| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Absil, Olivier, et al.
(författare)
-
The VORTEX project : first results and perspectives
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Adaptive Optics Systems IV. - : SPIE. - 9780819496164
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vortex coronagraphs are among the most promising solutions to perform high contrast imaging at small angular separations from bright stars. They feature a very small inner working angle (down to the diffraction limit of the telescope), a clear 360 degree discovery space, have demonstrated very high contrast capabilities, are easy to implement on high-contrast imaging instruments, and have already been extensively tested on the sky. Since 2005, we have been designing, developing and testing an implementation of the charge-2 vector vortex phase mask based on concentric sub-wavelength gratings, referred to as the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM). Science-grade mid-infrared AGPMs were produced in 2012 for the first time, using plasma etching on synthetic diamond substrates. They have been validated on a coronagraphic test bench, showing broadband peak rejection up to 500: 1 in the L band, which translates into a raw contrast of about 6 x 10(-5) at 2 lambda/D. Three of them have now been installed on world-leading diffraction-limited infrared cameras, namely VLT/NACO, VLT/VISIR and LBT/LMIRCam. During the science verification observations with our L-band AGPM on NACO, we observed the beta Pictoris system and obtained unprecedented sensitivity limits to planetary companions down to the diffraction limit (0 : 1 0 0). More recently, we obtained new images of the HR 8799 system at L band during the AGPM first light on LMIRCam. After reviewing these first results obtained with mid-infrared AGPMs, we will discuss the short-and mid-term goals of the on-going VORTEX project, which aims to improve the performance of our vortex phase masks for future applications on second-generation high-contrast imager and on future extremely large telescopes (ELTs). In particular, we will briefly describe our current efforts to improve the manufacturing of mid-infrared AGPMs, to push their operation to shorter wavelengths, and to provide deeper starlight extinction by creating new designs for higher topological charge vortices. Within the VORTEX project, we also plan to develop new image processing techniques tailored to coronagraphic images, and to study some pre- and post-coronagraphic concepts adapted to the vortex coronagraph in order to reduce scattered starlight in the final images.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Absil, Oliver, et al.
(författare)
-
Three years of harvest with the vector vortex coronagraph in the thermal infrared
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering. - 9781510601963 ; , s. 1-14
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- For several years, we have been developing vortex phase masks based on sub-wavelength gratings, known as Annular Groove Phase Masks. Etched onto diamond substrates, these AGPMs are currently designed to be used in the thermal infrared (ranging from 3 to 13 μm). Our AGPMs were first installed on VLT/NACO and VLT/VISIR in 2012, followed by LBT/LMIRCam in 2013 and Keck/NIRC2 in 2015. In this paper, we review the development, commissioning, on-sky performance, and early scientific results of these new coronagraphic modes and report on the lessons learned. We conclude with perspectives for future developments and applications.
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
| 9. |
- Carlomagno, Brunella, et al.
(författare)
-
Mid-IR AGPMs for ELT applications
- 2014
-
Ingår i: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY V. - : SPIE. - 9780819496157
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The mid-infrared region is well suited for exoplanet detection thanks to the reduced contrast between the planet and its host star with respect to the visible and near-infrared wavelength regimes. This contrast may be further improved with Vector Vortex Coronagraphs (VVCs), which allow us to cancel the starlight. One flavour of the VVC is the AGPM (Annular Groove Phase Mask), which adds the interesting properties of subwavelength gratings (achromaticity, robustness) to the already known properties of the VVC. In this paper, we present the optimized designs, as well as the expected performances of mid-IR AGPMs etched onto synthetic diamond substrates, which are considered for the E-ELT/METIS instrument.
|
|
| 10. |
- Delacroix, Christian, et al.
