Monash Physics and Astronomy

Our physicists are in the lab prepping for the Liquid Nitrogen Show at Monash Open Day!

Come along to Clayton campus this Sunday 2 August and find us in the Science district. You can chat with Physics and Astronomy staff and students about our programs.

Look out for the Liquid Nitrogen Show where the team will make everyday objects really cold before they smash them into tiny pieces.

We recently hosted 120 Year 10 John Monash Science School students for their 'Science Immersion Day'. Led by our Physics of Imaging colleagues, Emmanuel Terzoudis-Lumsden, Samantha Alloo and Kaye Morgan, the students made holograms (left) and 'hybrid faces' (right, seen by moving closer and further from your screen).

Thanks to all for participating in a great day!

How small can a QR code get? Apparently… atom-sized.

Monash Science researcher Dr Julian Ceddia and collaborators at Fyzikální ústav Akademie věd ČR have created what is believed to be the world’s smallest scannable QR code, measuring just 50 × 50 nanometres.

That’s:
🔬 More than 1,000 times smaller in width than a human hair
🔬 Built by placing individual silver atoms one by one
🔬 Still scannable with a phone

It may look like science having fun (and it is!), but the same techniques are helping researchers investigate the future of quantum materials and next-generation computing.

Tiny QR code. Massive science.

Read more 👉 https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/monash-and-fzu-researchers-build-the-worlds-smallest-qr-code-atom-by-atom

Fantastic news! Congratulations to Stefan Maier

Big congratulations to Professor Stefan Maier from the School of Physics and Astronomy, who has been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, one of the country’s highest honours for scientific achievement.

Professor Maier is internationally recognised for research that manipulates light at the nanoscale (think tiny structures with huge possibilities), helping drive advances in next-generation communications, sensing technologies, sustainable energy and future computing.

He was one of just 26 scientists across Australia elected in 2026.

“This recognition reflects the outstanding students and junior researchers I’ve had the privilege to work with throughout my career,” Professor Maier said.

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Read more: https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/monash-physicist-elected-fellow-of-the-australian-academy-of-science

How do you calibrate the most sensitive instruments ever built?
According to new research from the global LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA collaboration, sometimes you use colliding black holes.

Researchers from OzGrav - ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery including Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy PhD student Mallika Sinha, have helped demonstrate for the first time that gravitational waves themselves can be used to measure and correct detector calibration.

The study analysed two exceptionally strong black hole merger events, GW240925 and GW250207, showing how these cosmic collisions can help scientists verify the accuracy of the instruments used to detect them.

“It was simply bad luck that such a loud event was observed while LIGO Hanford was in an unsettled state,” said Mallika Sinha. “As our detectors become more sensitive and we observe more events, situations like this will only become more common. Without astrophysical calibration, we might not be able to reliably analyse these interesting events and miss out on some nifty science."

The breakthrough marks an important step forward for precision gravitational-wave astronomy and future measurements of the Universe itself.

The research was published in Physical Review Letters and involved the international LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA collaborations alongside OzGrav partners across Australia.

Read more 👉 https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/how-black-hole-mergers-are-helping-scientists-calibrate-the-universes-most-sensitive-instruments

What if “messy” design was actually better?

Scientists at the Monash University have discovered that adding controlled disorder to ultra-thin optical devices can make them more powerful, not less.

Instead of arranging tiny light-controlling structures in perfect order, the team created a mosaic-like pattern. The result? Devices that can do multiple things at once without getting bigger.

“Disorder is usually something engineers try to eliminate,” said Dr Haoran Ren. “But we found it can actually enhance performance.”

Co-author Dr Chi Li explains it simply: “It’s like redesigning a city so more can fit into the same space, without things getting in each other’s way.”

The research, published in Nature Communications, could lead to smaller, smarter technologies for imaging, sensing and more.

Sometimes, breaking the rules is exactly what science needs.

Read more 👉 https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/scientists-turn-mess-into-breakthrough-chaotic-design-unlocks-next-generation-optical-devices

A new study led by Monash University has found evidence of rare cosmic explosions so powerful they completely destroy stars, meaning no black hole is formed.

Working with global partners including OzGrav - ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery and the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration, researchers used gravitational waves to uncover a “missing” range of black hole masses.

Led by Monash PhD candidate Hui Tong, featuring international collaborators including Maya Fishbach.

These findings help explain how the Universe’s most massive stars live and die, and reveal one of the most extreme explosions ever predicted.

Read more 👉 https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/new-study-finds-evidence-of-cosmic-explosions-with-missing-black-holes

Ever wondered how your devices store data?

Monash researchers have now seen it happening, at the level of individual atoms. ⚛️

In a new study published in Nature Communications, the team used advanced electron microscopy to watch atoms move during the switching process that allows memory devices to store information.

What they discovered changes what we thought we knew.

Instead of a simple on/off switch, the process happens through hidden intermediate steps, and those steps can be controlled.

“We’ve been able to directly watch atoms move during the switching process that underpins how memory devices store information,” said Dr Kousuke Ooe.

“By revealing the pathways atoms take during switching, this work provides atomic-scale maps for engineering the next generation of memory devices,” said Professor Joanne Etheridge.

The result? Future devices that are smaller, faster and far more energy efficient.

From medical devices to public transport cards, this research could shape the next generation of everyday technology.

Read more 👉 https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/monash-scientists-capture-atoms-in-motion,-unlocking-next-generation-memory-technology