The success of the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) space mission depends on measuring the faint mid-infrared emission spectra of exoplanets while suppressing the glare of a host star. This requires an instrument capable of high-contrast nulling interferometry with exceptional sensitivity. While previous testbeds have proven the principle of deep, stable nulls, they have not combined high contrast with the high throughput and cryogenic operation required for LIFE. Here, we present the architecture of the Nulling Interferometry Cryogenic Experiment (NICE), a mid-infrared nulling testbed, to increase the technological readiness of LIFE. We derive the laboratory requirements necessary to validate the LIFE beam combiner and present the optical design of NICE. Finally, we report results from the ambient \enquote{Warm Bench} precursor, which has successfully demonstrated the required null depth (<10−5) using a polarized narrowband 4.7 um source, and the required throughput (> 17%) using one of the two nulling channels.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2602.02279,
title = {The Nulling Interferometry Cryogenic Experiment (NICE): Architecture, requirements, and preliminary warm precursor results},
author = {Thomas Birbacher and Jonah T. Hansen and Felix A. Dannert and Germain Garreau and Adrian M. Glauser and Ryan Meierhofer and Julio Pino Jiménez and Mohanakrishna Ranganathan and Sascha P. Quanz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.02279},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
Accepted for publication in JATIS (Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems)