Pierre Piron

Taking the vector vortex coronagraph to the next level for ground- and space-based exoplanet imaging instruments: review of technology developments in the USA, Japan, and Europe

The Vector Vortex Coronagraph (VVC) is one of the most attractive new-generation coronagraphs for ground- and space-based exoplanet imaging/characterization instruments, as recently demonstrated on sky at Palomar and in the laboratory at JPL, and Hokkaido University. Manufacturing technologies for devices covering wavelength ranges from the optical to the mid-infrared, have been maturing quickly. We will review the current status of technology developments supported by NASA in the USA (Jet Propulsion Laboratory-California Institute of Technology, University of Arizona, JDSU and BEAMCo), Europe (University of Li`ege, Observatoire de Paris- Meudon, University of Uppsala) and Japan (Hokkaido University, and Photonics Lattice Inc.), using liquid crystal polymers, subwavelength gratings, and photonics crystals, respectively. We will then browse concrete perspectives for the use of the VVC on upcoming ground-based facilities with or without (extreme) adaptive optics, extremely large ground-based telescopes, and space-based internal coronagraphs.

Three years of harvest with the vector vortex coronagraph in the thermal infrared

For several years, we have been developing vortex phase masks based on sub-wavelength gratings, known as Annular Groove Phase Masks. Etched onto diamond substrates, these AGPMs are currently designed to be used in the thermal infrared (ranging from 3 to 13 μm). Our AGPMs were first installed on VLT/NACO and VLT/VISIR in 2012, followed by LBT/LMIRCam in 2013 and Keck/NIRC2 in 2015. In this paper, we review the development, commissioning, on-sky performance, and early scientific results of these new coronagraphic modes and report on the lessons learned. We conclude with perspectives for future developments and applications.

Development of a subwavelength grating vortex coronagraph of topological charge 4 (SGVC4)

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 singularity in its center. Such an optical vortex is characterized by its topological charge, i.e., the number of times the phase accumulates 2π radians along a closed path surrounding the singularity. Over the past few years, we have been developing a charge-2 VVC induced by rotationally symmetric subwavelength gratings (SGVC2), also known as the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM). Since 2013, several SGVC2s (or AGPMs) were manufactured using synthetic diamond substrate, then validated on dedicated optical benches, and installed on 10-m class telescopes. Increasing the topological charge seems however mandatory for cancelling the light of bright stars which will be partially resolved by future Extremely Large Telescopes in the near-infrared. In this paper, we first detail our motivations for developing an SGVC4 (charge 4) dedicated to the near-infrared domain. The challenge lies in the design of the pattern which is unrealistic in the theoretically perfect case, due to state-of-the-art manufacturing limitations. Hence, we propose a new realistic design of SGVC4 with minimized discontinuities and optimized phase ramp, showing conclusive improvements over previous works in this field. A preliminary validation of our concept is given based on RCWA simulations, while full 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations (and eventually laboratory tests) will be required for a final validation.

Polarization holography for vortex retarders recording

We present an original static recording method for vortex retarders (VRs) made from liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) using the superimposition of several polarized beams. VRs are birefringent plates characterized by a rotation of their fast axis about their center. The new method is based on polarization holography and photo-orientable LCP. Combining several polarized beams induces the polarization patterns required for the recording process of VRs without mechanical action. A mathematical description of the method, the outcomes of the numerical simulations, and the first experimental results are presented.

Discovery of a point-like source and a third spiral arm in the transition disk around the Herbig Ae star MWC 758

Transition disks offer the extraordinary opportunity to look for newly born planets and investigate the early stages of planet formation. In this context we observed the Herbig A5 star MWC 758 with the L band vector vortex coronagraph installed in the near-infrared camera and spectrograph NIRC2 at the Keck II telescope, with the aim of unveiling the nature of the spiral structure by constraining the presence of planetary companions in the system. Our high-contrast imaging observations show a bright (delta L=7.0+/-0.3 mag) point-like emission, south of MWC 758 at a deprojected separation of about 20 au (r=0.111+/- 0. 004 arcsec) from the central star. We also recover the two spiral arms (south-east and north-west), already imaged by previous studies in polarized light, and discover a third one to the south-west of the star. No additional companions were detected in the system down to 5 Jupiter masses beyond 0.6 arcsec from the star. We propose that the bright L band emission could be caused by the presence of an embedded and accreting protoplanet, although the possibility of it being an asymmetric disk feature cannot be excluded. The spiral structure is probably not related to the protoplanet candidate, unless on an inclined and eccentric orbit, and it could be due to one (or more) yet undetected planetary companions at the edge of or outside the spiral pattern. Future observations and additional simulations will be needed to shed light on the true nature of the point-like source and its link with the spiral arms.