(författare)
-
A family of subwavelength grating vortexcoronagraphs (SGVCs) with higher topological charge
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VII. - : SPIE.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The subwavelength grating vortex coronagraph (SGVC) is a focal-planespiral-like phase mask whose key benefit is to allow high contrast imaging atsmall angles. Directly etched onto a CVD diamond substrate, it is well suitedto perform in the mid-infrared domain. It provides a continuous helicalphase ramp with a dark singularity in its center, and is characterized by itsnumber of phase revolutions, called the topological charge. Over the pasttwo years, we have manufactured several charge-2 SGVCs (a.k.a. annulargroove phase masks) and successfully demonstrated their performanceson 10-m class telescopes (LBT, VLT/NaCo, VLT/VISIR). To prevent stellarleakage on future 30-m class telescopes (E-ELT, TMT, GMT), a broaderoff-axis extinction is required, which can be achieved by increasing thetopological charge. We have recently proposed an original design for acharge-4 SGVC allowing less starlight to leak through the coronagraph, atthe cost of a degraded inner working angle. In this talk, we report on ourlatest development of higher charge SGVCs. From 3D rigorous numericalsimulations using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm, weConference 9605: Techniques and Instrumentationfor Detection of Exoplanets VIIR eturn to Contents +1 360 676 3290 · help@spie.org 647have derived a family of coronagraphs with higher topological charge(SGVC4/6/8). Our new optimization method addresses the principallimitation of such space-variant polarization state manipulation, i.e., theinconvenient discontinuities in the discrete grating pattern. The resultinggratings offer improved precision to the phase modulation compared toprevious designs. Finally, we present our preliminary manufacturing andmetrology results for infrared components down to the K-band.
|
|
| 11. |
- Delacroix, Christian, et al.
(författare)
-
Development of a subwavelength grating vortex coronagraph of topological charge 4 (SGVC4)
- 2014
-
Ingår i: GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY V. - : SPIE. - 9780819496157
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- One possible solution to achieve high contrast direct imaging at a small inner working angle (IWA) is to use a vector vortex coronagraph (VVC), which provides a continuous helical phase ramp in the focal plane of the telescope with a phase singularity in its center. Such an optical vortex is characterized by its topological charge, i.e., the number of times the phase accumulates 2 pi radians along a closed path surrounding the singularity. Over the past few years, we have been developing a charge-2 VVC induced by rotationally symmetric subwavelength gratings (SGVC2), also known as the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM). Since 2013, several SGVC2s (or AGPMs) were manufactured using synthetic diamond substrate, then validated on dedicated optical benches, and installed on 10-m class telescopes. Increasing the topological charge seems however mandatory for cancelling the light of bright stars which will be partially resolved by future Extremely Large Telescopes in the near-infrared. In this paper, we first detail our motivations for developing an SGVC4 (charge 4) dedicated to the near-infrared domain. The challenge lies in the design of the pattern which is unrealistic in the theoretically perfect case, due to state-of-the-art manufacturing limitations. Hence, we propose a new realistic design of SGVC4 with minimized discontinuities and optimized phase ramp, showing conclusive improvements over previous works in this field. A preliminary validation of our concept is given based on RCWA simulations, while full 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations (and eventually laboratory tests) will be required for a final validation.
|
|
| 12. |
- Haas, Julian, et al.
(författare)
-
Infrared Spectroscopy Based on Broadly Tunable Quantum Cascade Lasers and Polycrystalline Diamond Waveguides
- 2018
-
Ingår i: The Analyst. - 0003-2654 .- 1364-5528. ; 143:21, s. 5112-5119
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recently emerging broadly tunable quantum cascade lasers (tQCL) emitting in the mid-infrared (MIR) are a versatile alternative to well established thermal emitters in combination with interferometers as applied in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The wide and highly spectrally resolved wavelength tuning characteristics along with superior spectral energy density renders laser-based vibrational spectroscopy methods an efficient alternative vs. conventional molecular spectroscopies. Using diamond in attenuated total reflection (ATR) sensing formats benefits from the physical robustness and chemical resistivity of the internal reflective element (IRE) material. While inherent material absorption frequently limits the optical path length within diamond ATR elements, the herein presented design combining bright tQCLs with a multi-reflection polycrystalline diamond (PCD) ATR element enables an optical beam path length of approximately 5 cm. Thereby, sensitive spectroscopic measurements in the MIR are enabled. As an example, non-invasive glucose monitoring in human saliva is examined, highlighting the potential benefits of the proposed analytical concept with regards to exquisite sensitivity and selectivity in combination with a robust sensing interface, i.e., diamond. This approach paves the way towards directly analyzing molecular constituents in complex and potentially corrosive biomedical and biochemical matrices.
