Vector vortex coronagraphy for exoplanet detection with spatially variant diffractive waveplates
Abstract
Optical vortex coronagraphs have recently been deployed on most of the world's largest ground-based telescopes to assist in the search for faint exoplanets and dust emission near stars. These instruments typically make use of vector vortex phase masks, and at short near-infrared wavelengths, the phase masks tend to be spatially variant liquid-crystal-polymer-based diffractive waveplates. Optical vortex coronagraphs also hold great promise as a potential means of imaging terrestrial exoplanets in nearby solar systems with space-based telescopes, for which nearly ideal vortex phase masks will be needed. Here, we briefly summarize the optical vortex coronagraph, foreseen performance requirements for terrestrial exoplanet imaging detection, the obstacles to nearly ideal diffractive-waveplate-based vortex phase masks, and recent broadband performance demonstrations.
Additional Information
© 2019 Optical Society of America. Received 11 December 2018; accepted 15 December 2018; posted 9 January 2019 (Doc. ID 354564); published 11 February 2019. Funding: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). We thank Beam Engineering for technical support and for developing the vortex phase masks discussed here.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 93415
- DOI
- 10.1364/josab.36.000d13
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20190304-082306585
- NASA
- Created
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2019-03-04Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Astronomy Department