Combining shearography and interferometric fringe projection in a single device for complete control of industrial applications

Noncontact optical measurement methods are essential tools in many industrial and research domains. A family of new noncontact optical measurement methods based on the polarization states splitting technique and monochromatic light projection as a way to overcome ambient lighting for in-situ measurement has been developed. Recent works on a birefringent element, a Savart plate, allow one to build a more flexible and robust interferometer. This interferometer is a multipurpose metrological device. On one hand the interferometer can be set in front of a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. This optical measurement system is called a shearography interferometer and allows one to measure microdisplacements between two states of the studied object under coherent lighting. On the other hand, by producing and shifting multiple sinusoidal Young’s interference patterns with this interferometer, and using a CCD camera, it is possible to build a three-dimensional structured light profilometer.

Polarization measurement with space-variant retarders in liquid crystal polymers

We present a real-time polarization measurement method with a space-variant phase retarder in liquid crystal polymers. This retarder presents a continuous and periodical variation of its optical axis orientation. The method computes the Stokes parameters of an incident beam by studying the intensity distribution after the retarder and a linear polarizer. This paper contains the mathematical modelization, the numerical simulation, the description of the experimental setup, the results for several completely polarized beams and the future developments of this method.

Mid-IR AGPMs for ELT applications

The mid-infrared region is well suited for exoplanet detection thanks to the reduced contrast between the planet and its host star with respect to the visible and near-infrared wavelength regimes. This contrast may be further improved with Vector Vortex Coronagraphs (VVCs), which allow us to cancel the starlight. One flavour of the VVC is the AGPM (Annular Groove Phase Mask), which adds the interesting properties of subwavelength gratings (achromaticity, robustness) to the already known properties of the VVC. In this paper, we present the optimized designs, as well as the expected performances of mid-IR AGPMs etched onto synthetic diamond substrates, which are considered for the E-ELT/METIS instrument.

The VORTEX coronagraphic test bench

In this paper, we present the infrared coronagraphic test bench of the University of Liège named VODCA (Vortex Optical Demonstrator for Coronagraphic Applications). The goal of the bench is to assess the performances of the Annular Groove Phase Masks (AGPMs) at near- to mid-infrared wavelengths. The AGPM is a subwavelength grating vortex coronagraph of charge two (SGVC2) made out of diamond. The bench is designed to be completely achromatic and will be composed of a super continuum laser source emitting in the near to mid-infrared, several parabolas, diaphragms and an infrared camera. This way, we will be able to test the different AGPMs in the M, L, K and H bands. Eventually, the bench will also allow the computation of the incident wavefront aberrations on the coronagraph. A reflective Lyot stop will send most of the stellar light to a second camera to perform low-order wavefront sensing. This second system coupled with a deformable mirror will allow the correction of the wavefront aberrations. We also aim to test other pre- and/or post-coronagraphic concepts such as optimal apodization.

The VORTEX project: first results and perspectives

Vortex coronagraphs are among the most promising solutions to perform high contrast imaging at small angular separations from bright stars. They feature a very small inner working angle (down to the diffraction limit of the telescope), a clear 360 degree discovery space, have demonstrated very high contrast capabilities, are easy to implement on high-contrast imaging instruments, and have already been extensively tested on the sky. Since 2005, we have been designing, developing and testing an implementation of the charge-2 vector vortex phase mask based on concentric sub-wavelength gratings, referred to as the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM). Science-grade mid-infrared AGPMs were produced in 2012 for the first time, using plasma etching on synthetic diamond substrates. They have been validated on a coronagraphic test bench, showing broadband peak rejection up to 500:1 in the L band, which translates into a raw contrast of about 6 x 10-5 at 2λ=D. Three of them have now been installed on world-leading diffraction-limited infrared cameras, namely VLT/NACO, VLT/VISIR and LBT/LMIRCam. During the science verification observations with our L-band AGPM on NACO, we observed the beta Pictoris system and obtained unprecedented sensitivity limits to planetary companions down to the diffraction limit (0:1”). More recently, we obtained new images of the HR 8799 system at L band during the AGPM first light on LMIRCam. After reviewing these first results obtained with mid-infrared AGPMs, we will discuss the short- and mid-term goals of the on-going VORTEX project, which aims to improve the performance of our vortex phase masks for future applications on second-generation high-contrast imager and on future extremely large telescopes (ELTs). In particular, we will briefly describe our current efforts to improve the manufacturing of mid-infrared AGPMs, to push their operation to shorter wavelengths, and to provide deeper starlight extinction by creating new designs for higher topological charge vortices. Within the VORTEX project, we also plan to develop new image processing techniques tailored to coronagraphic images, and to study some pre- and post-coronagraphic concepts adapted to the vortex coronagraph in order to reduce scattered starlight in the final images.