3 papers
physics.optics2026
High-Power Laser Drives Motion in Ultra-thin Photonic Crystal Lightsails via Radiation Pressure
Lucas Norder, Ata KeÅkekler, Richard A. Norte
Laser-driven lightsails have emerged as a promising route for accelerating ultralight spacecraft to high speeds using beamed optical energy. Realizing this concept pushes the limit…
physics.optics2026
High-Stress Si3N4 Reflective Membranes Monolithically Integrated with Cavity Bragg Mirrors
Megha Khokhar, Lucas Norder, Paolo M. Sberna +1
High-stress silicon nitride (Si3N4) membranes represent the state-of-the-art for cavity optomechanics, combining ultralow dissipation, optical transparency, and full compatibility…
physics.optics2024
Pentagonal Photonic Crystal Mirrors: Scalable Lightsails with Enhanced Acceleration via Neural Topology Optimization
L. Norder, S. Yin, M. J. de Jong +5
The Starshot Breakthrough Initiative aims to send one-gram microchip probes to Alpha Centauri within 20 years, using gram-scale lightsails propelled by laser-based radiation pressu…