Space-based long-baseline stellar interferometry has been envisioned for decades because it can bypass atmospheric disturbance and enable significant array scalability with high spectral and angular resolution. However, technological challenges have so far prevented the realization of these missions. The GLORIA project, a collaboration between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), aims to advance the transition of near-infrared (NIR) stellar interferometry from ground-based to space-based observations. This initiative utilizes heterodyne interferometry to digitize delay lines, addressing the limitation of conventional mechanical rail systems used in ground-based interferometers to compensate for optical path differences necessary for achieving interference, which are impractical for space applications. By mixing NIR stellar radiation with a stable reference laser, the project intends to convert the signal into the radio regime, enabling delay line digitization while preserving crucial phase information essential for stellar image reconstruction. The first phase of the ground-testbed aims to establish a controlled testbed environment for tests of heterodyne interferometry. The second phase intends to simulate and measure astronomical conditions, leveraging the phase 1 setup adapted to replicate the complexities of a real stellar interferometer. The current progress of the testbed includes control over phase and amplitude for interferometric measurements with initial characterization of the heterodyne signal.
The goal of the CHara ARray Integrated Optics Testbench (CHARIOT) is to establish a fully characterized (nulling) interferometry setup for on-sky tests of novel astrophotonic 2D or 3D beam combiners for the interferometry community worldwide. CHARIOT is planned for four telescope beams covering the J-, H-, and K-bands with plug-and-play fiber interfaces. Verifying novel astrophotonics on-sky with CHARIOT will enable the development of components and advances in instruments in many fields, including nulling and spectro-interferometry.
Photonic Lanterns (PLs) play a crucial role in astrophotonic technologies, converting multi-mode inputs to single-mode outputs while being theoretically low loss. Despite technical advancements, the reproducibility of PLs remains unexplored. We present a study characterizing multiple PLs to address the challenges of mass production. Initial results indicate high taper rate consistency, vital for PL stability and their integration into astrophotonic instruments. Beyond taper measurements, our comprehensive evaluation includes throughput, near-field, and chromatic analysis, ensuring mass produced PLs meet stringent telescope requirements.
We analyze aperiodic fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) fabricated using an aperiodic phase mask, involving partial overlaps of distinct mask regions. Multichannel aperiodic FBG filter is a promising candidate for suppressing hydroxyl (OH) emission lines in ground-based near-infrared astronomical observations. However, the fabrication of such multichannel aperiodic FBGs demands high repeatability. We explore the design of phase masks with repeatable FBG inscriptions. Previously, we explored a phase mask (1st generation) designed and fabricated with partial overlapping regions using logical OR operation. Continuing this effort, we investigate three distinct phase mask designs which are capable of generating FBGs corresponding to five OH lines. The first mask features five discrete regions, each producing a specific FBG channel, while the other two masks incorporate numerically obtained overlap regions using logical OR and XOR operations. We present here the performances of the fabricated masks by comparing the Bragg wavelengths and the reflectivities of the inscribed FBGs.
Fiber based Fabry-Perot interferometers offer high precision calibration lines for astronomical spectrographs such as ELT-MICADO in a compact form factor with remote access. Since the calibration lines are carried in optical fibers, a distribution model is possible at very low costs. The fabrication methods described in this paper can achieve different FSRs and finesse over the astronomical J-, H-, and K-band.
