Interstellar laser communication: implementability criterion and optimisation conditions for the addressed signal search and sending

Mankevich, S K; Orlov, E. P.

doi:10.1070/qel16006

Cited by 24 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…When using such tight beams in the transmitter, the position of the receiving telescope (e.g. on a planet in motion) needs to be known with high accuracy at the time of arrival of the photons (Sherwood et al ., 1992; Mankevich & Orlov, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interstellar communication. I. Maximized data rate for lightweight space-probes

Hippke

2018

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Recent technological advances could make interstellar travel possible, using ultra-lightweight sails pushed by lasers or solar photon pressure, at speeds of a few percent the speed of light. Obtaining remote observational data from such probes is not trivial because of their minimal instrumentation (gram scale) and large distances (pc). We derive the optimal communication scheme to maximize the data rate between a remote probe and home-base. he framework requires coronagraphic suppression of the stellar background at the level of 10 −9 within a few tenths of an arcsecond of the bright star. Our work includes models for the loss of photons from diffraction, technological limitations, interstellar extinction, and atmospheric transmission. Major noise sources are atmospheric, zodiacal, stellar and instrumental. We examine the maximum capacity using the "Holevo bound" which gives an upper limit to the amount of information (bits) that can be encoded through a quantum state (photons), which is a few bits per photon for optimistic signal and noise levels. This allows for data rates of order bits per second per Watt from a transmitter of size 1 m at a distance of α Centauri (1.3 pc) to an earth-based large receiving telescope (E-ELT, 39 m). The optimal wavelength for this distance is 300 nm (space-based receiver) to 400 nm (earth-based) and increases with distance, due to extinction, to a maximum of ≈ 3 µm to the center of the galaxy at 8 kpc. 1

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interstellar communication. I. Maximized data rate for lightweight space-probes

Hippke

2018

International Journal of Astrobiology

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“…If the receiver is located on a planet sufficiently close that the beam is smaller than its orbit, the transmitting telescope needs to account for the proper motions of the star, plus the orbit of the planet (as noted by Mankevich & Orlov 2016). Such accuracy for stellar positions and proper motions is possible with current technology.…”

Section: Pointing At Planet-based Receiversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interstellar communication. III. Optimal frequency to maximize data rate

Hippke,

Forgan

2017

Preprint

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The optimal frequency for interstellar communication, using "Earth 2017" technology, was derived in papers I and II of this series (Hippke 2017a,b). The framework included models for the loss of photons from diffraction (free space), interstellar extinction, and atmospheric transmission. A major limit of current technology is the focusing of wavelengths λ < 300 nm (UV). When this technological constraint is dropped, a physical bound is found at λ ≈ 1 nm (E ≈ keV) for distances out to kpc. While shorter wavelengths may produce tighter beams and thus higher data rates, the physical limit comes from surface roughness of focusing devices at the atomic level. This limit can be surpassed by beam-forming with electromagnetic fields, e.g. using a free electron laser, but such methods are not energetically competitive. Current lasers are not yet cost efficient at nm wavelengths, with a gap of two orders of magnitude, but future technological progress may converge on the physical optimum. We recommend expanding SETI efforts towards targeted (at us) monochromatic (or narrow band) X-ray emission at 0.5-2 keV energies.

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Exploring optical SETI's middle ground

Stanton

2019

Acta Astronautica

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Interstellar laser communication: implementability criterion and optimisation conditions for the addressed signal search and sending

Cited by 24 publications

References 2 publications

Interstellar communication. I. Maximized data rate for lightweight space-probes

Interstellar communication. I. Maximized data rate for lightweight space-probes

Interstellar communication. III. Optimal frequency to maximize data rate

Exploring optical SETI's middle ground

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