 9 pages. DOI Scopus2
2023	Strathearn, A., Offer, R. F., Hilton, A. P., Klantsataya, E., Luiten, A. N., Anderson, R. P., . . . Stace, T. M. (2023). Wave-front curvature in optical atomic beam clocks. Physical Review A, 108(1), 013105-1-013105-12. DOI
2022	Joshi, C., Sparkes, B. M., Farsi, A., Gerrits, T., Verma, V., Ramelow, S., . . . Gaeta, A. L. (2022). Picosecond-resolution single-photon time lens for temporal mode quantum processing. Optica, 9(4), 364-373. DOI Scopus21 WoS8
2021	Rowland, J., Perrella, C., Light, P., Sparkes, B. M., & Luiten, A. N. (2021). Using an injection-locked VCSEL to produce Fourier-transform-limited optical pulses. Optics Letters, 46(2), 412-415. DOI Scopus4 WoS3
2021	Sun, X., Rickard, W. D. A., Sparkes, B. M., White, B. R., Offer, R. F., Luiten, A. N., & Ironside, C. N. (2021). Rapid prototyping of grating magneto-optical traps using a focused ion beam. Optics Express, 29(23), 37733-1-37733-14. DOI Scopus3 WoS1
2020	Hedger, J. P., Elsmann, T., Becker, M., Tiess, T., Luiten, A. N., & Sparkes, B. M. (2020). High performance fiber-Fabry-Perot resonator targeting quantum optics applications. IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 32(14), 879-882. DOI Scopus5 WoS3
2019	Mik, J. L., Sparkes, B., Perrella, C., Light, P., Ng, S., Luiten, A., & Ottaway, D. (2019). High-transmission fiber ring resonator for spectral filtering of master oscillator power amplifiers. OSA Continuum, 2(8), 2487-2495. DOI Scopus4 WoS4
2018	Hilton, A., Perrella, C., Benabid, F., Sparkes, B., Luiten, A., & Light, P. (2018). High-efficiency cold-atom transport into a waveguide trap. Physical Review Applied, 10(4), 044034-1-044034-9. DOI Scopus16 WoS14
2018	McCulloch, A., Speirs, R., Wissenberg, S., Tielen, R., Sparkes, B., & Scholten, R. (2018). Heralded ions via ionization coincidence. Physical Review A, 97(4), 043423-1-043423-7. DOI Scopus4 WoS3
2017	Speirs, R., McCulloch, A., Sparkes, B., & Scholten, R. (2017). Identification of competing ionization processes in the generation of ultrafast electron bunches from cold-atom electron sources. Physical Review A, 95(5), 053408-1-053408-6. DOI Scopus4 WoS4
2017	McCulloch, A., Speirs, R., Grimmel, J., Sparkes, B., Comparat, D., & Scholten, R. (2017). Field ionization of Rydberg atoms for high-brightness electron and ion beams. Physical Review A, 95(6), 063845-1-063845-8. DOI Scopus12 WoS10
2016	Torrance, J., Sparkes, B., Turner, L., & Scholten, R. (2016). Sub-kilohertz laser linewidth narrowing using polarization spectroscopy. Optics Express, 24(11), 11396-11406. DOI Scopus14 WoS9 Europe PMC3
2016	McCulloch, A., Sparkes, B., & Scholten, R. (2016). Cold electron sources using laser-cooled atoms. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 49(16), 164004-1-164004-17. DOI Scopus12 WoS9
2016	Sparkes, B., Murphy, D., Taylor, R., Speirs, R., McCulloch, A., & Scholten, R. (2016). Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage for improved performance of a cold-atom electron and ion source. Physical Review A, 94(2), 023404-1-023404-8. DOI Scopus11 WoS11
2016	Murphy, D., & Sparkes, B. (2016). Disorder-induced heating of ultracold neutral plasmas created from atoms in partially filled optical lattices. Physical Review E, 94(2), 021201-1-021201-5. DOI Scopus9 WoS6
2016	Thompson, D., Murphy, D., Speirs, R., van Bijnen, R., McCulloch, A., Scholten, R., & Sparkes, B. (2016). Suppression of emittance growth using a shaped cold atom electron and Ion source. Physical Review Letters, 117(19), 193202-1-193202-5. DOI Scopus13 WoS11 Europe PMC3
2015	Murphy, D., Scholten, R., & Sparkes, B. (2015). Increasing the brightness of cold ion beams by suppressing disorder-induced heating with Rydberg blockade. Physical Review Letters, 115(21), 214802-1-214802-6. DOI Scopus16 WoS15 Europe PMC1
2015	Speirs, R., Putkunz, C., McCulloch, A., Nugent, K., Sparkes, B., & Scholten, R. (2015). Single-shot electron diffraction using a cold atom electron source. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 48(21), 214002-1-214002-6. DOI Scopus18 WoS16
2015	Sparkes, B., Weber, K., Hawthorn, C., Walkiewicz, M., Vredenbregt, E., & Scholten, R. (2015). Fluorescence polarization imaging of Sisyphus cooling in an atomic beam. Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 92(2), 023411-1-023411-11. DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2015	Higginbottom, D., Geng, J., Campbell, G., Hosseini, M., Cao, M., Sparkes, B., . . . Buchler, B. (2015). Dual-rail optical gradient echo memory. Optics Express, 23(19), 24937-24944. DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2014	Geng, J., Campbell, G., Bernu, J., Higginbottom, D., Sparkes, B., Assad, S., . . . Buchler, B. (2014). Electromagnetically induced transparency and fourwave mixing in a cold atomic ensemble with large optical depth. New Journal of Physics, 16(11), 113053-1-113053-11. DOI Scopus34 WoS32
2014	McCulloch, A., Sheludko, D., Putkunz, C., Saliba, S., Thompson, D., Speirs, R., . . . Scholten, R. (2014). High-coherence electron and ion bunches from laser-cooled atoms. Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions (ICPEAC XXVIII), as published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 488(1), 012045-1-012045-7. DOI
