Extreme adaptive optics systems are now in operation across the globe. These systems, capable of high order wavefront correction, deliver Strehl ratios of ∼ 90% in the near-infrared. Originally intended for the direct imaging of exoplanets, these systems are often equipped with advanced coronagraphs that suppress the on-axis-star, interferometers to calibrate wavefront errors, and low order wavefront sensors to stabilize any tip/tilt residuals to a degree never seen before. Such systems are well positioned to facilitate the detailed spectroscopic characterization of faint substellar companions at small angular separations from the host star. Additionally, the increased light concentration of the point-spread function and the unprecedented stability create opportunities in other fields of astronomy as well, including spectroscopy. With such Strehl ratios, efficient injection into single-mode fibers or photonic lanterns becomes possible. With diffraction-limited components feeding the instrument, calibrating a spectrograph's line profile becomes considerably easier, as modal noise or imperfect scrambling of the fiber output are no longer an issue. It also opens up the possibility of exploiting photonic technologies for their advanced functionalities, inherent replicability, and small, lightweight footprint to design and build future instrumentation. In this work, we outline how extreme adaptive optics systems will enable advanced photonic and diffraction-limited technologies to be exploited in spectrograph design and the impact it will have on spectroscopy. We illustrate that the precision of an instrument based on these technologies, with light injected from an efficient single-mode fiber feed would be entirely limited by the spectral content and stellar noise alone on cool stars and would be capable of achieving a radial velocity precision of several m/s; the level required for detecting an exo-Earth in the habitable zone of a nearby M-dwarf.
In an attempt to develop a streamlined astrophotonic instrument, we demonstrate the realization of an all-photonic device capable of both multimode to single mode conversion and spectral dispersion on an 8-m class telescope with efficient coupling. The device was a monolithic photonic spectrograph which combined an integrated photonic lantern, and an efficient arrayed waveguide grating device. During on-sky testing, we discovered a previously unreported type of noise that made spectral extraction and calibration extremely difficult. The source of the noise was traced to a wavelength-dependent loss mechanism between the feed fiber's multimode near-field pattern, and the modal acceptance profile of the integrated photonic lantern. Extensive modeling of the photonic components replicates the wavelength-dependent loss, and demonstrates an identical effect on the final spectral output. We outline that this could be mitigated by directly injecting into the integrated photonic lantern.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.