A major limiting factor of using photonic integrated circuits (PICs) in astronomical instruments is that they are functional only in the single-mode regime. As number of modes M in the PSF scales with diameter D of the telescope (D∕4λ2), it is impractical to use PICs based spectrographs without extreme adaptive optics (exAO) in ground- based observatories. To increase the coupling efficiency of the FoV into a PICs based spectrograph, we can employ a lower order adaptive optics (LOAO) to partially correct the PSFs. The partially corrected FoV is then sampled with an integral field unit (IFU) comprising of micro-lens fed MMF/FMFs, which feed into an array of photonic lanterns (PLs). The multiple SMF outputs of the PLs are butt-coupled across a stack of AWGs, one PL connected to the corresponding AWG or connected across the stack. CAWSMOS is first of its kind concept that exploits the ability of AWGs to spectrally disperse light from more than one fibre simultaneously. Each AWG disperses the wavelengths horizontally, and the cross-disperser disperses the orders vertically. The echellogram from each fibre on an AWG is spatially shifted vertically to occupy the space between the orders. Each AWG is assigned to individual real-estate on the detector area.
Arrayed waveguide gratings (AWG) have gained attention as promising integrated spectrographs for ground-based telescopes, airborne applications, and spaceborne instrumentation due to their low mass, diffraction limit characteristics, thermal stability, and robustness against vibrations and misalignment. The Potsdam Arrayed Waveguide Spectrograph (PAWS) is a cross-dispersive instrument based on an integrated photonic spectrograph (IPS) that is optimized for the astronomical H-Band and was designed and developed by innoFSPEC at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP). The main element is a second-generation AWG that is fibre coupled and works as a first dispersive element. To work as an IPS, the dispersed light of the AWG is sampled at the output facet and magnified by a microscope objective. The light is then fed into a free-space optical system housed in a cryostat working at 140 K. An afocal relay re-images the exit pupil of the microscope into the plane of a cross-dispersive element containing a diffractive grating. Subsequently, an objective focuses the resulting echellogram on a Teledyne 2k × 2k H2RG near-infrared array working at 80 K. To validate the functionality of the system, different light sources have been used. A tunable laser source generated an echellogram through frame stacking. Furthermore, the cross-dispersed output of a supercontinuum source and of an in-house developed frequency comb system were recorded under varying input conditions of the AWG, successfully achieving first light laboratory measurements. Throughout multiple cycles and measurements of the instrument, several parameters and characteristics were identified, providing opportunities for optimization to enhance the instrument’s performance and facilitate the miniaturization of future iterations. In this manuscript, we will provide a concise overview of the PAWS instrument, the preliminary results of laboratory measurements, and lessons learned to improve the future iterations of the next generation near-infrared cross-dispersed integrated photonic spectrograph. PAWS represents a pioneering demonstration of an astronomy optimized AWG chip, showcasing the advantageous capabilities of integrated photonic spectrograph.
Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) are best known for their important role in the telecommunication sector, e.g. high speed communication devices in data centers. However, PIC also hold the promise for innovation in sectors like life science, medicine, sensing, automotive etc. The past two decades have seen efforts of utilizing PIC to enhance the performance of instrumentation for astronomical telescopes, perhaps the most spectacular example being the integrated optics beam combiner for the interferometer GRAVITY at the ESO Very Large Telescope. This instrument has enabled observations of the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way at unprecedented angular resolution, eventually leading to the Nobel Price for Physics in 2020. Several groups worldwide are actively engaged in the emerging field of astrophotonics research, amongst them the innoFSPEC Center in Potsdam, Germany. We present results for a number of applications developed at innoFSPEC, notably PIC for integrated photonic spectrographs on the basis of arrayed waveguide gratings and the PAWS demonstrator (Potsdam Arrayed Waveguide Spectrograph), PIC-based ring resonators in astronomical frequency combs for precision wavelength calibration, discrete beam combiners (DBC) for large astronomical interferometers, as well as aperiodic fiber Bragg gratings for complex astronomical filters and their possible derivatives in PIC.
