Compact potential sensor for spacecraft based on a silicon photonic waveguide

Compact potential sensor for spacecraft based on a silicon photonic waveguide | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Compact potential sensor for spacecraft based on a silicon photonic waveguide Kosei Otsuka, Wataru Takahama, Takeki Higashiguchi, Kazuya Kikunaga, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8560734/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Satellites charge up due to incoming electrons and ions, resulting in an electrical potential difference (Δ V ) between the satellite and outer space. This can cause electrostatic discharge (ESD) events, damaging electronic devices. To reduce failures due to ESD, sensors monitoring the Δ V can be helpful. Due to spacecraft’s restrictions, the sensors should be as small as possible. While small potential sensors in terrestrial applications are often based on electrical conduction in semiconductors, such sensors are not suitable for space application due to a weak resistance to cosmic radiation and ESD. Here, we report a compact sensor based on another sensing method: the utilization of light absorption in a silicon photonic waveguide. We performed experiments in a vacuum chamber simulating the space plasma environment to demonstrate that the light attenuation in the waveguide is depends on the Δ V . Our results further indicate that our sensor exhibits a high resistance to ESD. Photonics/optics Potential sensor photonic crystal waveguide Satellite failure Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8560734","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":572041848,"identity":"3231e978-203f-4b97-b249-671d87039532","order_by":0,"name":"Kosei Otsuka","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Osaka Metropolitan University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kosei","middleName":"","lastName":"Otsuka","suffix":""},{"id":572041849,"identity":"f97f6637-29ed-424c-a3d0-adb93c5a639e","order_by":1,"name":"Wataru Takahama","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Osaka Metropolitan 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