New Materials to Enable the Mission to Alpha Centauri
Pleasanton, California, August 18, 2020 – Metamaterial Inc. (“Company” or “META”) (CSE: MMAT) a developer of high-performance functional materials and nanocomposites, is recruiting scientists to support Starshot “Lightsail” research. The new position will support the design and development of ultra-lightweight high reflectivity and low absorptivity nano-structured materials for the lightsail. The Breakthrough Starshot program aims to demonstrate ultra-fast light-driven nanocrafts and lay the foundations for a first launch to Alpha Centauri within the next generation.
“We are constantly pushing the boundaries in material science and always working to attract extraordinary scientists from around the world to join our team. This project will allow the successful candidate focused in developing cutting-edge research and advancing the applications of nanotechnology” said Dr Themos Kallos, co-founder and Chief Science Officer of META. “The position will be located at our Silicon Valley lab and we expect the recruitment process as soon as possible”.
META has developed an award-winning nanofabrication technology for producing photonic metamaterials using a low cost, scalable process. It is a soft-lithographic technique called Rolling Mask Lithography (RML®), providing a distinct capability to realize cost-effective, large-scale fabrication of flexible, nanostructured ultra-thin materials.
In 2018 Prof. Harry Atwater and his group at Caltech had published a paper on Nature Materials titled “Materials challenges for the Starshot lightsail”. In their abstract Atwater et al. state “The Starshot Breakthrough Initiative established in 2016 sets an audacious goal of sending a spacecraft beyond our Solar System to a neighbouring star within the next half-century. Its vision for an ultralight spacecraft that can be accelerated by laser radiation pressure from an Earth-based source to ~20% of the speed of light demands the use of materials with extreme properties. Here we examine stringent criteria for the lightsail design and discuss fundamental materials challenges. We predict that major research advances in photonic design and materials science will enable us to define the pathways needed to realize laser-driven lightsails.”
To learn more about Breakthrough Starshot visit here
To apply for the position with META please visit here
####
Media inquiries:
Cindy Roberts
VP Marketing & Communications
Metamaterial Inc.
902-222-3658
[email protected]
Investor inquiries:
Mark Komonoski
Director Capital Markets and IR
Metamaterial Inc.
phone: 1-877-255-8483
[email protected]
About Metamaterial Inc.
META is changing the way we use, interact and benefit from light. META designs and manufactures advanced materials and performance functional films which are engineered at the nanoscale to control light and electromagnetic waves. META is currently developing new materials with diverse applications in the automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics and medical industries. META has a growing patent portfolio with three core technologies; holographic, lithographic, and wireless sensing, designed for high volume applications. META is headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and has offices in London, UK and Pleasanton, California.