MARCOT Pathfinder is a precursor for MARCOT (Multi Array of Combined Telescopes) at Calar Alto Observatory (CAHA) in Spain. MARCOT is intended to provide CARMENES, currently fiber-fed from the CAHA 3.5m Telescope, with a 5-15m light collecting area from a battery of several tens of small telescopes that are incoherently fed into the final joint single fiber feed of the spectrograph. The modular concept, based on commercially available telescopes, results in cost estimates that are a fraction of the ones for extremely large telescopes (ELT). As a novel approach, MARCOT will employ Multi-Mode Photonic Lanterns (MM-PL) that are being developed as a variant of classical photonic lanterns, to combine the light from the individual telescopes to a single fiber feed to the instrument. This progress report presents the overall concept of MARCOT, the pathfinder telescope and enclosure that is being commissioned at CAHA, the concept of MM-PL, and the next step of installing the Potsdam Multiplex Raman Spectrograph (MRS). MARCOT Pathfinder will be used to validate the conceptual design and predicted performance of MM-PL on sky with a 7-unit telescope prototype.
BlueMUSE is a novel instrument under development for the ESO VLT, that builds on the legacy of MUSE, however with a blue wavelength range, a larger field-of-view (FoV), and higher spectral resolution. Driven by high-profile and unique science cases, the requirements present new challenges to the development of the instrument, although the fundamental layout will be based on the successful modular structure of the classical MUSE. In order to achieve the expected mean spectral resolution of R=3600 and radial velocity measurement accuracy of better than 1 km/s, as well as spectrophotometric performance, BlueMUSE must be equipped with a calibration unit to perform accurate wavelength, flat-field, and geometrical calibration. Lessons learned from MUSE show that the variation of the line-spread-function (LSF) across the FoV as a consequence of the field-splitter and image slicer layout requires a methodology to accurately measure the LSF as a function of x and y. Moreover, classical spectral line lamps that have been used traditionally for wavelength calibration present the problem of a scarce emission line coverage in the blue. BlueMUSE has entered pre-Phase-A in 2022. We report first results from conceptual design studies to address these challenges, in particular concepts of Fabry-Perot based tunable frequency combs, and as an alternative approach novel concepts with laser frequency combs or micro-ring resonator based combs in the blue.
The Potsdam Arrayed Waveguide Spectrograph (PAWS) is built upon an integrated photonic spectrograph designed for astronomy. Similar to integrated optic beam combiners for interferometry, PAWS is intended to demonstrate on sky how a traditional bulk optics spectrograph with R = 15.000 in the H band can be miniaturized to fit on a chip. The integrated photonic spectrograph is based on second-generation Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWG) with unprecedented performance in terms of spectral resolution and throughput. The fibre-coupled AWG serves as a first dispersive element. The pre-dispersed light is fed into a free-space optical system located in a cryostat. Here the overlapping spectral orders are separated by cross-dispersion. The resulting echellogram is recorded by a Teledyne 2kx2k H2RG near-infrared array. Locally controlled constant cryogenic temperatures are required for the operation of the cryostat. This was achieved by fine-tuning and optimizing the original cryostat design using experimental data from multiple cryogenic cycles. These steps included the optimization of thermal interfaces, gold coating of the radiation shield, and an appropriate cooling sequence using the constraints of the allowed cooling rate for H2RG focal plane arrays. Using the readout electronics and GEIRS software provided by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), frames of the H2RG were obtained, allowing performance calculations and dark pre-characterization of the system. For the optimum alignment of the optical system, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was measured with an interferometric set-up that recorded the spatial displacements of two reflecting optical elements within the cryostat during a cryogenic cycle. An appropriate strategy was developed to adjust the cryogenic cross dispersion optics inside the vacuum chamber to the AWG coupling optics outside the chamber.