|
|
| 13. |
- Haas, Julian, et al.
(författare)
-
Polycrystalline diamond thin-film waveguides for mid-infrared evanescent field sensors
- 2018
-
Ingår i: ACS Omega. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2470-1343. ; 3:6, s. 6190-6198
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Photonic design and optimization of thin-film polycrystalline diamond waveguides are shown, serving as advanced evanescent field transducers in the mid-infrared fingerprint regime (2000-909 cm(-1); 5-11 mu m). Design constraints inherent to optical/system considerations and the material were implemented in a finite element method (FEM)-based simulation method that allowed three-dimensional modeling of the overall structure. Thus, lateral mode confinement, attenuation in the direction of radiation propagation, and physical resilience were evaluated. In a final step, the designed structures were fabricated, and their utility in combination with a broadly tunable external cavity quantum cascade laser for chemical sensing of a liquid phase analyte was demonstrated.
|
|
| 14. |
|
|
| 15. |
- Jolivet, Aissa, et al.
(författare)
-
L- and M-band annular groove phase mask in lab performance assessment on the vortex opticaldemonstrator for coronagraphic applications
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems. - 2329-4221. ; 5:2, s. 1-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coronagraphy is a high-contrast imaging technique that aims to reduce the blinding glare of a star to detect a potential companion in its close environment. Vortex phase mask coronagraphy is widely recognized as one of the most promising approaches. The vortex optical demonstrator for coronagraphic application (VODCA) is a test bench currently developed at the University of Liège. Its main goal is to optically characterize infrared phase masks, in particular vortex masks. We detail the layout and salient features of VODCA and present the performance of the latest L-band (3575 to 4125 nm) and M-band (4600 to 5000 nm) annular groove phase masks (AGPMs) manufactured by our team. We obtain the highest rejection ratio ever measured for an AGPM at L-band: 3.2 × 103 in a narrowband filter (3425 to 3525 nm) and 2.4 × 103 in a broad L-band filter. By providing measurements close to the intrinsic limit of science-grade AGPMs, VODCA proves to be a step forward in terms of the evaluation of vortex phase masks performance.
|
|
| 16. |
|
|
| 17. |
- Mawet, Dimitri, et al.
(författare)
-
Characterization of the inner disk around HD 141569 A from KECK/NIRC2 L-band vortex coronagraphy
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 153:1, s. 1-10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- HD 141569 A is a pre-main sequence B9.5 Ve star surrounded by a prominent and complex circumstellar disk, likely still in a transition stage from protoplanetary to debris disk phase. Here, we present a new image of the third inner disk component of HD 141569 A made in the L′ band (3.8 μm) during the commissioning of the vector vortex coronagraph that has recently been installed in the near-infrared imager and spectrograph NIRC2 behind the W. M. Keck Observatory Keck II adaptive optics system. We used reference point-spread function subtraction, which reveals the innermost disk component from the inner working distance of ;23 au and up to ;70 au. The spatial scale of our detection roughly corresponds to the optical and near-infrared scattered light, thermal Q, N, and 8.6 μm PAH emission reported earlier. We also see an outward progression in dust location from the L′ band to the H band (Very Large Telescope/ SPHERE image) to the visible (Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/ STIS image), which is likely indicative of dust blowout. The warm disk component is nested deep inside the two outer belts imaged by HST-NICMOS in 1999 ( at 406 and 245 au, respectively) . We fit our new L′ -band image and spectral energy distribution of HD 141569 A with the radiative transfer code MCFOST. Our best-fit models favor pure olivine grains and are consistent with the composition of the outer belts. While our image shows a putative very faint point-like clump or source embedded in the inner disk, we did not detect any true companion within the gap between the inner disk and the first outer ring, at a sensitivity of a few Jupiter masses.
|
|
| 18. |
- Piron, Pierre, et al.
