UNSW research with the potential to revolutionise the storage and processing of information has earned Associate Professor Alex Hamilton the Australasian Science Prize for 2006.

The award is the latest in a string of prize-winning performances by young UNSW Faculty of Science researchers.

Professor Hamilton and his team at the Quantum Electronic Devices (QED) Group have found ways to manipulate the magnetic spin of holes in semiconductors, which are 100 times narrower than a human hair.

Known as a “hole quantum wire”, the breakthrough exploits the gaps between electrons and can carry a current without need for electrons.

The remarkable properties of these tiny wires could unleash a new world of super-fast, low-powered transistors and powerful quantum computers.

The other members of the QED group are: Dr Warrick Clarke, Dr Romain Danneau, Mr Lap-Hang Ho, Mr Oleh Klochan, Dr Adam Micolich, Prof Michelle Simmons, Mr Tom Sobey and Dr Carlin Yasin.

The award comes on the back of recent good news for the group. Dr Micolich and Professor Hamilton were recently awarded a discovery grant of $1.3 million from the Australian Research Council to extend their research on GaAs nanostructure devices.

Associate Professor Hamilton has been awarded a 5-year ARC Professorial Fellowship, and Dr Micolich was awarded a "Young Tall Poppy" Award from the Australian Institute of Policy & Science.

Meanwhile, the research continues with PhD student Lap-hang Ho conducting a unique series of experiments on coupled hole devices, and Oleh Klochan continuing experiments on a new generation of hole quantum wires.

A story on the team’s research is published in the current issue of Australasian Science.

The Young Tall Poppy campaign recognises outstanding young Australian achievers.

Two other Faculty of Science researchers were also recognised in this year's awards. They were:

Palaeontologist Dr Stephen Wroe, an expert on mammalian carnivore evolution, who has made new findings on subjects ranging from marsupial carnivore feeding behaviour to the nesting behaviour of pterosaurs (flying reptiles).

Dr Wroe is a QEII Research Fellow and has been awarded a $750,000 ARC grant and a $180,000 UNSW Strategic Initiatives grant to continue his work in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Leigh Sheppard, from UNSW’s Centre for Materials Research in Energy Conversion, is working on an efficient way to split water into hydrogen and oxygen by using solar energy and titania – work which could see Australia become a world leader in developing pollution-free transport.

Leigh’s discovery of metallic-like materials based on titanium oxide is also paving the way for the production of environmentally friendly building materials using titania coatings.