Related papers: Integrated coronagraphy and wavefront sensing with…
High-contrast imaging for the detection and characterization of exoplanets relies on the instrument's capability to block out the light of the host star. Some current post-processing methods for calibrating out the residual speckles use…
To directly image Earth-like planets, contrast levels of 10^-8 - 10^-10 are required. The next generation of instruments will need wavefront control below the nanometer level to achieve these goals. The Zernike wavefront sensor (ZWFS) is a…
The high sensitivity of the pyramid wavefront sensor has made it the preferred sensor in high contrast adaptive optics systems. Future higher contrast systems, like the Extremely Large Telescope's Planetary Camera System, will require…
The segmented pupil experiment for exoplanet detection (SPEED) facility aims to improve knowledge and insight into various areas required for gearing up high-contrast imaging instruments adapted to the unprecedented high angular resolution…
Focal plane wavefront sensing and control is a critical approach to reducing non-common path errors between the a conventional astronomical adaptive optics (AO) wavefront sensor (WFS) detector and science camera. However, in addition to…
A new wavefront sensing approach, derived from the successful curvature wavefront sensing concept but using a non-linear phase retrieval wavefront reconstruction scheme, is described. The non-linear curvature wavefront sensor (nlCWFS)…
Direct imaging of exoplanets represents a challenge for astronomical instrumentation due to the high-contrast ratio and small angular separation between the host star and the faint planet. Multi-star systems pose additional challenges for…
Conventional spectrometer and polarimeter systems rely on bulky optics, fundamentally limiting compact integration and hindering multi-dimensional optical sensing capabilities. Here, we propose a spectropolarimeter enabled by…
The detection and characterization of Earth-like exoplanets is one of the major science drivers for the next generation of telescopes. Current direct imaging instruments are limited by evolving non-common path aberrations (NCPAs). The NCPAs…
Two high performance coronagraphic approaches compatible with segmented and obstructed telescope pupils are described. Both concepts use entrance pupil amplitude apodization and a combined phase and amplitude focal plane mask to achieve…
The vortex coronagraph is one of the most promising coronagraphs for high contrast imaging because of its simplicity, small inner working angle, high throughput, and clear off-axis discovery space. However, as with most coronagraphs,…
The estimation and compensation of quasi-static aberrations is mandatory to reach the ultimate performance of high-contrast imaging systems. COFFEE is a focal plane wave-front sensing method that consists in the extension of phase diversity…
We revive a cross-platform focal-plane wavefront sensing and control algorithm originally released in 1980 and show that it can provide significant contrast improvements over conventional control methods on coronagraphic instruments. Its…
The continual push to directly image exoplanets at lower masses and closer separations orbiting around bright stars remains limited by both quasi-static and residual adaptive optics (AO) aberration. In previous papers we have proposed a…
We present a promising approach to the extremely fast sensing and correction of small wavefront errors in adaptive optics systems. As our algorithm's computational complexity is roughly proportional to the number of actuators, it is…
Residual wavefront errors in optical elements limit the performance of coronagraphs. To improve their efficiency, different types of devices have been proposed to correct or calibrate these errors. In this paper, we study one of these…
Directly imaging Earth-sized exoplanets with a visible-light coronagraph instrument on a space telescope will require a system that can achieve $\sim10^{-10}$ raw contrast and maintain it for the duration of observations (on the order of…
The classic Hartmann test consists of an array of holes to reconstruct the wavefront from the local deviation of each focal spot, and Shack-Hartmann sensor improved that with an array of microlenses. This array of microlenses imposes…
Broadband coronagraphy with deep nulling and small inner working angle has the potential of delivering images and spectra of exoplanets and other faint objects. In recent years, many coronagraphic schemes have been proposed, the most…
Context. Phase-mask coronagraphy is advantageous in terms of inner working angle and discovery space. It is however still plagued by drawbacks such as sensitivity to tip-tilt errors and chromatism. A nulling stellar coronagraph based on the…