Quantum-enabled neural imaging
QUBIC’s brain theme is focused on advancing our understanding of the brain through quantum technologies and imaging techniques. Our vision is to unlock the mysteries of neural networks and brain function by developing revolutionary tools for brain imaging at unprecedented resolution and scale.
Our overarching grand challenge is to achieve real-time imaging of brain electromagnetic fields at sub-cellular resolution. The human brain has 86 billion neurons connected through 100 trillion synapses and represents one of the most complex systems in nature. Unravelling how this intricate network gives rise to cognition, perception, and behaviour requires observing neural activity across the brain with single-cell precision.
This program focuses on quantum microscopy in developing novel quantum-enabled microscopes to push the boundaries of neural imaging; room-temperature magnetoencephalography (MEG) with record-breaking sensitivity for non-invasive brain mapping; and real-time quantum-enabled brain imaging in model organisms.
Our impact
Heat-Activated Imaging: New NIR-II Material Glows for a Longer Lifetime
Seeing deep into the brain without harming delicate tissue is one of the biggest challenges in medical imaging. Researchers from QUBIC at the University of Technology Sydney have developed a new material that could help, one that glows longer and more stably as temperatures rise.
Published in Nano Letters, the material emits long-lasting near-infrared (NIR-II) light, which is ideal for deep-tissue imaging. Unlike traditional materials that fade when they heat up, this one becomes more luminous, making it easier to see what’s happening inside the body, potentially useful during surgery or in areas where temperature changes are common.
This research supports QUBIC’s mission to develop quantum-enabled technologies that reveal the inner workings of living systems. The material leverages the quantum properties of lanthanide ions, pairing special energy levels of different ions to enable more efficient energy transfer at higher temperatures. This design turns thermal fading, a long-standing problem, into an advantage, allowing for clearer, more stable imaging when it’s needed most.
By advancing the fundamental understanding of energy transfer in lanthanide systems, this work contributes to the development of next-generation imaging materials that could support neurological research, where non-invasive, high-resolution access to brain structures is critically needed.
Published paper: Thermally Prolonged NIR-II Luminescence Lifetimes by Cross-Relaxation (2024)
Contact us
If you would like to work or study with us within this research theme please contact our Brain Theme Lead, Professor Lezanne Ooi.