Related papers: Fresnel diffraction in an interferometer: applicat…
Speckle Noise is the dominant source of error in high contrast imaging with adaptive optics system. We discuss the potential for wavefront sensing telemetry to calibrate speckle noise with sufficient precision and accuracy so that it can be…
We consider various effects that are encountered in matter wave interference experiments with massive nanoparticles. The text-book example of far-field interference at a grating is compared with diffraction into the dark field behind an…
Adaptive optics (AO) instruments for the future extremely large telescopes (ELTs) are characterized by advanced optical systems with diffraction-limited optical quality. Low geometric distortion is also crucial for high accuracy astrometric…
We analyze an intensity interferometry measurement carried out with two point-like detectors facing a distant source (e.g., a star) that may be partially occluded by an absorptive object (e.g., a planet). Such a measurement, based on the…
A new generation of telescopes with mirror diameters of 20 m or more, called extremely large telescopes (ELTs) has the potential to provide unprecedented imaging and spectroscopy of exo-planetary systems, if the difficulties in achieving…
METIS is one of the three first-light instruments planned for the ELT, mainly dedicated to high contrast imaging in the mid-infrared. On the SPHERE high-contrast instrument currently installed at the VLT, we observe that one of the main…
Metasurfaces provide a compact, flexible, and reliable solution for controlling the wavefront of light. In imaging systems, micro-lens arrays are integrated with pixel matrices to reduce optical crosstalk, enhance photon collection…
The use of interferometric nulling for the direct characterization of extrasolar planets is an exciting prospect, but one that faces many practical challenges when deployed on telescopes. The largest limitation is the extreme sensitivity of…
Modeling the mass distribution of galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses is a task of increasing difficulty. The high-resolution and depth of imaging data now available render simple analytical forms ineffective at capturing lens…
Breaking the diffraction limit in microscopy by utilizing quantum properties of light has been the goal of intense research in the recent years. We propose a quantum superresolution technique based on non-classical emission statistics of…
The Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) is one of three instruments onboard the Swift observatory. The photometric calibration has been published, and this paper follows up with details on other aspects of the calibration including a…
Gravitational microlensing has become a mature technique for discovering small gravitational lenses in the Universe which are otherwise beyond our detection limits. Similarly, plasma microlensing can help us explore cosmic plasma lenses.…
In long baseline interferometry, the raw fringe contrast must be calibrated to obtain the true visibility and then those observables that can be interpreted in terms of astrophysical parameters. The selection of suitable calibration stars…
With the current revival of interest in astronomical intensity interferometry, it is interesting to revisit the associated theory, which was developed in the 1950s and 1960s. This paper argues that intensity interferometry can be understood…
Searching for as yet undetected gamma-ray sources is a major target of the Fermi LAT Collaboration. We present an algorithm capable of identifying such type of sources by non-parametrically clustering the directions of arrival of the…
When light hits a multilayer planar stack, it is reflected, refracted, and absorbed in a way that can be derived from the Fresnel equations. The analysis is treated in many textbooks, and implemented in many software programs, but certain…
In most theories of diffraction by a diaphragm, the amplitude of the diffracted wave, and hence the position wave function of the associated particle, is calculated directly without prior calculation of the quantum state. Few models express…
In astronomy or biological imaging, refractive index inhomogeneities of e.g. atmosphere or tissues induce optical aberrations which degrade the desired information hidden behind the medium. A standard approach consists in measuring these…
Interferometric contrast is a key factor limiting the sensitivity of precision optical measurements, including the laser interferometers used in gravitational-wave detection. While standard formulas describe the interference of circular…
The advisability of the use of the Fresnel number as the measure (characteristic) of the ratio of diffraction and focusing properties for ultrasonic transducers and its radiated beams is proposed and demonstrated. Althought this…