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Spaceborne nulling interferometry in the mid-infrared waveband is one of the most promising techniques for characterizing the atmospheres of extra-solar planets orbiting in the habitable zone of their parent star and possibly discovering life markers. One of the most difficult challenges is the control of a free-flying telescope spacecraft moving around a central combiner to modulate the planet signal. Moreover, the entire array must be reconfigured regularly to observe different celestial targets, thus increasing the risk of losing one or more spacecraft and aborting the mission before its normal end. This paper describes a simplified optical configuration in which the telescopes do not need to be rotated and the number of necessary array reconfigurations is minimized. It allows efficient modulation of the planet signal, using only making use of rotating prisms or mirrors located in the central combiner. The general principle of a Nulling interferometer with a fixed telescope array is explained. Mathematical relationships were established to determine the planet modulation signal. Numerical simulations were performed for three different arrangements of collecting telescopes. They confirmed that nulling interferometry in space did not require a rotating telescope array.

International audience

MAORY is a post-focal adaptive optics module that forms part of the first light instrument suite for the ELT. The main function of MAORY is to relay the light beam from the ELT focal plane to the client instrument while compensating the effects of the atmospheric turbulence and other disturbances affecting the wavefront from the scientific sources of interest.

This paper describes the backward-gazing method with four cameras optimized by using different process of data treatments. The method could be useful for the heliostats characterization in a Solar Tower Power Plant (STPP), to detect heliostat pointing errors, mirrors canting and waviness without disturbing the daily electricity production process. The method is based on the use of four cameras near the receiver, all pointing to the heliostat to be characterized, and a fifth one taking images of the Sun. The theoretical principle is explained and different kind of data treatment process are tested and compared by using heliostat images from numerical simulations. Each process model is explained and the software used for simulations is described. The achieved accuracy of the best results is estimated to less than 0.05 mrad RMS in term of surface slopes.

The Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor (WFS) is well-known in the fields of optical metrology, wavefront sensing in astronomy, and ophthalmologic control applications. The purpose of this communication is to bring new insights on the historical Hartmann test and to compare it with the less known reverse Hartmann test, where the locations of the pupil mask and observed image planes are exchanged. Both tests can actually be interpreted by using the formalism of Fourier optics, i.e. Fraunhofer diffraction for the Shack-Hartmann and Fresnel diffraction in the reverse configuration. The principles of these models are firstly described in the communication. The results of numerical simulations are then presented, allowing comparing both optical arrangements from the Fourier optics point of view, in terms of achievable wavefront measurement accuracy. They show that a WFS based on the reverse Hartmann test may globally achieve the same performance as the classical Shack-Hartmann, To appear in Proc. SPIE 11102

Non Common Path Aberrations (NCPA) are often considered as a critical issue in Adaptive Optics (AO) systems, since they introduce bias errors between real wavefronts propagating to the science detectors and those measured by the Wavefront Sensor (WFS). This is especially true when the AO system is coupled to a coronagraph instrument intended for the discovery and characterization of extra-solar planets, because useful planet signals could be mistaken with residual speckles generated by NCPA. Therefore, compensating for those errors is of prime importance and is already the scope of a few theoretical studies and experimental validations on-sky. This communication presents the conceptual optical design of a pseudo-interferometer arrangement suitable to accurate NCPA calibration, based on two WFS cooperating in real-time. The concept is applicable to both classical imaging and spectroscopy assisted by AO, and to high-contrast coronagraphs searching for habitable extra-solar planets. Practical aspects are discussed, such as the choice of WFS and coronagraph types, or specific requirements on additional hardware components, e.g. dichroic beamsplitters, To appear in Proc. SPIE vol. 11117

This paper presents a Fresnel diffraction analysis of classical Ronchi and reverse Hartmann tests. Simplified analytical expressions of the intensity patterns observed by the camera are established, allowing quantitative measurements of the wavefront slopes of the tested optical system. The wavefronts are then reconstructed from their slopes using a double Fourier transform algorithm. The optimization of the operational parameters of the system is discussed in view of different quality criteria, including relative pupil shear and contrast factors in both monochromatic and polychromatic light. Practical examples of applications are studied with the help of numerical simulations, demonstrating that measurement accuracies better than λ/100 RMS are achievable on properly dimensioned systems. Finally, the technique is also applicable to wavefront sensing in adaptive optics systems.

