Material Selection and Sizing for Telescopable Pole

WHO CAN HELP ME OPTIMIZE MY TINY POLE? :-\ Have I made the right choice using structural aluminum alloy (6063) square tubes, 1/8" wall?
What kind of engineer should I consult? How would I find them?

Optimizing for lightest, cheapest, smallest, strongest I'm trying to figure out the best commonly available, telescope-able tube to support up to 1 static ton for a short time (seconds or minutes).
The strength needed is mostly in rigidity and compression.
There is very little horizontal strain.
I'm telescoping 5 - 12" segments from 1" OD to 2" OD in 1/4" increments making a 5 segment 50" pole.
This pole supports from 500 to 2000 static lbs.

The "weakest link" is probably the thinnest segment connection to the next larger segment?
This is currently 1x1x1/8 inside 1.25x1.25x1/8 connected by a single 10-24x1.5" machine screw?

These poles telescope down to a 12"x2"x2" size for storage and/or travel. When extended they are held in place by single 10x24x2.5" machine screws.

The problem is weight. This pole weighs about 4 lbs. I'd like to get it down to around 2 lbs or less even if it has to be slightly larger.

Would 1/16" wall 6063 be too flimsy? Some sizes are not readily available.
How about stainless steel 1/16" wall? Would it still be heavier telescoping 5 segments from ½" to 1" in 1/8" increments?
How about fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, polyurethane?