Related papers: Diffraction of Apodized Pupil Mapping Systems with…
TianQin is a planned Chinese space-based gravitational wave (GW) observatory with a frequency band of 10-4 to 1Hz. Optical telescopes are essential for the delivery of the measurement beam to support a precise distance measurement between…
High contrast coronagraphic imaging is challenging for telescopes with central obstructions and thick spider vanes, such as the Subaru Telescope. We present in this paper the first laboratory demonstration of a high efficiency PIAA-type…
Warm or massive gas giant planets, brown dwarfs, and debris disks around nearby stars are now routinely observed by dedicated high-contrast imaging instruments on large, ground-based observatories. These facilities include extreme adaptive…
Extra-solar planets have not been imaged directly with existing ground or space telescopes because they are too faint to be seen against the halo of the nearby bright star. Most techniques being explored to suppress the halo are achromatic,…
Transit spectroscopy of habitable planets orbiting late-type stars requires high relative spectro-photometric accuracy between wavelengths during transit/eclipse observation. The spectro-photometric signal is not affected only by image…
We present an enhanced version of the Zernike wavefront sensor, that simultaneously measures phase and amplitude aberrations. The 'vector-Zernike' wavefront sensor consists of a patterned liquid-crystal mask, which imposes $\pm \pi/2$ phase…
Next-generation large segmented mirror telescopes are expected to perform direct imaging and characterization of Earth-like rocky planets, which requires contrast limits of $10^{-7}$ to $10^{-8}$ at wavelengths from I to J band. One…
The RISTRETTO instrument, a proposed visible high-contrast, high-resolution spectrograph for the VLT, has the primary science goal of detecting reflected light from nearby exoplanets and characterizing their atmospheres. Specifically, it…
We conducted a number of multi-band coronagraph experiments using a vacuum chamber and a binary-shaped pupil mask which in principle should work at all wavelengths, in the context of the research and development on a coronagraph to observe…
High-contrast imaging observations of large angular diameter stars enable complementary science questions to be addressed compared to the baseline goals of proposed missions like the Terrestrial Planet Finder-Coronagraph, New World's…
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…
We explore the possibility of applying physical phase plates (PPs) in combination with aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. Phase-contrast transfer characteristics are calculated and compared for a thin-film based Zernike…
The apodized-pupil Lyot coronagraph is one of the most advanced starlight cancellation concepts studied intensively in the past few years. Extreme adaptive optics instruments built for present-day 8m class telescopes will operate with such…
Holographic displays promise to deliver unprecedented display capabilities in augmented reality applications, featuring a wide field of view, wide color gamut, spatial resolution, and depth cues all in a compact form factor. While emerging…
Astronomers working with faint targets will benefit greatly from improved image quality on current and planned ground-based telescopes. At present, most adaptive optic systems are targeted at the highest resolution with bright guide stars.…
We present methods for optimizing pupil and focal plane optical elements that improve the performance of vortex coronagraphs on telescopes with obstructed or segmented apertures. Phase-only and complex masks are designed for the entrance…
The aberrations induced by the sample and/or by the sample holder limit the resolution of optical microscopes. Wavefront correction can be achieved using a deformable mirror with wavefront sensorless optimization algorithms but, despite the…
We analyse the fundamental limitations for the detection of extraterrestrial planets with Extremely Large Telescopes. For this task, a coronagraphic device combined to a very high order wavefront correction system is required but not…
Establishing a precise connection between imaged intensity and the incident wavefront is essential for emerging applications in adaptive optics, holography, computational microscopy, and non-line-of-sight imaging. While prior work has shown…
This report models the refractive index above a telescope site by an atmosphere with exponential decay of the refractive index (susceptibility) as a function of altitude. The air is represented as a spherical hull around the surface. We…