(författare)
-
Birefringence measurements of diamond space-variant subwavelength gratings
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Applied Optics. - 1559-128X .- 2155-3165. ; 57:17, s. 4909-4917
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Subwavelength gratings are gratings with periods smaller than the incident wavelength. They possess form birefringence, which depends on the grating parameters. This paper presents the results of an experimental method designed to measure the birefringent properties of diamond subwavelength gratings in the mid-infrared. The method consists of monitoring the intensity transmitted through one polarizer, a subwavelength grating, and a second polarizer for various orientations of the first polarizer. By fitting the intensity variation as a function of the orientation of the first polarizer, one can compute the phase shift induced by the grating, its local fast axis orientation, and the ratio of the transverse electric and transverse magnetic transmission efficiencies. The paper describes the method principle and its mathematical model. Then, several numerical simulations of different subwavelength gratings are presented and their results are discussed. Finally, the optical setup is described and the measurements of one subwavelength grating are displayed and compared with the values expected from the manufacturing process.
|
|
| 19. |
|
|
| 20. |
|
|
| 21. |
- Reggiani, M, et al.
(författare)
-
Discovery of a point-like source and a third spiral arm in the transition disk around the Herbig Ae star MWC 758
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 611
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Transition disks offer the extraordinary opportunity to look for newly born planets and to investigate the early stages of planet formation. Aims. In this context we observed the Herbig A5 star MWC 758 with the L'-band vector vortex coronagraph installed in the near-infrared camera and spectrograph NIRC2 at the Keck II telescope, with the aim of unveiling the nature of the spiral structure by constraining the presence of planetary companions in the system. Methods. Our high-contrast imaging observations show a bright (Delta L' = 7.0 +/- 0.3 mag) point-like emission south of MWC 758 at a deprojected separation of similar to 20 au (r = 0 ''.111 +/- 0 ''.004) from the central star. We also recover the two spiral arms (southeast and northwest), already imaged by previous studies in polarized light, and discover a third arm to the southwest of the star. No additional companions were detected in the system down to 5 Jupiter masses beyond 0 ''.6 from the star. Results. We propose that the bright L'-band emission could be caused by the presence of an embedded and accreting protoplanet, although the possibility of it being an asymmetric disk feature cannot be excluded. The spiral structure is probably not related to the protoplanet candidate, unless on an inclined and eccentric orbit, and it could be due to one (or more) yet undetected planetary companions at the edge of or outside the spiral pattern. Future observations and additional simulations will be needed to shed light on the true nature of the point-like source and its link with the spiral arms.
|
|
| 22. |
- Serabyn, E, et al.
(författare)
-
The W. M. Keck Observatory infrared vortex coronagraph and a first image of HIP79124 B
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 153:1, s. 1-7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An optical vortex coronagraph has been implemented within the NIRC2 camera on the Keck II telescope and used to carry out on-sky tests and observations. The development of this new L′-band observational mode is described, and an initial demonstration of the new capability is presented: a resolved image of the low-mass companion to HIP 79124, which had previously been detected by means of interferometry. With HIP 79124 B at a projected separation of 186.5 mas, both the small inner working angle of the vortex coronagraph and the related imaging improvements were crucial in imaging this close companion directly. Due to higher Strehl ratios and more relaxed contrasts in L′ band versus H band, this new coronagraphic capability will enable high-contrast, small-angle observations of nearby young exoplanets and disks on a par with those of shorter-wavelength extreme adaptive optics coronagraphs.
|
|
| 23. |
|
|
