Ion Beam Induced Spatio-temporal Structural Evolution of Materials: Accelerators for a New Technology Era

The CRP was instrumental to enhance the role, extend the applicability and improve the utilization of ion beam accelerators. The developed new materials are being used for quantum sensors for bio-medical applications. The new theoretical models and simulations are being used also by other partners. The fact that ion beam irradiations were strongly coupled with the simulations helped to improve both fields in a coherent way. Through the scientific papers, workshops, conference talks the results were successfully distributed. Successful engagement with the topic and new collaborators happened whereas with the help of training workshops the results were extended also to other partners not involved in the CRP. Involvement of young generation was outstanding in the project and the well-attended training workshops also showed the interest and relevance of the topic even for developing countries. The developed standardization and protocol procedures are shared with the community by extending the efficiency of the technology and access to the new knowledge.
The F11024 CRP “Sub-cellular imaging and irradiation using accelerator-based techniques” utilized some of the key results of the F11020 CRP in the field of single ion techniques, sub-micrometer irradiation, development of bio-sensors.

Additional impacts were identified by the CRP partners.
The CRP was instrumental to the Italian partner (University of Torino) to obtain scientific results that led to strategic funding opportunities, both at the national (“Piemonte Quantum Enabling Technologies” project funded by the Piemonte Region within the “Infra P” program, total budget: 6 M€) and international (“Beyond Classical Optical Metrology” and “Single-photon sources as new quantum standards” funded under the “European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research” of the “European Association of National Metrology Institutes”, respective total budgets: 1,7 M€ and 1.8 M€) level
2. A new cleanroom is ready at Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School.
3. QST and NUS submitted a collaborative proposal “Generation of Colour Centres in Diamond and Silicon Carbide membranes” to JSPS-NUS Joint Research Project for FY2021 (Sept. 2020). *JSPS: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
4. The CRP was important to obtain the Infrastructure project: "Update and improvement of the CNA's 3 MV Tandem laboratory" funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities: 200 k€
5. The CRP was instrumental to the Italian partner in obtaining scientific results that led to strategic funding opportunities at the local level: 2-years (2019-2020) project "Ex post funding of research" of the University of Torino funded by the "Compagnia di San Paolo", budget: 54,040 €, principal investigator: P. Olivero
6. The CRP was instrumental to the Italian partner in obtaining scientific results that led to the acquisition of a state-of-the-art multi-species ion implanter at the Physics Department of the University of Torino, in the framework of project "Departments of Excellence" (L. 232/2016), funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR)
7. 05/05/2020: PhD graduate and post-doctoral fellow Sviatoslav Ditalia Tchernij is awarded the "Resmini" prize by the 5th Commission of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics for his PhD dissertation "Use of energetic ion beams for the engineering and control of quantum-optical emitters and sensors in artificial diamond" (tutor: P. Olivero, co-tutor: J. Forneris)
8. The ANSTO-CAS achievements under the scope of CRP were important for the CAS to obtain a new round of annual National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) funding by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment by the Australian Government.
9. ANSTO-CAS achievements in material research were instrumental for obtained capital funding for the ongoing technical upgrades of the single ion capability on the microprobe beamline and further improvements of the low energy ion implantation capability extending the operable fluence range down to requirements for quantum sensing and the ion energies to sub-1keV range for doping of surfaces and 2D materials (A$117k).