We report the ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) of a 2-telescope integrated optic (IO) beam combiner for K-band interferometry in commercial Infrasil glass. The ULI setup used for this work is based on a 1030 nm femtosecond laser which is paired with a spatial-light-modulator (SLM). The SLM controls the numerical aperture of the focused beam used to write waveguides in the substrate. The optimum ULI parameters were found to inscribe straight single-mode waveguides exhibiting an insertion loss of 1.1 ± 0.1 dB for a 17 mm long chip over the entire K-band. To develop optimal directional couplers, we focused our efforts on investigating the effect of varying the core-to-core separation and the effect of detuning the waveguide parameters in the coupler. By doing so, we have identified fabrication parameters that are suitable for the fabrication of a beam combiner integrating an achromatic 3 dB directional coupler and two photometric taps with a splitting ratio of 80:20. These results demonstrate the capability of the ULI fabrication technique to inscribe efficient achromatic directional couplers in the K-band range. A final fabrication step will involve simple assembly of the beam combiner with input/output fibers in preparation for on-sky testing at the CHARA array planned for July 2022.
We recently performed tests of the discrete beam combiner (DBC) through an on-sky experiment using a 4-input pupil remappers-based integrated optics device. Here, we report on the lessons learned, as well as visibilities and closure phase results for our stellar target, Vega. Through complementary simulations, we analyze how the residual phase errors, input power imbalance at the waveguides, slow environmental changes, and different photon levels affect the performance of the DBC. This is an important aspect to improve future on-sky calibration strategies for this type of beam combiner, in particular when combining a large number of apertures.
We assembled a testbed to study coupling of starlight through atmospheric turbulence via astronomical telescopes into astrophotonic devices. The setup allows for varying the turbulence strength and investigating the effects of different levels of adaptive optics correction on the efficiency of integrated optics. In addition to recording optical powers and wavefront errors, focal plane images are captured from which spots sizes and Strehl ratios are also measured. Novel astrophotonic components proposed as alternatives to conventional optical instruments can therefore be qualified in terms of coupling efficiency and throughput on the testbed before they are tested on the sky.
We present the optomechanical design of the Potsdam Arrayed Waveguide Spectrograph (PAWS), which is the first on-sky demonstrator of an integrated photonic spectrograph specifically designed and optimized for astronomy. The instrument is based on an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) that was designed by and custom fabricated for the innovation center innoFSPEC Potsdam. The commissioning of the instrument is planned at the Calar Alto 2:2m Telescope in southern Spain. The core of the instrument is the AWG-chip as the primary dispersive element. The AWG device is coupled to the telescope module via a single-mode fibre (SMF). The spectral image on the output facet of the AWG is a superposition of multiple spectral orders due to the cyclic dispersive behavior of the waveguide array. The output of the AWG is fed into a free-space optical system housed inside a cryostat via an infinity-corrected microscope objective. The overlapping spectral orders are separated by a second dispersion stage using a ruled grating as a cross-dispersive element, and the resulting echellogram is projected onto a Teledyne 2k x 2k H2RG near-infrared array. The requirement of sub-micron accuracy of the fibre-chip alignment has led to an advanced photonic packaging method. In order to avoid on-site alignment procedures during the on-sky testing, the AWG mount, fibre-support, and microscope objective were integrated into a single monolithic module. Optical and thermal simulations and the design of the cryostat were realized by Andes Scientific. The read-out electronics and the compatible operating software for the detector was provided by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA). Data analysis is performed using the open-source data reduction software P3D, which provides functionality for the removal of the instrument signature, extraction of the spectra, correction for the blaze function, wavelength calibration, and processed data file export.
We present a method of assembling a fiber-optic pseudo-slit, inside a custom FC connector. 19 SMFs with 80 μm cladding diameters are arranged in a 1,511 μm pseudoslit, held in the center of a connector ferrule. The SMFs in the pseudo-slit are well positioned and well ordered, having an average core separation in the ‘long’ direction of 79.5 μm and an StDev in the ‘narrow’ direction of 2.68 μm. The nearfield output distribution of the pseudo-slit was measured under 615-730 nm light, finding an FWHM intensity distribution ratio between the two directions of 1 : 21.9. This method could be used with other types of optical connector, allowing pseudo-slits to be used conveniently with existing optical instruments.
