The team\u2019s metajets are composed of metasurfaces. These are ultrathin materials etched with tiny patterns. In a similar fashion to a lens, these shapes allow scientists to control the behavior of light bouncing off the devices. <\/p>\n
By carefully designing these structures, the scientists were able to control the transfer of momentum from light to an object. This allowed the object to move, showcasing a novel form of light propulsion.<\/p>\n
In a press statement<\/a>, Dr. Shoufeng Lan, assistant professor and director of the Lab for Advanced Nanophotonics, compared the effect to ping pong balls bouncing off a table. Lan, who led the team, said the light acts like a ball, transferring a small but measurable force onto the object.<\/p>\n Impressively, the metajets demonstrate full three-dimensional maneuverability. This is a capability that has never been achieved before in optical propulsion systems. <\/p>\n Employing nanoscale precision, the team fabricated the metasurfaces at the Texas A&M AggieFab Nanofabrication Facility, supported by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES). <\/p>\n They tested the devices by conducting experiments in a fluid environment that helped to offset the effects of gravity.<\/p>\n Making light-propelled spacecraft a reality<\/p>\n The metajets differ from other systems in one key aspect; while other methods control objects by shaping the light, this approach builds control directly into the material itself. <\/p>\n According to the Texas A&M team, this allows for more flexible force generation and better scalability.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that the team\u2019s devices are only tens of microns in size, meaning they are smaller than the width of human hair. <\/p>\n However, as the force generated by metajets is dependent on the power of the light rather than the size of the device, the researchers believe their method could also apply to larger, non-microscopic systems.<\/p>\n Of course, all of this will be largely dependent on providing sufficient optical power, as well as the funding that would be required. <\/p>\n In the case of Breakthrough Starshot, efforts to build the technologies required for light propulsion were seemingly paused due to a lack of funding<\/a>. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Breaktrhough-Starshot.jpg\" "\\"World-first")
<\/a>An artist\u2019s render of the Breaktrhough Starshot initiative\u2019s proposed lightsail space probe. Credit: Breakthrough Initiatives<\/p>\n