| Autor: |
Chang, Jin, Ji, Wenye, Yao, Xiong, van Run, Arnold J., Gröblacher, Simon |
| Rok vydání: |
2023 |
| Předmět: |
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| Druh dokumentu: |
Working Paper |
| Popis: |
Highly ambitious initiatives aspire to propel a miniature spacecraft to a neighboring star within a human generation, leveraging the radiation pressure of lasers for propulsion. One of the main challenges to achieving this enormous feat is to build a meter-scale, ultra-low mass lightsail with broadband reflectivity. In this work, we present the design and fabrication of such a lightsail composed of two distinct dielectric layers and patterned with a photonic crystal structure covering a 4" wafer. We overcome the crucial challenge of achieving broad band reflection of >70% spanning over the full Doppler-shifted laser wavelength range during spacecraft acceleration, in combination with low total mass in the range of a few grams when scaled to meter size. Furthermore, we find new paths to reliably fabricate these sub-wavelength structures over macroscopic areas and then systematically characterize their optical performance, confirming their suitability for future lightsail applications. Our innovative device design and precise nanofabrication approaches represent a significant leap toward interstellar exploration. |
| Databáze: |
arXiv |
| Externí odkaz: |
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