Public Lecture with Prof Michael Tobar — ‘It’s about Time: Clocks, Quantum Technology and the Quest for a Physical Theory of Everything’.

Professor Michael Tobar knows the importance of time. His cutting-edge research involves measuring time to improve international clock technology and precision measurements, as well as undertaking laboratory research to test the fundamental rules of physics.

Professor Tobar directs the Quantum Technologies and Dark Matter (QDM) Research Laboratories at The University of Western Australia. The research group are world leaders in precision and quantum measurement technologies and its application to tests of fundamental physics. Such experiments include precision experiments to convert dark matter into light, measure quantum effects in macroscopic masses to search for a theory of quantum gravity, precision tests of the Einstein’s Equivalence Principle including experiments to see if the speed of light is in fact constant, and high frequency gravitational wave detection experiments at frequencies much higher than is currently detected worldwide. This work includes the necessary development of some of the world’s best clocks and sensors, including the ultra-precise sapphire clock and interferometer noise measurement systems.

In this lecture, Professor Tobar will give an overview of this work, including international collaborations to hunt for the elusive dark matter particles, which are observed to exist in the cosmos, and indeed must exist around us all now. As well as undertaking ground-breaking experiments in his laboratories, his research group is part of the Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) collaboration, the biggest worldwide collaboration to search for axion dark matter.

Michael E. Tobar received the Ph.D. degree in physics from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1994. He is currently a Professor of Physics with the Department of Physics at the UWA and leads the Quantum Technologies and Dark Matter (QDM) Research Lab at UWA which is part of two nation-wide Australian Research Council (ARC) Centres of Excellence—the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (CDM). His research interests encompass the broad discipline of frequency metrology, precision and quantum measurements and low temperature, condensed matter and quantum physics. Over his career he has developed a variety of precision and quantum measurement tools in his laboratory allowing the investigation of many areas of Physics and Engineering. In particular, he is interested in developing new precision technologies to undertaking precise tests of fundamental physics and has also adapted such technology to the commercial sector, which includes 12 patents in the areas of precision radar and detectors. In the area of fundamental physics his work includes low energy precision searches for dark matter, Lorentz invariance violations and searches for high frequency gravitational waves. He also leads the ORGAN axion Dark Matter detector collaboration co-funded by both Centres. Also, in 2019 his group become an official collaborator of the Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) situated at the University of Washington.

Professor Tobar has co-authored more than 300 refereed journal publications. Notably, between 2009 and 2014 he was awarded a Laureate Fellowship by the Australian Research Council, the top nationwide research fellowship. Other significant awards include the 2020-2021 IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Award, the 2014 Cady Award presented by the IEEE, the 2014 Clunies-Ross award presented by the Australian Academy of Science and Technology, the 2012 Alan Walsh medal presented by the Australian Institute of Physics, the 2010 Western Australian scientist of the year, presented by the WA Department of Commerce, the 2009, Barry Inglis medal presented by the National Measurement Institute for precision measurement and the 2006 Boas medal presented by the Australian Institute of Physics. Also, during 2007 he was elevated to Fellow of the IEEE, 2008 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and 2012 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. He also received a citation from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council for inspiring research students to reach their full potential and transform to successful research scientists through participation in ground-breaking research. He was also elected as a voting administration committee (Adcom) member for the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society for a three-year term between 2016 to 2018.