Hi-5 is a high-contrast (or high dynamic range) infrared imager project for the VLTI. Its main goal is to characterize young extra-solar planetary systems and exozodiacal dust around southern main-sequence stars. In this paper, we present an update of the project and key technology pathways to improve the contrast achieved by the VLTI. In particular, we discuss the possibility to use integrated optics, proven in the near-infrared, in the thermal near-infrared (L and M bands, 3-5~$\mu$m) and advanced fringe tracking strategies. We also address the strong exoplanet science case (young exoplanets, planet formation, and exozodiacal disks) offered by this wavelength regime as well as other possible science cases such as stellar physics (fundamental parameters and multiplicity) and extragalactic astrophysics (active galactic nuclei and fundamental constants). Synergies and scientific preparation for other potential future instruments such as the Planet Formation Imager are also briefly discussed., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, SPIE proceedings, based on arXiv:1801.04148

In this paper are defined analytic relationships allowing estimating the concentration ratio losses at the focus of any type of thermodynamic solar facilities affected with opto-mechanical errors. The approximate expressions are based on a simple Lorentz function, and are usable for introducing various families of defects, such as mirror shape accuracy, alignment and tracking errors, and astigmatism. These relations are not intended for replacing more sophisticated computing codes (Monte-Carlo or convolution models), but are suitable for first-guess performance prediction and preliminary system engineering and design.

In this paper is presented an analytical study of the azimuthal phase-mask coronagraph currently envisioned for detecting and characterizing extra-solar planets. Special emphasis is put on the physical and geometrical interpretation of the mathematical development. Two necessary conditions are defined for achieving full extinction in the pupil plane of the coronagraph, stating that the complex amplitude generated by the phase mask should have zero average, on the one hand, and its Fourier coefficients should only be even, on the other hand. Examples of such phase functions are reviewed, including optical vortices, four-quadrant phase masks, and azimuthal cosine phase functions. Hints for building more sophisticated functions are also given. Finally, a simplified expression of light leaks due to mask imperfection is proposed.

Nulling interferometry is one of the direct detection methods assessed to find and characterize extrasolar planets and particularly telluric ones. Several projects such as Darwin [1;2], TPF-I [3;4], PEGASE [5;6] or FKSI [7], are currently considered. One of the main issues is the feasibility of a stable polychromatic null despite the presence of significant disturbances, induced by vibrations, atmospheric turbulence on the ground or satellite drift. Satisfying all these requirements is a great challenge and a key issue of these missions. In the context of the PEGASE mission, it was decided (in 2006), to build a laboratory demonstrator named PERSEE. It is the first laboratory setup which couples deep nulling interferometry with a free flying GNC simulator [8]. It is developed by a consortium composed of CNES, IAS, LESIA, OCA, ONERA, and TAS. In this paper, we detail the main objectives, the set-up and the function of the bench. We describe all the subsystems and we focus particularly on two key points of PERSEE: the beam combiner and the Fringe tracker.

With the recent commissioning of ground instruments such as SPHERE or GPI and future space observatories like WFIRST-AFTA, coronagraphy should probably become the most efficient tool for identifying and characterizing extra-solar planets in the forthcoming years. Coronagraphic instruments such as Phase mask coronagraphs (PMC) are usually based on a phase mask or plate located at the telescope focal plane, spreading the starlight outside the diameter of a Lyot stop that blocks it. In this communication is investigated the capability of a PMC to act as a phase-shifting wavefront sensor for better control of the achieved star extinction ratio in presence of the coronagraphic mask. We discuss the two main implementations of the phase-shifting process, either introducing phase-shifts in a pupil plane and sensing intensity variations in an image plane, or reciprocally. Conceptual optical designs are described in both cases. Numerical simulations allow for better understanding of the performance and limitations of both options, and optimizing their fundamental parameters. In particular, they demonstrate that the phase-shifting process is a bit more efficient when implemented into an image plane, and is compatible with the most popular phase masks currently employed, i.e. four-quadrants and vortex phase masks., 22 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables

The pointing and canting accuracies and the surface shape of the heliostats have a great influence on the solar tower power plant efficiency. At the industrial scale, one of the issues to solve is the time and the efforts devoted to adjust the different mirrors of the faceted heliostats, which could take several months if the current methods were used. Accurate control of heliostat tracking requires complicated and onerous devices. Thus, methods used to adjust quickly the whole field of a plant are essential for the rise of solar tower technology with a huge number of heliostats. Wavefront detection is widely use in adaptive optics and shape error reconstruction. Such systems can be sources of inspiration for the measurement of solar facets misalignment and tracking errors. We propose a new method of heliostat characterization inspired by adaptive optics devices. This method aims at observing the brightness distributions on heliostat’s surface, from different points of view close to the receiver of the po...

