Overview
- The Civil Aviation University of China published a Matter & Light paper on Wednesday describing a PLC-TE receiver that pairs a perovskite laser cell with a thermoelectric layer to convert incoming laser light into electricity.
- In stationary lab tests the prototype converted 38.49% of a green-laser beam into usable power and ran a model propeller, showing the concept can produce flight-relevant electricity at small scale.
- Thermal cameras recorded device temperatures near 80–90°C under high-power exposure, so researchers embedded specialised nanocrystals as a thermal barrier and proposed placing receivers under wings to use airflow for cooling.
- The device has not flown yet and the team says the next steps are outdoor tests on a lightweight drone plus development of rapid beam-tracking optics and safety systems to prevent hazards to people and infrastructure.
- If solved, the approach could cut the need for mid-mission landings and extend drone endurance for inspections, deliveries and disaster response, but regulatory, tracking and reliability hurdles must be cleared before operational use.