Related papers: Radiation Pressure on a Diffractive Sailcraft
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…
We discuss the role of environmental mechanisms in the evolution of dwarf galaxy satellites using high-resolution N-Body+SPH simulations that include simultaneously tidal forces, ram pressure and heating from ionizing radiation fields.…
Refraction at a smooth interface is accompanied by momentum transfer normal to the interface. We show that corrugating an initially smooth, totally reflecting, non-metallic interface provides a momentum kick parallel to the surface, which…
Polarisation imaging is used to distinguish objects and surface characteristics that are otherwise not visible with black-and-white or colour imaging. Full-Stokes polarisation imaging allows complex image processing like water glint…
Metasurfaces are planar structures that locally modify the polarization, phase, and amplitude of light in reflection or transmission, thus enabling lithographically patterned flat optical components with functionalities controlled by…
There are many indications that anthropogenic global warming poses a serious threat to our civilization and its ecological support systems. Ideally this problem will be overcome by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Various space-based…
We argue that light sails that are rapidly accelerated to relativistic velocities by lasers must be significantly curved in order to reduce their mechanical stresses and avoid tears. Using an integrated opto-thermo-mechanical model, we show…
The angular response of thin diffractive optical elements is highly correlated. For example, the angles of incidence and diffraction of a grating are locked through the grating momentum determined by the grating period. Other diffractive…
The atmospheres of planets (including Earth) and the outer layers of stars have often been treated in radiative transfer as plane-parallel media, instead of spherical shells, which can lead to inaccuracy, e.g. limb darkening. We give an…
The Magnetic Sail is a space propulsion system that utilizes the interaction between solar wind particles and an artificial dipole magnetic field generated by a spacecraft's coil to produce thrust without the need for additional plasma or…
Space safety and astronomy are at odds. The problem posed by space debris and derelict satellites in the low Earth orbit is an existential threat to all space operations. These dangerous objects in space are more easily tracked with…
Passive radiative cooling involves a net radiative heat loss into the cold outer space through the atmospheric transmission windows. Due to its passive nature and net cooling effect, it is a promising alternative or complement to electrical…
Planar, disordered assemblies of small particles incorporated in layered media -- sometimes called ``disordered metasurfaces'' in the recent literature -- are becoming widespread in optics and photonics. Their ability to scatter light with…
In this paper, we discuss the problem of determination of light radiation pressure force upon an anisotropic surface. The optical parameters of such a surface are considered to have major and minor axes, so the model is called an…
The ability to absorb light is indispensable for high efficient solar power generation. This places conflicting requirements on the structure of a solar cell: On one hand, it needs to have thick active layers to absorb more of the available…
The reflectivity of various Bragg reflectors in connection to waveguide structures, including nanowires, has been investigated using modal reflection and transmission matrices. A semi-analytical model was applied yielding increased…
Future telescopes will characterize rocky exoplanets in reflected light, revealing their albedo, which depends on surface, cloud, and atmospheric properties. Identifying these features is crucial for assessing habitability. We present…
We describe procedures for constructing inexpensive waveplates of desired retardation out of ordinary commercially available transparencies. Various relevant properties of the transparencies are investigated: the dependence of retardation…
Resonant dielectric planar structures can interact selectively with light of particular helicity thus providing an attractive platform for chiral flat optics. The absence of mirror-symmetry planes defines geometric chirality, and it remains…
Earth observation from space is an important scientific and industrial activity that has applications in many sectors. The instruments employed are often large, complex, and expensive. In addition, they generate large amounts of data, which…