3 ms·
I wonder about whether a big enough orbiting phased array, with all the elements carefully quantum-entangled, could achieve much better power delivery to a smal
by ncmncm 5y ago
I wonder about whether a big enough orbiting phased array, with all the elements carefully quantum-entangled, could achieve much better power delivery to a small receiver.
In this scenario, the phased array transmitters would be placed randomly in a swarm. The receiver would broadcast a pilot signal, and they would all adjust their phase by the received pilot-signal phase and, implicitly, their position in the swarm. (Maybe the pilot signal is at exactly half or twice the transmit frequency, and a maser, so all its photons are entangled.)
I don't know how you arrange to quantum-entangle the transmitting elements and their emitted photons to the pilot signal and (this) to one another. The goal is for all their quantum amplitudes to interfere constructively only at the rectenna, and so deliver all of their energy there. Is there any necessary or enforcible relationship between the photon wave phase and its quantum amplitude?
For a decoupled swarm to stay together, each would need to be in a slightly different almost-circular orbit, continually milling about a common center. Alternatively, they could have hair-thin fibers tying them to near neighbors, and all orbit as a unit.
- shadowofneptune 5y agoDepartment of Energy studied the use of phased arrays to beam power (http://spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com/2016/12/energy-from-space-department-of.html http://spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com/2016/12/energy-from-s...). The use of a pilot signal was useful because it prevented any 'death ray' scenarios. The transmitter would only be able to beam power to a receiver, even if it was knocked off target. I am not sure what the benefit of a small receiver would be for power transmission. The DoE system used the same 2.45 GHz frequency as a microwave oven, so the receiver was more like chicken wire than the receivers we are familiar with. They would have been very large to prevent overflying aircraft or birds from being fried by the transmission, and could maybe be placed on pylons over otherwise useful land.
- ncmncm 5y agoIf you could use a small receiver, it could be mounted on an aircraft. The transmitters would have to know the velocity vector of the aircraft so as to adjust their focus to where its receiver will be when the waves get back to it, not where it was when its pilot wave was sent. Without some (quantum) way to ensure that the energy is delivered exclusively to the rectenna, such a system would be hard to justify deploying.