The winners of the 2024 AIP ACT Photography Competition:

“Doubling Up: Reflection and Refraction”

This photo demonstrates how light interacts within a calcite crystal rhomb.

When light passes through the cleavage plane (a fracture within a crystal) it splits into two beams, creating two laser beams in the left rhomb and a double image in the right rhomb.

The Grand Prize was awarded to Dr Margaret Wegener.

“Laser Cavities for Quantum Science”

A laser cavity is an enclosed space with mirrors that can control the resonant frequency of the light beam, causing constructive interference and standing waves.

This technology is used in a variety of physics applications from spectroscopy to quantum computing.

The Second Prize was awarded to Jayne Ion.

“Surface Tension”

Water’s strong surface tension causes individual droplets to shrink to the smallest surface area possible.

This effect is more prominent when the water drop is on a hydrophobic surface, such as a waxy leaf covered in tiny hair papilla.

The Secondary Sector Award was awarded to David Stewart.

Congratulations to the winners and everyone who participated.

The annual photo competition is run by the ACT branch and open to members Australia-wide.

The winner will have their photo published in next year’s monthly newsletters.

That’s the 2024 tally of Year 10-12 students (aka NextGen science stars) who woke up extra early to join the ‘Girls in Physics Breakfasts’ initiative in six locations across Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Championed by the Vicphysics Teachers’ Network, with the support of Invergowrie Foundation, the initiative aims to inspire young women to pursue careers in physics and STEM by facilitating connections with accomplished women role models in these fields.

The 2024 program covered events in Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne, Mildura, Monash, and Traralgon. Each featured guest speakers, interactive sessions and panel discussions.

Speakers included:

• Professor Emma Ryan-Weber, Swinburne University of Technology
• Associate Professor Gail Iles, RMIT University
• Associate Professor Kaye Morgan, Monash University
• Ms Natalie Clements, GenesisCare
• Professor Wendy Timms, Deakin University
• Professor Bre-Anne Sainsbury, Deakin University
• AIP Women in Physics Lecturer for 2024, Professor Susan Coppersmith, UNSW Sydney (whose presentation was livestreamed)

All shared insights into their educational and professional journeys, challenges faced along the way, and the rewards of pursuing a career in STEM.

The result? Students reported renewed enthusiasm for STEM and appreciated insights on career paths and diverse experiences shared by speakers.

Launched in 2016, Girls in Physics Breakfasts puts an emphasis on demystifying STEM by enabling students to share a table with – and ask questions of – women role models who are either in a career in physics or engineering or attending university.

Looking ahead, the initiative is exploring virtual sessions to reach more students, especially in regional and remote locations.

Venues and speakers for 2025 are currently being finalised. For more information, please contact: projects@vicphysics.org

What do you know about the AIP and what do you think?

Your feedback is essential to helping us improve and grow.

We invite you to complete our AIP Member Survey.

Once completed, you will have the chance to win a year of free membership, with access to awards, scholarships, the Australian Physics magazine, and more.

The survey asks about your awareness of AIP initiatives, such as advocacy and member benefits and services, and what you would like to see from the AIP at the National and Branch level.

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Fellowship of the AIP (FAIP) is an honour that recognises significant acknowledged impact over a sustained period.

Impact may be demonstrated through outstanding original research; significant contributions to education; significant development of industrial applications of physics; and leadership in government of industry, or outstanding contributions to outreach or service to physics.

Congratulations to the AIP Fellows elected in 2024:

• Prof Daoyi Dong FAIP, The Australian National University
• Prof Joanne Etheridge FAIP FAA, Monash University
• Prof Yuerui Lu FAIP, The Australian National University
• Prof Andy Martin FAIP, University of Melbourne
• Prof Harry M Quiney FAIP, University of Melbourne
• Prof Soumitra Satapathi FAIP, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
• Prof Michael Tobar FAIP, The University of Western Australia
• A/Prof Muhammad Usman FAIP, CSIRO
• Prof Zongyou Yin FAIP FRSC, The Australian National University

Newly elected Fellows will be presented with their certificates at the AIP Congress in Melbourne next month.

Read more about nominations for Fellowship of the AIP.

The 33rd General Assembly of IUPAP (The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics) was held in October.

The following Australian nominees were elected to roles on IUPAP commissions for 2025-2027:

A/Prof Yvonne Wong (UNSW Sydney):
C4, Commission on Astroparticle Physics

Dr Carla Verdi (The University of Queensland):
C10, Commission on Structure and Dynamics of Condensed Matter

Prof Nicole Bell (The University of Melbourne):
C11, Commission on Particles and Fields

Prof Manjula Sharma (The University of Sydney):
Chair, C14, Commission on Physics Education

Prof Jan de Gier (The University of Melbourne):
Vice-Chair, C18, Commission on Mathematical Physics

Prof Derek Leinweber (The University of Adelaide):
C20, Commission on Computational Physics

The AIP VIC branch ran a field trip to the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) on 25 October this year.

This major new facility – the only underground science lab in the southern hemisphere – is located 1km beneath the surface, in the Stawell Gold Mine in regional Victoria. SUPL is designed to host dark matter experiments and other science projects that require an ultra-low radiation environment provided by a deep underground lab.

