Interstellar communication. II. Application to the solar gravitational lens

Abstract

We have shown in paper I of this series (arXiv:1706.03795) that interstellar communication to nearby (pc) stars is possible at data rates of bits per second per Watt between a 1 m sized probe and a large receiving telescope (E-ELT, 39 m), when optimizing all parameters such as frequency at 300-400 nm. We now apply our framework of interstellar extinction and quantum state calculations for photon encoding to the solar gravitational lens (SGL), which enlarges the aperture (and thus the photon flux) of the receiving telescope by a factor of $>10^9$. For the first time, we show that the use of the SGL for communication purposes is possible. This was previously unclear because the Einstein ring is placed inside the solar coronal noise, and contributing factors are difficult to determine. We calculate point-spread functions, aperture sizes, heliocentric distance, and optimum communication frequency. The best wavelength for nearby (<100 pc) interstellar communication is limited by current technology to the UV and optical band. To suppress coronal noise, an advanced coronograph is required, alternatively an occulter could be used which would require a second spacecraft in formation flight 78 km from the receiver, and ~10 m in size. Data rates scale approximately linear with the SGL telescope size and with heliocentric distance. Achievable (receiving) data rates from Alpha Cen are 1-10 Mbits per second per Watt for a pair of meter-sized telescopes, an improvement of $10^6$ compared to using the same receiving telescope without the SGL. A 1 m telescope in the SGL can receive data at rates comparable to a km-class "normal" telescope.