2014	Murphy, D., Speirs, R., Sheludko, D., Putkunz, C., McCulloch, A., Sparkes, B., & Scholten, R. (2014). Detailed observation of space-charge dynamics using ultracold ion bunches. Nature Communications, 5(1), 4489-1-4489-6. DOI Scopus31 WoS28 Europe PMC3
2014	Sparkes, B., Thompson, D., McCulloch, A., Murphy, D., Speirs, R., Torrance, J., & Scholten, R. (2014). High-coherence electron and ion bunches from laser-cooled atoms. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 20(4), 1008-1014. DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC1
2013	Pinel, O., Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B., Everett, J., Higginbottom, D., Campbell, G., . . . Buchler, B. (2013). Gradient echo quantum memory in warm atomic vapor. Jove-Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2013(81), e50552-1-e50552-10. DOI
2013	Giner, L., Veissier, L., Sparkes, B., Sheremet, A., Nicolas, A., Mishina, O., . . . Laurat, J. (2013). Experimental investigation of the transition between Autler-Townes splitting and electromagnetically-induced-transparency models. Physical Review A, 87(1), 013823-1-013823-5. DOI Scopus82 WoS74
2013	Sparkes, B., Bernu, J., Hosseini, M., Geng, J., Glorieux, Q., Altin, P., . . . Buchler, B. (2013). Gradient echo memory in an ultra-high optical depth cold atomic ensemble. New Journal of Physics, 15(8), 085027-1-085027-15. DOI Scopus50 WoS47
2013	Sparkes, B., Bernu, J., Hosseini, M., Geng, J., Glorieux, Q., Altin, P., . . . Buchler, B. (2013). An ultra-high optical depth cold atomic ensemble for quantum memories. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 467(1), 012009-1-012009-5. DOI Scopus7 WoS5
2012	Campbell, G., Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2012). Time- and frequency-domain polariton interference. New Journal of Physics, 14(3), 033022-1-033022-10. DOI Scopus29 WoS28
2012	Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B., Campbell, G., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2012). Storage and manipulation of light using a Raman gradient-echo process. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 45(12), 1-13. DOI Scopus28 WoS30
2012	Sparkes, B., Hosseini, M., Cairns, C., Higginbottom, D., Campbell, G., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2012). Precision spectral manipulation: a demonstration using a coherent optical memory. Physical Review X, 2(2), 021011-1-021011-10. DOI Scopus20 WoS16
2012	Hosseini, M., Rebić, S., Sparkes, B., Twamley, J., Buchler, B., & Lam, P. (2012). Memory-enhanced noiseless cross-phase modulation. Light: Science and Applications, 1(DECEMBER), e40-1-e40-5. DOI Scopus36 WoS28
2012	Higginbottom, D., Sparkes, B., Rancic, M., Pinel, O., Hosseini, M., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2012). Spatial-mode storage in a gradient-echo memory. Physical Review A, 86(2), 023801-1-023801-10. DOI Scopus49 WoS50
2011	Hosseini, M., Campbell, G., Sparkes, B., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2011). Unconditional room-temperature quantum memory. Nature Physics, 7(10), 794-798. DOI Scopus150 WoS140
2011	Chrzanowski, H., Bernu, J., Sparkes, B., Hage, B., Lund, A., Ralph, T., . . . Symul, T. (2011). Photon-number discrimination without a photon counter and its application to reconstructing non-Gaussian states. Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 84(5), 050302-1-050302-4. DOI Scopus5 WoS5
2011	Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B., Campbell, G., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2011). High efficiency coherent optical memory with warm rubidium vapour. Nature Communications, 2(1), 1-5. DOI Scopus268 WoS239 Europe PMC30
2011	Sparkes, B., Chrzanowski, H., Parrain, D., Buchler, B., Lam, P., & Symul, T. (2011). A scalable, self-analyzing digital locking system for use on quantum optics experiments. Review of Scientific Instruments, 82(7), 075113-1-075113-7. DOI Scopus22 WoS21 Europe PMC7
2010	Sparkes, B. M., Hosseini, M., Hétet, G., Lam, P. K., & Buchler, B. C. (2010). Ac Stark gradient echo memory in cold atoms. Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 82(4), 10 pages. DOI Scopus36 WoS25
2010	Buchler, B. C., Hosseini, M., Hétet, G., Sparkes, B. M., & Lam, P. K. (2010). Precision spectral manipulation of optical pulses using a coherent photon echo memory. Optics Letters, 35(7), 1091-1093. DOI Scopus27 WoS25 Europe PMC4
2009	Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B. M., Hétet, G., Longdell, J. J., Lam, P. K., & Buchler, B. C. (2009). Coherent optical pulse sequencer for quantum applications. Nature, 461(7261), 241-245. DOI Scopus167 WoS139 Europe PMC26
2008	Hétet, G., Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B. M., Oblak, D., Lam, P. K., & Buchler, B. C. (2008). Photon echoes generated by reversing magnetic field gradients in a rubidium vapor. Optics Letters, 33(20), 2323-2325. DOI Scopus96 WoS87 Europe PMC13
-	Sparkes, B. (n.d.). High-Transmission Fibre Ring Resonator for Spectral Filtering of Master Oscillator Power Amplifiers. DOI
-	Sparkes, B. (n.d.). Changing Colours in Optical Fibres: The Key to Long-Distance Quantum-Secured Communications. DOI

