Scientists have announced a potentially groundbreaking development that could revolutionise space exploration: lasers powered by sunlight, utilising the natural energy conversion abilities of bacteria. This innovative technology, drawing inspiration from photosynthesis, aims to propel missions to Mars and provide a sustainable energy source on Earth.
The project, known as APACE, focuses on harnessing the light-harvesting antennae of photosynthetic bacteria. These antennae naturally amplify sunlight's energy, a process researchers intend to repurpose to generate laser beams capable of transmitting energy across vast distances. The key advantage lies in utilising organic materials, eliminating the reliance on perishable artificial components. This bio-inspired approach offers the possibility of growing and maintaining these lasers in space, reducing the need for constant resupply from Earth.
Unlike traditional semiconductor solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity, this method bypasses electronic components entirely. The process directly converts light energy into laser energy, offering a potentially more efficient and sustainable alternative for powering space missions.
Professor Erik Gauger, from Heriot-Watt University's Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, highlighted the technology's potential as a "breakthrough in space power." He emphasised the challenges of sustainable power generation in space, particularly the dependence on readily-degradable components shipped from Earth. He explained that living organisms provide a model of self-sufficiency and self-assembly, and the APACE project leverages this, utilising the inherent efficiency of bacterial photosynthetic machinery to achieve significant energy amplification.
The project aims to create a novel type of laser directly powered by sunlight. While regular sunlight is typically insufficient to directly power a laser, these specialised bacteria are exceptionally efficient at capturing and directing light, amplifying the energy flux by several orders of magnitude. This amplification is crucial to the process, enabling the conversion of sunlight into a laser beam without the need for electrical components.
The feasibility of cultivating bacteria in space has already been demonstrated through experiments on the International Space Station. The resilience of certain bacteria, some of which have even survived exposure to the vacuum of space, further supports the project's viability. If successful, the technology could generate power in space stations, potentially enabling the transmission of power to satellites or even back to Earth using infrared laser beams.
The research team will initially focus on extracting and analysing the natural light-harvesting machinery from bacteria adapted to low-light environments. These bacteria possess highly specialised molecular antenna structures that capture and channel almost every photon, making them nature's most effective solar collectors. The team will also develop artificial versions of these structures and create new laser materials compatible with both natural and artificial light harvesters. These components will then be integrated into a new type of laser material and tested in increasingly larger systems. A functional prototype is anticipated within three years.
The successful implementation of APACE could revolutionise space operations, rendering exploration more sustainable and simultaneously advancing clean energy technologies on Earth. With major space agencies planning lunar and Martian missions, this technology could be instrumental in powering these ambitious endeavours, marking a significant leap forward in humanity's reach into the cosmos.