The project NAIR "Novel Astronomical Instrumentation based on photonic light Reformating" is a DFG-funded collaboration to exploit the recognized potential of photonics solutions for a radically new approach to astronomical instrumentation for optical/infrared high precision spectroscopy and high angular resolution imaging. We present a project update, with the developments in our ULI waveguides and 3D printed structures for astronomical instrumentation and on sky testing results obtained at the WHT, Subaru (SCExAO) and LBT. This shows the NAIR project is helping to lead to important technological breakthroughs facilitating uniquely functionality and technical solutions for the next generation of instrumentation.
In long-baseline interferometry, over the last few decades integrated optics beam combiners have become at- tractive technological solutions for new-generation instruments operating at infrared wavelengths. We have investigated different architectures of discrete beam combiners (DBC), which are 2D lattice arrangement of channel waveguides that can be fabricated by exploiting the 3D capability of the ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) fabrication techniques. Here, we present the first interferometric on-sky results of an integrated optics beam combiner based on a coherent pupil remapper and 4 input/23 output zig-zag based DBC, both written monolith- ically in a single borosilicate glass. We show the preliminary results of visibility amplitudes and closure phases obtained from the Vega star by using the previously calibrated transfer matrix of the device.
We report the ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) and characterization of 3 dB directional achromatic couplers for K-band between 2 and 2.4 μm. The couplers were fabricated in commercial Infrasil glass using 1030 nm femtosecond laser pulses. Straight waveguides inscribed using optimal fabrication parameters exhibit an average propagation loss of ∼1.21 dB over full range of K-band with a single-mode behavior for a length of 17 mm. Directional couplers with different interaction lengths and waveguide widths were fabricated and characterized. We demonstrate that 3 dB achromatic directional couplers for K-band can be fabricated using ULI. These results show that ULI can fabricate highquality couplers for future applications in astronomical interferometry. Our eventual aim is to develop a two-telescope K-band integrated optical beam combiner to replace JouFLU at CHARA.
Stellar interferometry performed in integrated photonic devices allows to increase the angular resolution of a ground-based telescope. Here we present the fabrication and characterization of a low-loss polarization insensitive photonic circuit for astrophotonics, whose geometry was engineered to combine interferometrically up to eight input beams. The employed fabrication technique consisted in the femtosecond laser micromachining followed by a thermal annealing to reduce the birefringence of the waveguides. The fabricated device was characterized to validate its functioning in terms of polarization insensitivity, good transmission and proper beam combination, thus benchmarking its suitability with real on-sky observations.
Astrophotonics is an emerging tool for increasing the angular resolution in ground-based sky observations. Due to the unpolarized nature of celestial light, it is necessary to operate with fully polarization insensitive integrated devices. In this respect, here we show that a thermal annealing after the femtosecond laser writing of waveguides reduces their birefringence of more than order of magnitude, providing integrated circuits whose behaviour is insensitive to the polarization of the input light. As a validation of this technique, we present the successful fabrication of a low-loss integrated device for performing stellar interferometry of up to 8 input beams.
We will show the first results for a pupil remapping device with an integrated optics discrete beam combiner. Our expected monochromatic visibility functions are in good agreement with simulation and experiment. The device will be used for our upcoming on-sky tests at 4-m Willian-Herschel Telescope (WHT) in canary islands.
In pursuit of miniaturization of spectrograph systems, various wavelength-dispersive technologies such as arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) [1] and stationary-wave integrated Fourier transform spectrographs (SWIFTS) [2] have been studied as possible candidates for practical implementations of compact, lightweight integrated spectrographs. Integrated echélle-grating (EG) based wavelength demultiplexers have been proposed as an alternative to AWGs for use as the main diffractive element in such a compact spectrograph [3]. Apart from the simple Rowland mount type, more sophisticated geometries, such as the perfect chirped grating (PCG) [4] and two-stigmatic-point gratings (SEG) [5] exist. In this work, we present the first planar integrated echélle grating based on SEG geometry and specifically designed for astronomical spectroscopy in the NIR range ~1500 nm to 1600 nm.
