Dual purpose lyot coronagraph masks for simultaneous high-contrast imaging and high-resolution wavefront sensing

G. Ruane; J. K. Wallace; A. J. E. Riggs; T. Wenger; M. Bagheri; J. Jewell; N. Raouf; G. Allan; C. Mejia Prada; M. Noyes; A. B. Walter

doi:10.1117/12.2676853

5 October 2023 Dual purpose lyot coronagraph masks for simultaneous high-contrast imaging and high-resolution wavefront sensing

G. Ruane, J. K. Wallace, A. J. E. Riggs, T. Wenger, M. Bagheri, J. Jewell, N. Raouf, G. Allan, C. Mejia Prada, M. Noyes, A. B. Walter

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12680, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets XI; 1268018 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2676853
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2023, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Directly imaging Earth-sized exoplanets with a visible-light coronagraph instrument on a space telescope will require a system that can achieve approximately 10⁻¹⁰ raw contrast and maintain it for the duration of observations (on the order of hours or more). We are designing, manufacturing, and testing Dual Purpose Lyot coronagraph (DPLC) masks that allow for simultaneous wavefront sensing and control using out-of-band light to maintain high contrast in the science focal plane. Our initial design uses a tiered metallic focal plane occultor to suppress starlight in the transmitted coronagraph channel and a dichroic-coated substrate to reflect out-of-band light to a wavefront sensing camera. The occultor design introduces a phase shift such that the reflected channel is a Zernike wavefront sensor. The dichroic coating allows higher-order wavefront errors to be detected which is especially critical for compensating for residual drifts from an actively-controlled segmented primary mirror. A second-generation design concept includes a metasurface to create polarization-dependent phase shifts in the reflected beam, which has several advantages including an extended dynamic range. We will present the focal plane mask designs, characterization, and initial testing at NASA’s High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) facility

Conference Presentation

(2023) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

G. Ruane, J. K. Wallace, A. J. E. Riggs, T. Wenger, M. Bagheri, J. Jewell, N. Raouf, G. Allan, C. Mejia Prada, M. Noyes, and A. B. Walter "Dual purpose lyot coronagraph masks for simultaneous high-contrast imaging and high-resolution wavefront sensing", Proc. SPIE 12680, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets XI, 1268018 (5 October 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2676853

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