Really unbelievable News: An Antenna for Visible Light!!!

[SETI ITALIA Bruno IK2WQA]

Really unbelievable News:

An Antenna for Visible Light
http://www.aip.org/pnu/2004/split/701-1.html


IMVHO really interesting for a possible
future participation of thousand and thousand
of astro amateurs and of their telescopes
to the Optical SETI survey projects.

Clear skies!


Bruno Moretti
Cicognola Astronomical Observatory & IK2WQA Radio Station
45°43'28"N 8°36'35"E QTH Locator: JN45HR
SETI ITALIA Team G. Cocconi
http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/team_display.php?teamid=30233
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/stats/team/team_7422.html

[Gary Woods]

Cool! Although I've had a much lower tech visible light antenna for some
time, using the most humble of components, after the manner of John
Dobson...


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

[Hynee]

Post by Gary Woods
Cool! Although I've had a much lower tech visible light antenna for some
time, using the most humble of components, after the manner of John
Dobson...

It could come in very handy. The contraption Gary Woods is talking about is
excellent at measuring the /amplitude/ of incoming light, but we've never
been able to measure the the phase of light, at least directly. I can't
think of any direct applications, but that's because I've learnt in a system
where it is accepted that only the amplitude of visible light can be
measure, unlike radio waves.

One application: A new type of laser. Current lasers rely on chemistry to
keep their photons in phase, but if a fast enough nano-diode is developed,
it could power these nano-antennas in phase... It could emit over a
continuous range of wavelengths (like dye lasers do), it could form a phased
array (so it can point in any direction, without actually moving).

It would certainly open up quantum optics, where you study individual
photons, and their timing and phase relationship.

[R. G. 'Stumpy' Marsh]

Post by Hynee
One application: A new type of laser. Current lasers rely on chemistry to
keep their photons in phase, but if a fast enough nano-diode is developed,
it could power these nano-antennas in phase... It could emit over a
continuous range of wavelengths (like dye lasers do), it could form a phased
array (so it can point in any direction, without actually moving).
It would certainly open up quantum optics, where you study individual
photons, and their timing and phase relationship.

Sounds like it would have implications for holography too.

[Hynee]

Post by R. G. 'Stumpy' Marsh

Post by Hynee
One application: A new type of laser. Current lasers rely on chemistry to
keep their photons in phase, but if a fast enough nano-diode is developed,
it could power these nano-antennas in phase... It could emit over a
continuous range of wavelengths (like dye lasers do), it could form a phased
array (so it can point in any direction, without actually moving).
It would certainly open up quantum optics, where you study individual
photons, and their timing and phase relationship.

Sounds like it would have implications for holography too.

Yes, I think the phased array would be a very adaptable (general, powerful)
hologram generator--full colour and everything. I don't think it could do
the Star Wars trick of making a projected image visible when the array isn't
behind it. You'd still need to view the phased array like a window into a 3D
scene.

Someone should do the equations!

[clifford wright]

Post by Hynee

Post by R. G. 'Stumpy' Marsh

Post by Hynee
One application: A new type of laser. Current lasers rely on chemistry
to keep their photons in phase, but if a fast enough nano-diode is
developed, it could power these nano-antennas in phase... It could emit
over a continuous range of wavelengths (like dye lasers do), it could
form a phased
array (so it can point in any direction, without actually moving).
It would certainly open up quantum optics, where you study individual
photons, and their timing and phase relationship.

Sounds like it would have implications for holography too.

Yes, I think the phased array would be a very adaptable (general,
powerful) hologram generator--full colour and everything. I don't think
it could do the Star Wars trick of making a projected image visible when
the array isn't behind it. You'd still need to view the phased array
like a window into a 3D scene.
Someone should do the equations!

Huh!! I have had those for centuries.
It's called a TELESCOPE!