Compact yet highly functional optical components are desired in modern astronomical instruments targeted at low system cost and reduced maintenance complexity. Integrated photonic spectrometers based on planar lightwave circuits are attractive as the planar miniature device can provide high spectral resolution but also great robustness and flexibility in the design of spectrograph systems. Arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) have the potential to be adapted and optimized to function as compact spectrometers in astronomical spectrographs. In this work high-resolution AWGs based on low-loss silica waveguides have been designed, fabricated and characterized. The measured spectral resolution exceeds 104 with Δλ = 150 pm at 1548 nm. The insertion loss (including two times fiber-chip coupling) is merely 2.07 dB, amounting to a peak throughput of 62%. Adiabatic fiber taper is developed to bring down the mode field diameter of a standard single mode fiber to match the mode size of the designed waveguide, resulting in almost lossless coupling from the fiber to the waveguide. The free-spectrum range is 48 nm and the side-band suppression is 22 dB. The AWG is also polarization-insensitive. Rotating the linearly polarized input light by 180° results in a slight shift of the central wavelength ~ 30 pm. The excellent overall performance makes this AWG an ideal candidate as the key building block for the development of an integrated astronomical spectrograph module.
KEYWORDS: Fiber Bragg gratings, Near infrared, Diffraction, Optical alignment, Control systems, Modulation, Algorithm development, Process control, Space telescopes, Telescopes
The power of the next generation of telescopes that will rely largely on the combination of light-collecting area with excellent (ideally: diffraction limited) image quality. Therefore, the focus will heavily lean on adaptive optics and the near infrared wavelength regime. A severe limiting factor is the presence and strength of atmospheric OH emission lines in the NIR. OH suppression techniques involving fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) have been proposed, however as yet not fully demonstrated on sky. We are involved in the first generation FBG prototype development with partners in Australia, including the GNOSIS and PRAXIS on-sky experiments.
Since the supply of suitable multi-notch filters is no longer available from industry, we have made an effort at innoFSPEC Potsdam to build a specialized laboratory for the development and manufacture of 2nd generation FBGs for OH suppression.
Suppression of the strong NIR OH emission lines requires a single grating that reflects multiple wavelengths, spaced at non-periodic intervals, with flat-top profile and high suppression ratio. It has been shown that aperiodic fiber Bragg gratings (AFBGs) can provide such functions. However, the fabrication technology requires accurate optical alignment of several degrees of freedom as well as complex control of modulated beams to form a varying interference pattern. In our work, an algorithm is developed from the index profile of a multi-notch AFBG to the design of a complex phase-mask that can generate a matching UV diffraction pattern, which will in turn inscribe an single-mode fiber into the chosen AFBG. With such a phase mask, the fabrication of the AFBGs will be reduced to a simple UV-exposure process, i.e., the complex alignment and control processes of the interference pattern from modulated beams are avoided altogether. The resulting reliable and reproducible fabrication process will dramatically reduce of the cost of such filters. Packaging aspects for a complete sky emission filter system will also be discussed.
Based on the macro-bend induced losses in an optical fiber a linear displacement sensor is developed. The oscillatory
bend radius dependent loss is suppressed by coating the bent section with an absorption layer. The sensor is designed as
an open-ended fiber probe for easy practical application, where the Fresnel reflection at the cleaved end is utilized.
Mechanical modelling is given to optimize the fiber lead length to avoid buckling of the fiber. Resolutions of 30 μm and
0.1 μm, with coefficient of determination of 0.97 and 0.96, respectively over a total measurable displacement of 0 to 30
mm are achieved by utilizing a ratio-metric measurement of the bend loss. Finally a sensor with a smaller footprint is
also demonstrated by utilizing a reduced clad fiber with a cladding diameter of 80 μm.
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