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Multifunctional metasails for self-stabilized beam-riding and optical communication
Mohammadrasoul Taghavi1, Mohammad Mahdi Salary1, Hossein Mosallaei1
1Northeastern University USA hosseinm@ece.neu.edu.
Nanoscale Advances
|September 22, 2022
Summary
This study introduces metasails, advanced lightsails using metasurfaces, for interstellar travel. These metasails enable high acceleration, stable beam-riding, and enhanced communication for deep-space probes.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Spacecraft Propulsion
- Optical Communication
Background:
- Interstellar exploration requires spacecraft capable of relativistic velocities.
- Breakthrough Starshot aims to use lightsails for a mission to Alpha Centauri.
- Lightsails need high acceleration, beam-riding stability, and efficient communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design a multifunctional metasail for photonic propulsion and optical communication.
- To achieve high acceleration and self-stabilized beam-riding for deep-space probes.
- To maximize downlink communication gain using metasurface technology.
Main Methods:
- Designed a metasail using two interleaved dielectric unit cell subarrays.
- Utilized Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase for propulsion and communication optimization.
- Simulated beam-riding stability, including relativistic Doppler shift effects.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a multifunctional metasail platform.
- Verified self-stabilized beam-riding and high acceleration capabilities.
- Achieved maximized transmission gain for downlink optical communication.
Conclusions:
- Metasails are promising for laser-driven deep-space probes.
- The designed metasail successfully integrates propulsion and communication functions.
- Metasurface technology offers a viable path for future interstellar missions.