Conference Papers

Year	Citation
2020	Koumi, Z., Sparkes, B., Swierkowski, L., Drake, S., & Ottaway, D. (2020). Determining the advantage of quantum radar. In Proceedings of the 14th Pacific Rim Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO PR 2020) Vol. 321 (pp. 1-2). online: OSA/IEEE. DOI
2019	Rowland, J., Light, P. S., Luiten, A. N., Perrella, C., & Sparkes, B. M. (2019). Injection locking of a pulsed VCSEL. In Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering Vol. 11200 (pp. 1-3). online: SPIE. DOI
2019	Hedger, J. P., Luiten, A. N., & Sparkes, B. M. (2019). Compact stable fibre-based optical frequency filter. In Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering Vol. 11200 (pp. 1-3). online: SPIE. DOI
2014	Speirs, R. W., Thompson, D. J., Murphy, D., Sparkes, B. M., & Scholten, R. E. (2014). Electron diffraction from a cold atom electron source. In Frontiers in Optics, FiO 2014 (pp. FTh1A.3). OSA. DOI
2014	Speirs, R., Thompson, D., Murphy, D., Sparkes, B., & Scholten, R. (2014). Electron diffraction from a cold atom electron source. In Frontiers in Optics, FiO 2014.
2014	Sparkes, B., Cairns, C., Hosseini, M., Higginbottom, D., Campbell, G., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2014). Precision spectral manipulation: a demonstration using a coherent optical memory. In H. Schmiedmayer, & P. Walther (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing (QCMC 2012), as published in AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 1633 (pp. 270-272). Vienna, AUSTRIA: American Institute of Physics. DOI
2013	Lam, P., Hosseini, M., Campbell, G., Pinel, O., Sparkes, B., Twamley, J., . . . Buchler, B. (2013). Building a quantum repeater with quantum memories and noiseless amplifiers. In Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim (CLEO-PR 2013) Vol. 86 (pp. 1-2). Kyoto, Japan: IEEE. DOI WoS4
2013	Giner, L., Veissier, L., Sparkes, B., Sheremet, A., Nicolas, A., Mishina, O., . . . Laurat, J. (2013). Discriminating between the Autler-Townes splitting and the electromagnetically-induced transparency models: a tool for probing the medium properties. In Proceedings of the CLEO 2013, OSA Technical Digest Vol. 107 (pp. 1-2). San Jose, CA: OSA Publishing. DOI
2013	Giner, L., Veissier, L., Sparkes, B., Sheremet, A., Nicolas, A., Mishina, O., . . . Laurat, J. (2013). Experimental investigation of the transition between Autler-Townes splitting and electromagnetically-induced transparency models. In Proceedings of the 2013 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe and International Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/EUROPE/IQEC) (pp. 1). Munich, Germany: IEEE. DOI
2013	Hosseini, M., Rebic, S., Sparkes, B., Twamley, J., Buchler, B., & Lam, P. (2013). Quantum nonlinear optics using optical memory. In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers.
2013	Buchler, B., Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B., Geng, J., Bernu, J., Campbell, G., . . . Lam, P. (2013). Programmable quantum memory in atomic ensembles. In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers.
2013	Buchler, B., Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B., Geng, J., Bernu, J., Campbell, G., . . . Lam, P. K. (2013). Programmable quantum memory in atomic ensembles. In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers (pp. FM3D.2). OSA. DOI
2013	Hosseini, M., Rebic, S., Sparkes, B. M., Twamley, J., Buchler, B. C., & Lam, P. K. (2013). Quantum nonlinear optics using optical memory. In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers (pp. NW1A.2). OSA. DOI
2011	Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B. M., Campbell, G., Buchler, B. C., & Lam, P. K. (2011). A room temperature quantum optical memory. In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers (pp. QTuG1). OSA. DOI
