Related papers: Patterned liquid-crystal optics for broadband coro…
Infrared optical photonic crystals fabricated using direct laser writing, which is based on the two-photon polymerization of suitable monomers, have received substantial interest since the emergence of this process. Two-photon…
The photoalignment technique for liquid crystal (LC) device fabrication, despite being a well-established method, remains of significant relevance because of its broad applicability. Among its applications, one of particular interest is the…
Clouds and other features in exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres cause variations in brightness as they rotate in and out of view. Ground-based instruments reach the high contrasts and small inner working angles needed to monitor these…
Future instruments need efficient coronagraphs over large spectral ranges to enable broadband imaging or spectral characterization of exoplanets 1e8 fainter than their star. Several solutions were proposed. Pupil apodizers can attenuate the…
The vector vortex is a coronagraphic imaging mode of the recently commissioned Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme-Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) platform on the 8-m Subaru Telescope. This multi-purpose high-contrast visible and near-infrared (R- to…
Phase-mask coronagraphs are known to provide high contrast imaging capabilities while preserving a small inner working angle, which allows searching for exoplanets or circumstellar disks with smaller telescopes or at longer wavelengths. The…
(abridged) Vortex coronagraphs are among the most promising solutions to perform high contrast imaging at small angular separations. They feature a very small inner working angle, a clear 360 degree discovery space, have demonstrated very…
The technological progress in spatial-light modulators (SLM) technology has made it possible to use those devices as programmable active focal-plane phase coronagraphic masks, opening the door to novel versatile and adaptive high-contrast…
Vortex coronagraphs are an attractive solution for imaging exoplanets with future space telescopes due to their relatively high throughput, large spectral bandwidth, and low sensitivity to low-order aberrations compared to other…
Technologies that require surface wetting or evaporative cooling require the ability to efficiently spread fluids across large areas, as increased wetted surface area increases evaporative flux. However, the intrinsic surfacial and bulk…
For direct imaging of exoplanets, a stellar coronagraph helps to remove the image of an observed bright star by attenuating the diffraction effects caused by the telescope aperture of diameter D. The Dual Zone Phase Mask (DZPM) coronagraph…
Polarizing microscopy brought about many advancements in the science of liquid crystals and other soft materials, including those of biological origin. Recent developments in optics and computer-based analysis enabled a new generation of…
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…
The Magellan extreme adaptive optics (MagAO-X) instrument is a new extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) system designed for operation in the visible to near-IR which will deliver high contrast-imaging capabilities. The main AO system will be…
High contrast imaging is the primary path to the direct detection and characterization of Earth-like planets around solar-type stars; a cleverly designed internal coronagraph suppresses the light from the star, revealing the elusive…
Direct imaging and spectroscopy of Earth-like planets and young Jupiters require contrasts up to 10^6-10^10 at angular separations of a few dozen milliarcseconds. To achieve this goal, one of the most promising approaches consists of using…
We describe a coronagraphic optic for use with CONICA at the VLT that provides suppression of diffraction from 1.8 to 7 lambda/D at 4.05 microns, an optimal wavelength for direct imaging of cool extrasolar planets. The optic is designed to…
Graphene, being an ultrathin, durable, flexible, transparent material with superior conductivity and unusual optical properties, promises many novel applications in electronics, photonics and optoelectronics. For applications in…
A direct electronics printing technique through atomized spraying for patterning room temperature liquid metal droplets on desired substrate surfaces is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for the first time. This method has…
We recently started to investigate how liquid-crystal on silicon (LCOS) spatial light modulator (SLM) would perform as programmable focal-plane phase mask (FPM) coronagraphs. Such "adaptive coronagraphs" could potentially help adapt to…