Spectroscopy, Metrology and Quantum Technology for Space Science and Astrophysics

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Quantum Photonics and Technologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 7481

Special Issue Editors

National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems "Eduardo Caianiello" (ISASI-CNR), Pozzuoli, Italy
Interests: multifunctional metal oxides; semiconductor nanostructures; photocatalytic materials; titanium dioxide; semiconductor optics; non-linear optical spectroscopy; photoluminescence; gas sensing; optical sensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Center “G. Colombo”, 75100 Matera, Italy
Interests: gas spectroscopy; optical metrology (time and frequency metrology, distance metrology, temperature metrology); non linear optics and laser physics; semiconductor spectroscopy for sensing application
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, INFN, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
CNR, Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, Napoli, Italy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Space Science is a vast field of study that involves several disciplines, including astronomy, aerospace engineering, earth observation, and spatial geodesy. Space-related interdisciplinary fields, such as  astrobiology, space medicine, telecommunication, time frequency transfer, gas chemical sensing, fundamental physics, and metrology, are developing at a fast pace. Advances in laser technology (laser miniaturization, optical frequency combs, quantum cascade lasers, interband cascade lasers, etc.) have renewed some applications that were previously based on different technologies (e.g., optical telecommunication has replaced radio communication, optical interferometry has replaced radio interferometry, and optical clocks have replaced microwave clocks). In the last few years, the advent of quantum technologies (QTs) has paved the way to QTs for space-based systems (quantum enhanced interferometry, satellite quantum key distribution, cold atom interferometry-based gradiometers, quantum enhanced optical clocks, etc.).

This Special Issue will focus on state-of-the-art research in space-related optics, spectroscopy, and photonics.

Both original research papers and review articles describing state-of-the-art innovations in this research field are welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • optics-based inertial sensors;
  • optochemical gas sensors;
  • cold atom interferometer-based gradiometry;
  • atmospheric and planetary gas spectroscopy;
  • adaptive optics for telescopes;
  • time and frequency metrology;
  • optical fiber-based ground segments;
  • satellite laser ranging;
  • quantum key distribution; and
  • infrared heterodyne interferometry for astronomical aperture synthesis.  

Dr. Stefano Lettieri
Dr. Santamaria Amato Luigi
Dr. Gabriele Rosi
Dr. Romina Rega
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 435 KiB  
Communication
Quest for New Data: Ionizing Radiation Metrology in the Presence of Laser-Assisted Scattering Processes
by Davide Bianco, Filomena Loffredo, Maria Quarto and Luigi Santamaria Amato
Photonics 2021, 8(4), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8040094 - 27 Mar 2021
Viewed by 1970
Abstract
Radiation metrology is crucial in space, for instance in monitoring the conditions on-board space vehicles. The energy released in matter by ionizing radiation is due to the atomic and molecular ionization processes, which have been investigated for several decades from both a theoretical [...] Read more.
Radiation metrology is crucial in space, for instance in monitoring the conditions on-board space vehicles. The energy released in matter by ionizing radiation is due to the atomic and molecular ionization processes, which have been investigated for several decades from both a theoretical and an experimental point of view. Electronic excitation and ionization cross-section are of particular interest in radiation physics, because of their role in the radiation–matter interaction process. Recently, experimental findings have shown that the interplay with a laser field can strongly modify the electronic interaction probabilities and emission spectra. These phenomena are still not completely understood from a theoretical point of view, and the available empirical data concern a few, simple atomic species. We represent a possible dosimetric effect of the interaction with laser light, inferring from experiments the characteristics of laser-assisted cross-sections. Using a Monte-Carlo calculation for simulating the micro-dosimetric aspects of the irradiation of a simple geometry, we show the need of new experimental data and more detailed theoretical approaches to these phenomena in complex molecular systems. Full article
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10 pages, 334 KiB  
Article
Multiwavelength Frequency Modulated CW Ladar: The Effect of Refractive Index
by Mariano Barbieri, Deborah Katia Pallotti, Mario Siciliani de Cumis and Luigi Santamaria Amato
Photonics 2020, 7(4), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics7040090 - 08 Oct 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4720
Abstract
Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser detection and ranging is a technique for absolute distance measurements with high performances in terms of resolution, non-ambiguity range, accuracy and fast detection. It is based on a simple experimental setup, thus resulting in cost restraint with [...] Read more.
Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser detection and ranging is a technique for absolute distance measurements with high performances in terms of resolution, non-ambiguity range, accuracy and fast detection. It is based on a simple experimental setup, thus resulting in cost restraint with potential wide spread, not only limited to research institutions. The technique has been widely studied and improved both in terms of experimental setup by absolute reference or active stabilization and in terms of data analysis. Very recently a multi-wavelength approach has been exploited, demonstrating high precision and non ambiguity range. The variability of refractive index along the path was not taken into account with consequent degradation of range accuracy. In this work we developed a simple model able to take into account refractive index effect in multi-wavelength FMCW measurement. We performed a numerical simulation in different atmospheric conditions of temperature, pressure, humidity and CO2 concentration showing a net improvement of range accuracy when refractive index modeling is used. Full article
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