2011	Hosseini, M., Campbell, G., Sparkes, B., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2011). A room temperature quantum memory. In Proceedings of the International Quantum Electronics Conference and Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim 2011 Vol. 24 (pp. 510-512). Sydney, Australia: IEEE. DOI
2011	Chrzanowski, H., Bernu, J., Sparkes, B., Hage, B., Lund, A., Ralph, T., . . . Symul, T. (2011). Photon number discrimination without a photon counter and reconstructing non-Gaussian states of light. In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers (pp. 1754-1755).
2011	Hosseini, M., Sparkes, B., Campbell, G., Buchler, B., & Lam, P. (2011). A room temperature quantum optical memory. In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers. International Conference on Quantum Information, ICQI 2011 (pp. 1-3). Online: OSA Publishing.
2011	Sparkes, B., Hosseini, M., Hétet, G., Lam, P., & Buchler, B. (2011). Spectral manipulation of optical pulses using the gradient echo memory scheme. In Proceedings of the International Quantum Electronics Conference and Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim 2011 (pp. 513-514). Sydney, Australia: IEEE. DOI
2011	Buchler, B., Hosseini, M., Hétet, G., Sparkes, B., Longdell, J., Sellars, M., & Lam, P. (2011). High efficiency gradient echo memory with 3-level atoms. In AIP Conference Proceedings. 10th International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing, QCMC 2010 Vol. 1363 (pp. 383-388). Online: AIP Publishing LLC. DOI

Media

Year Citation

- Perrella, C., Sparkes, B., Janvier, E., & Lincoln, P. (n.d.). Laser Radio.
DOI

Year	Citation
-	Perrella, C., Sparkes, B., Janvier, E., & Lincoln, P. (n.d.). Laser Radio. DOI

Currently Held Grants and Fellowships:

DST-EQUS Grant (2019-2020)
- Title: Frequency Conversion via Four-Wave Mixing for Long-Distance Quantum Communications
- Chief Investigators: T. J. Weinhold, B. M. Sparkes
- Funding: $100,000
- Summary: Our aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of performing frequency conversion of light pulses from 795nm to 1530nm - a critical step for achieving long-distance quantum communications using efficient Rubidium-based quantum memories. We will achieve this by using four-wave mixing with warm Rubidium atoms stored in a hollow-core photonic crystal fibre.
Australia-Germany Joint Research Co-Operation Scheme (2019-2020)
- Title: Quantum Simulations with Stationary Light in Hollow Fibres
- Chief Investigators: B. M. Sparkes, A. N. Luiten, C. Perrella, P. S. Light, J. P. Hedger, P. Windpassinger
- Funding: $22,500
- Summary: By engineering “crystals of light” through enhanced atom-light interactions within the hollow core of special optical fibres, this Project will realise a new, improved form of quantum simulator that will be flexible, scalable and easy to read. This is important as a quantum simulator will allow us to study crucial quantum systems that cannot be studied via conventional physics.
Next Generation Technology Fund (2019-2020)
- Title: Quantum Radar for Stealth Detection
- Chief Investigators: D. Ottaway, B. M. Sparkes, L. Swierkowski, B. Smith, G. Nash
- Funding: $243,000
- Summary: Quantum radar is a complex topic that encompasses many areas of physics and engineering. Research into quantum radar is evolving rapidly. This Project will combine expertise on classical radar and lidar systems, atmospheric physics, quantum optical information transmission and storage, as well as the engineering of novel light sources and detectors to provide an up-to-date expert assessment of feasibility and predicted benefit of quantum radar.

