Scientists from the Technological University of Dorthta in the Netherlands and the University of Brown in the USA have recently made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of space technology. They have developed a revolutionary method of creating laser light sails that have the potential to reach speeds up to 20% of the speed of light. This new technology could significantly reduce production time from several years to just a few hours, making it a key component for future interstellar missions.
The research group, led by Richard North, is excited about the possibilities this new technology presents. North explained, “This is not simply a step towards miniaturization, but rather a complete rethinking of nanotechnology. We are creating structures with unprecedented length-to-thickness ratios, thinner than anything we have previously made, yet on a massive scale.”
The key to achieving such high speeds lies in the use of laser propulsion. Unlike traditional solar sails that rely on sunlight for acceleration, these new light sails will harness energy from powerful lasers. This method has the potential to propel a gram-sized spacecraft to 20% of the speed of light in a matter of minutes, a speed hundreds of thousands of times faster than current space probes.
This development is closely tied to the Breakthrough Starshot initiative, which was launched in 2016. Initially, scientists estimated that creating a light sail with billions of nanodevices would take up to 15 years. However, with this new method, the same structures can now be printed in just a day.
The prototype unveiled by the researchers measures 60 by 60 millimeters with a thickness of only 200 nanometers. Covered with a billion microscopic holes, the prototype already exhibits characteristics comparable to experimental samples created at Kaltech. The scalability of this technology is impressive, as it can be expanded to sizes surpassing seven football fields while maintaining nanoscale precision.
The innovative manufacturing process involves the use of gas etching, which removes support structures and leaves behind an ultra-thin sail. Although there is a risk of damage during the manufacturing stage, the sail becomes highly stable once deployed in space.
Future experiments will involve testing the movement of these sails using lasers over distances of centimeters, a significant advancement from previous capabilities. This technology also shows promise in various other fields, ranging from optics to fundamental physics.
Richard North further commented, “With the ability to fabricate these sails at the scale of silicon plates in the semiconductor industry, we are eager to explore the boundless possibilities with modern lasers, nanofabrication, and design.”
Amidst speculation about futuristic concepts like warp engines and quantum propulsion