Publications

Visit the Nautilus ADS Library for most of our publications on the Nautilus mission concept and the MODE technology. See below for links to a representative set of publications.

Applied Optics paper on our high-harmonic diffractive color corrector:
Zichan Wang, Youngsik Kim, and Tom D. Milster (2021) Applied Optics 60, D73

Youngsik Kim, Zichan Wang, Tom D. Milster (2020) Frontiers in Optics
Optical Design and Analysis of Ultralight Large Aperture Transmission Lenses for Space Telescope (https://doi.org/10.1364/FIO.2020.JTu7A.1)

Papers related to the Nautilus Science Cases

Bixel, A., Apai, D. (2021) Astronomical Journal 161, 228
Bioverse: A Simulation Framework to Assess the Statistical Power of Future Biosignature Surveys

Bixel, A., Apai, D. (2020) Astrophysical Journal 896, 131
Testing Earthlike Atmospheric Evolution on Exo-Earths through Oxygen Absorption: Required Sample Sizes and the Advantage of Age-based Target Selection

Apai, D., Milster, T. D., Kim, D. et al. 2019 Astronomical Journal 158, 83
A Thousand Earths: A Very Large Aperture, Ultralight Space Telescope Array for Atmospheric Biosignature Surveys

Watch our AIAA ASCEND2020 talk from November 2020!

We presented the Nautilus Space Observatory concept and the hybrid lens technology data enables it at the ASCEND2020 conference. Watch the video of 15-minute presentation for a quick summary of the Nautilus project or read our conference paper for the details:

Origins Seminar on the Nautilus concept by Daniel Apai. June 2020.

Some of our team’s publications on the Nautilus concept:

Watch our presentation at the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)’s ASCEND2020 new space economy conference:

Milster et al. 2020 Applied Optics 59, 7900
Multiple-Order Diffractive Engineered Surface (MODE) Lenses

Our team’s paper describing MODE lenses, their design, performance, and the first prototype has been both an Editors’ Pick and one of the most downloaded articles in Applied Optics in October 2020!

2019 SPIE Paper on the Nautilus Space Observatory:

Nautilus Observatory: A space telescope array based on very large aperture ultralight diffractive optical elements

Our White Paper to the Astro2020 Decadal Survey for a Probe-class mission based on MODE lens technology:

Nautilus Probe: Astro2020 White Paper

Apai, Milster, Arenberg et al. 2018: Deep Space Observatory concept for the Cis-lunar Gateway: A very large segmented MODE-lens based telescope, utilizing in-space fabrication and assembly capabilities

Youngsik Kim et al. 2019 Optical Soc. America:

Ultralight Very Large Aperture Space Telescope using MODE Lens

Technology

2020 SPIE Papers:

Alignment of Multi-Order Diffractive Engineered (MODE) lens segments using the Kinematically-Engaged Yoke System, http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2569442

In-process metrology for segmented optics UV curing control, http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2569310