Professor Nigel Spooner

Professor Nigel Spooner was awarded a DPhil (Physics, Oxon) in 1993, following which he relocated to establish and head the “Luminescence Dating Laboratory” (LDL) at RSES, Australian National University, Australia. Research focussed on environmental dosimetry utilising luminescence induced in artificial and naturally-occurring environmental materials by ionising radiation from natural and man-made sources in the environment. Work included elucidation of the physics and phenomenology of thermoluminescence (TL) and optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) from these materials for dosimetry, the development of Luminescence Dating (TL & Optical Dating) protocols, and the invention of apparatus for environmental dosimetry research and application. Devices included the world’s first commercially-manufactured Optical Dating system, including luminescence readers, automated alpha particle and beta particle irradiators and specialised calibration facilities, in collaboration with Littlemore Scientific Engineering (Elsec), Oxfordshire, UK. Applications included the use of TL and Optical Dating for “retrospective dosimetry” (Dose Reconstruction) in the modern era. A key focus of the LDL was reaching into past times using radiometric dating: Optical Dating in particular had “broken through” to gain recognition as a major new chronological technique. This enabled the team to address major questions in geomorphology, soil science, palaeohydrology, archaeology and palaeontology, leading to numerous publications including cover articles in the journals Nature and Science.

Nigel transferred to DST Group in 2002, from where he initiated the joint DST Group-University of Adelaide Luminescence program from 2004. This was later incorporated as a founding element of the successful Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), and was renamed the “The Prescott Environmental Luminescence Laboratory” (PELL). The PELL boasts a globally-unique suite of instruments for luminescence analysis, radiation exposure detection and radiometric dating. Activity areas include retrospective dosimetry, radiation detection technology development including a novel class of radiation-sensitive optical fibres and single-sand-grain Optical Dating apparatus, TL research, and environmental radioisotope and dose-rate measurement. The laboratory possesses world-leading technology, hosting the most sensitive TL spectrometer, and the world’s most sensitive radiogenic luminescence imaging technology for spatially-resolved OSL & TL imaging.

Nigel's innovation and research leadership has broadened since 2014 from Radiation S&T and Luminescence Dosimetry & Geochronology to since also focus on the key new research field of “Novel Fluorescence (NF)”. In 2013 in response to the absence of field-deployable technologies capable of real time mineral species-specific identification in mining and mineral processing, he initiated the “Novel Fluorescence” research program for material-specific characterisation. This commenced with funding from CRC Optimising Resource Extraction (CRC ORE), pioneering new photonics technology for material detection, identification and quantification for mining and mineral processing. The facility includes integrated multiple synchronised laser excitation systems and UV to MWIR spectral detection, enabling “Upconversion Fluorescence” (UF) and “conventional” single-photon fluorescence to be analysed in unstudied or little-studied regimes of excitation & emission wavelength and temperature. It is now the world’s-leading laboratory pioneering “novel” forms of fluorescence for resource discovery and selective mining in both the terrestrial and off-Earth contexts. The huge potential of the NF discoveries is leading to multiple opportunities for commercialisation (spin-out, www.TeraGlo.io) and is expected to have significant real-world impact. These include sensors for asbestos, lithium ore (spodumene), phosphate minerals, heavy minerals and key REE’s. The Defence “Next Generation Technology Fund” has supported research into sensing explosives and chemicals, and the Australian Space Agency supports NF for real-time non-contact sensors capable of mineral species discrimination deployment for in situ Space Resource Assessment & Utilisation. NF identifies mineral and organic species rather than their component elements, including tiny proportions of target materials in complex environments, which will be critical for future resource assessment in the off-Earth environment and for subsequent remote mineral processing and manufacturing control.