On Aug. 8, 2021, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL’s) National Ignition Facility (NIF) made a significant step toward ignition, achieving a yield of more than 1.3 megajoules (MJ). This is still twelve times less than the 20 megajoules that simulations indicate can be achieved. Everything would need to be redesigned to try to get to …
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology present a new approach to imaging evanescent waves that allows, among other things, tackling this challenge with the help of “nonlinear wave-mixing,” a combination of two or more light beams that generate a new electromagnetic wave of a different color. At least one of the light beams must be …
The status of the Breakthrough Starshot project (laser pushed sail for an interstellar mission). They have broken it down into three major challenges. The photon engine, the sail and communications. They have twelve academic teams working on the photon engine design and components. They have determined several designs that will not work for the photon …
Limitless Space Institute gave out nine interstellar space-related grants for about $1 million to 2 million each. Phil Lubin’s direct laser propulsion group received a grant and they will use to prove out their directed laser propulsion system at the 10-20 watt level. They are also working on components at the kilowatt to tens of …
Kelvin Long explores the Advanced Space Propulsion Landscape and goes from all of the concepts from different energy drives (chemical to antimatter), beam concepts, space drives and time drives. Kelvin has worked on various fusion propulsion, laser sails and evaporating black hole drives. Kelvin is also looking at hybridized concepts for things like combining nuclear …
Nextbigfuture interviewed Tom Noel, ColdQuanta’s Director of Quantum Computing and Interim CEO Dan Caruso. ColdQuanta is using neutral atoms instead of trapped ions as the basis for its quantum computers. ColdQuanta is building a functional first system now and believes they will be able to scale to the 1000s of qubits faster than competing approaches. …
Purdue University innovators have created technology aimed at replacing Morse code with colored “digital characters” to modernize optical storage. This will allow more data to be stored and for that data to be read at a quicker rate. Rather than using the traditional dots and dashes as commonly used in these technologies, the Purdue innovators …
American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics), a program of NY CREATES gave $19 million in research program awards for advanced integrated photonics under The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Lasers for Universal Microscale Optical Systems (LUMOS) program. AIM Photonics is advancing technology for applications with self-driving vehicles, AR, 3D camera technology, quantum …
Nextbigfuture interviewed Tony Uttley, President of Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Brian Neyenhuis, Commercial Operations Leader, Honeywell Quantum Solutions. Honeywell has a 10 fully connected qubit system with a proven quantum volume of 128. This is the highest quantum performance for any publicly known quantum computer. In the Nextbigfuture interview, Tony Uttley and Brian Neyenhuis described …
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Boeing are working together to scale 100 kW-class lasers to 250 kW-class High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system to they can shoot down missiles and not just drones. The HEL weapon system will combine GA-EMS’ scalable distributed gain laser technology, HELLi-ion battery systems and integrated thermal management with Boeing’s …
In 2022, the US Army will field test two high-energy lasers. A 50-kilowatt weapon to destroy enemy drones and incoming artillery rockets and a 300-kW weapon that could potentially shoot down cruise missiles. The US Navy has installed and tested 150 kilowatt lasers and will be testing 300-kilowatt lasers. US Army’s Six Modernization Priorities 1. …