Previously Held Grants and Fellowships:

ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award DE170100752 (2017-2019)
- Title: Fully-Integrated Fibre-Based Platform for a Quantum Information Network
- Chief Investigator: B. M. Sparkes
- Funding: $360,000
- Summary: This Project will implement novel quantum information storage protocols in the hollow-core fibre systems available at the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing.
Fulbright Future Scholarship (2019-2020)
- Title: Changing Colours in Optical Fibres: The Key to Long-Distance Quantum-Secured Communications
- Chief Investigators: B. M. Sparkes
- Funding: $13,000
- Summary: Information encoded onto single particles of light is the key to future global cybersecurity. This Fulbright Fellowship will combine unique Australian expertise in atom-light interactions with world-leading experience in mixing multi-coloured light fields at Columbia University to enable the development of next-generation secure communications by dramatically increasing the distance of quantum-secured fibre information networks. More information available here.
ARC Linkage Project LP150101188 (2015-2018)
- Title: Optical Technology for Quantum Science
- Chief Investigators: R. E. Scholten, R. Starr, N. P. Robins, M. Biercuk, E. Huntington, B. M. Sparkes
- Funding: $350,000
- Summary: The Project is developing precision instrumentation both to enhance scientific research and to strengthen ties with industry through commercialisation.
University of Melbourne McKenzie Fellowship (2014-2017)
- Title: High Resolution, Ultra-fast Imaging of Biological Crystals with a Cold Atom Electron/Ion Source
- Chief Investigator: B. M. Sparkes
- Funding: $320,000
- Summary: This fellowship scheme is to attract outstanding recent doctoral graduates to the University of Melbourne, and provided me with salary and $25k for the purchase of equipment over three years.
Defence Science and Technology Group CERA Grant (2017-2018)
- Title: High-Performance Optical Clock for Satellite and UAV Applications
- Chief Investigator: C. Perrella; Associate Investigators: P. Light, F. Baynes, B. M. Sparkes, A. Luiten
- Funding: $97,711
- Summary: This Project, in the inaugural DST CERA round, is aiming to develop a high-performance and compact optical clock for GPS applications.

My teaching at the University of Adelaide includes:

Photonics IV (Lecturer, 2017-2020)
Optics and Photonics III (Lecturer, 2017-2018)
Principles & Practice of Research II (Mentor, 2018)
Principles & Practice of Research III (Mentor, 2018)

Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

Date	Role	Research Topic	Program	Degree Type	Student Load	Student Name
2021	Principal Supervisor	Distant clock synchronisation	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Ms Sabrina Slimani
2020	Co-Supervisor	NGTF quantum technology stream quest to build a portable atomic clock	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Benjamin Robert White

Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

Date	Role	Research Topic	Program	Degree Type	Student Load	Student Name
2018 - 2024	Principal Supervisor	Applying Fibre Bragg Grating Fabry-Perot Resonators for Filtering and Sensing Applications	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Part Time	Mr Jonathan Peter Hedger

Committee Memberships

Date	Role	Committee	Institution	Country
2019 - ongoing	Secretary	Quantum Information Concepts and Coherence Topical Group	Australian Institute of Physics	Australia
2018 - ongoing	Member	IPAS Scientific Leadership Committee	Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing	Australia
2018 - ongoing	Co-Chair	IPAS Science Network	University of Adelaide	Australia
2017 - 2017	Member	IPAS Science Network	University of Adelaide	Australia

Memberships

Date	Role	Membership	Country
2014 - ongoing	Member	Australian Institute of Physics	Australia
2014 - ongoing	Member	American Physical Society	United States
2009 - ongoing	Member	Optical Society of America	United States
2009 - ongoing	Member	Australian Optical Society	Australia

Email: ben.sparkes@adelaide.edu.au