Twenty AIP members made the journey underground, including students, professors, high school teachers, and physicists in industry.  They saw the new infrastructure and heard commentary from SUPL Facility Manager Kim Mintern-Lane and AIP President (and dark matter physicist!) Prof Nicole Bell.

Plans for Quantum Year are coming together around the country including:

• Quantum Australia 2025: which will come to Brisbane in March 2025, coinciding with the World Science Festival
• National Science Week: Students across the country will learn to decipher “nature's hidden language” for the National Science Week Schools Theme 2025
• University sponsorship: we’re currently inviting universities to partner with us to develop Quantum Year. RMIT are our first University Gold Partner. We’re also keen to talk with industry.

In other quantum news: Australia’s Chief Scientist, Cathy Foley AO ASM, gave a plenary at the Quantum World Conference in September, Quantum Brilliance founder Andrew Horsley won a Prime Minister’s Science Prize, and we have links to a host of other recent quantum science stories.

Please let us know what you’re planning locally, in your state, or across the country. Email us at quantum2025@aip.org.au.

If you or your organisation would like to partner with the AIP to deliver Quantum Year for Australia please also get in touch at quantum2025@aip.org.au.

Read more about Quantum Year.

• Q-CTRL bolstered by $88 million investment (Forbes reporting; SMH reporting; press release), while Q-CTRL's founder and EQUS chief investigator Michael Biercuk made the Australian's Top 100 Innovator's list.
• Silicon Quantum Computing is readying its first product for launch, with founder Michelle Simmons tipping SQC in the 'quantum race' at SXSW Sydney
• CQC2T announces the successful entanglement of two electrons bound to two different phosphorus atoms across a single silicon chip
• Quantum Brilliance have been busy, snapping up a partnership to build a mobile quantum computer and announcing a collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Lab
• Diraq gets their qubits in synch in research published in Nature Communications led by UNSW PhD student Ingvild Hansen (press release, blog)
• The Queensland government has awarded $10 million to the Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance - a consortium including the CSIRO, the University of Queensland, and many others - to investigate the potential of quantum technology to curtail and reverse carbon pollution
• The Centre of Excellence for Biotechnology (QUBIC) has received $4.7 million from the Queensland government to develop quantum technologies for the upcoming Brisbane Olympic Games, including catching cheats with quantum sensors.
• EQuS researchers are partnering with NASA to bring a space-age heart monitoring technology down to Earth - using quantum sensing to monitor heart health safely and non-invasively.
• Expert commentary on the PsiQuantum partnership in The Conversation and latest coverage on the ABC.
• Infleqtion Australia are expanding their quantum software capability (SuperStaq) in the growing Victorian and Asia-Pacific markets. They were awarded Phase II of the Australian Army’s Quantum Technology Challenge (QTC)
• Andrew Horsley from Quantum Brilliance wins Prime Minister’s New Innovator Prize.

Please let us know what you’re planning for Quantum Year, and look out for information soon about briefings in Perth, Brisbane, and at the AIP Congress in Melbourne.

Read more about Quantum Year.

Would your university like to partner with the AIP to use the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology? With your support we can:

• encourage today’s school and university students to take up the physical sciences;
• address the skills gap that threatens to hold back developments in quantum science, defence, AUKUS priorities, AI and other fields;
• build recognition of the decades of fundamental research funded by the ARC in universities and Centres of Excellence that has led to Australia’s leadership in quantum science.

The AIP, as the peak body for physics in Australia, has the knowledge and networks to bring Quantum Year to life – with your help.

A successful Quantum Year will benefit every Australian university with physical science-based courses and research. You’ll be able to use the Year as a theme throughout your marketing to students, parents, and researchers.

Your financial support will help us ensure that the Year has the widest possible impact.

Your support will also open up opportunities for you to demonstrate and promote your role as leaders in quantum science in Australia.

Three levels of support are available:

• Gold Quantum Year Foundation Partner: $20,000, one per state
• Silver Quantum Year Foundation Partner: $10,000, two per state
• Bronze Quantum Year Foundation Partner: $5,000, up to five per state.

We need your support now, to set up the foundations for the year: website, communication, briefings, newsletters, banners etc. With your help we will be able to reach industry, government, and cultural organisations to ensure that Quantum Year is memorable and impactful.

If you or your organisation would like to partner with the AIP to deliver Quantum Year for Australia please also get in touch, email me at quantum2025@aip.org.au. 

Read more about Quantum Year.

Australia took top billing at Quantum World Congress last month with Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley addressing a full plenary on quantum technology in the Indo-Pacific.

"You've probably seen quite a few Australians there at the Congress," said Cathy in her remarks. "That's a consequence of decades of patient investment in fundamental work and research."

Cathy spoke at a roundtable event alongside other scientific leaders from India, Japan, the United States, and Australia, the four 'Quad' nations, who have a semi-formal alliance for regional stability.

The speakers agreed that government support for quantum has to be broad, deep, and sustained if the technology is going to play its part in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"You can't turn away from quantum," said Cathy. "This isn't something you can dabble in. You've got to be all-in."

You can find Dr Foley's remarks here, and here's a full playlist of the conference.

Read more about Quantum Year.