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Published September 11, 2015 | Published
Book Section - Chapter Open

Optimized focal and pupil plane masks for vortex coronagraphs on telescopes with obstructed apertures

Abstract

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 pupil, focal plane, and the plane of the Lyot stop. Optimal masks are obtained using both analytical and numerical methods. The latter makes use of an iterative error reduction algorithm to calculate "correcting" optics that mitigate unwanted diffraction from aperture obstructions. We analyze the achieved performance in terms of starlight suppression, contrast, off-axis image quality, and chromatic dependence. Manufacturing considerations and sensitivity to aberrations are also discussed. This work provides a path to joint optimization of multiple coronagraph planes to maximize sensitivity to exoplanets and other faint companions.

Additional Information

© 2015 SPIE. This work has benefited from computing assistance from Carlos Gomez Gonzalez (Université de Liège, Belgium) as well as fruitful discussions with Prof. Jean Surdej (Université de Liège, Belgium) and Prof. Matt Kenworthy (Leiden Observatory, Netherlands). G. J. Ruane was supported by Wallonie-Bruxelles International's (Belgium) Scholarship for Excellence and the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. ECCS-1309517. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (ERC Grant Agreement n. 337569) and from the French Community of Belgium through an ARC grant for Concerted Research Action.

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