Context: Exoplanet science has made staggering progress in the last two decades, due to the relentless exploration of new detection methods and refinement of existing ones. Yet astrometry offers a unique and untapped potential of discovery of habitable-zone low-mass planets around all the solar-like stars of the solar neighborhood. To fulfill this goal, astrometry must be paired with high precision calibration of the detector. Aims: We present a way to calibrate a detector for high accuracy astrometry. An experimental testbed combining an astrometric simulator and an interferometric calibration system is used to validate both the hardware needed for the calibration and the signal processing methods. The objective is an accuracy of 5e-6 pixel on the location of a Nyquist sampled polychromatic point spread function. Methods: The interferometric calibration system produced modulated Young fringes on the detector. The Young fringes were parametrized as products of time and space dependent functions, based on various pixel parameters. The minimization of func- tion parameters was done iteratively, until convergence was obtained, revealing the pixel information needed for the calibration of astrometric measurements. Results: The calibration system yielded the pixel positions to an accuracy estimated at 4e-4 pixel. After including the pixel position information, an astrometric accuracy of 6e-5 pixel was obtained, for a PSF motion over more than five pixels. In the static mode (small jitter motion of less than 1e-3 pixel), a photon noise limited precision of 3e-5 pixel was reached.

In this communication we present the first experimental results obtained on the Crossed-cubes nuller (CCN), that is a new type of Achromatic phase shifter (APS) based on a pair of crossed beamsplitter cubes. We review the general principle of the CCN, now restricted to two interferometric outputs for achieving better performance, and describe the experimental apparatus developed in our laboratory. It is cheap, compact, and easy to align. The results demonstrate a high extinction rate in monochromatic light and confirm that the device is insensitive to its polarization state. Finally, the first lessons from the experiment are summarized and discussed in view of future space missions searching for extra-solar planets located in the habitable zone, either based on a coronagraphic telescope or a sparse-aperture nulling interferometer, 12 pages

Coronagraphy is a very efficient technique for identifying and characterizing extra-solar planets orbiting in the habitable zone of their parent star, especially when used in a space environment. An important family of coronagraphs is based on phase plates located at an intermediate image plane of the optical system, that spread the starlight outside the "Lyot" exit pupil plane of the instrument. In this communication we present a set of candidate phase functions generating a central null at the Lyot plane, and study how it propagates to the image plane of the coronagraph. These functions include linear azimuthal phase ramps (the well-known optical vortex), azimuthally cosine-modulated phase profiles, and circular phase gratings. Numerical simulations of the expected null depth, inner working angle, sensitivity to pointing errors, effect of central obscuration located at the pupil or image planes, and effective throughput including image mask and Lyot stop transmissions are presented and discussed. The preliminary conclusion is that azimuthal cosine functions appear as an interesting alternative to the classical optical vortex of integer topological charge., Comment: 12 pages

Multi-object or integral field spectrographs are recognized techniques for achieving simultaneous spectroscopic observations of different or extended sky objects with a high multiplex factor. In this communication is described a complementary approach for realizing similar measurements under different spectral resolutions at the same time. We describe the basic principle of this new type of spectrometer, that is based on the utilization of an optical pupil slicer. An optical design inspired from an already studied instrument is then presented and commented for the sake of illustration. Technical issues about the pupil slicer and diffractive components are also discussed. We finally conclude on the potential advantages and drawbacks of the proposed system., 13 pages

We describe a variant of the classical Young's double slit experiment that can be easily realized in any classroom, in order to evidence the wave nature of light. The proposed apparatus and its simplified theory are described and pictures of fringes, readily obtained using only cheap and off-the-shelf optical components, are reproduced. The apparatus may also be used to explain the principles of holography, stellar interferometry or diffuse surface measurement techniques.

Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) is a technique that gives simultaneously the spectrum of each spatial sampling element in a given object field. It is a powerful tool which rearranges the data cube (x, y, lambda) represented by two spatial dimensions defining the field and the spectral decomposition in a detector plane. In IFS, the spatial unit reorganizes the field and the spectral unit is being composed of a classical spectrograph.The development of a Collimating Slicer aims at proposing a new type of integral field spectrograph which should be more compact. The main idea is to combine the image slicer with the collimator of the spectrograph, thus mixing the spatial and spectral units. The traditional combination of slicer, pupil and slit elements and the spectrograph collimator is replaced by a new one composed of a slicer and collimator only. In this paper, the state of the art of integral field spectroscopy using image slicers is described. The new system based onto the development of a Collimating Slicer for optical integral field spectroscopy is depicted. First system analysis results and future improvements are discussed. It finally turns out that this new system looks very promising for low resolution spectroscopy., Comment: 13 pages

Theia is an astrometric mission proposed to ESA in 2014 for which one of the scientific objectives is detecting Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby solar-type stars. This objective requires the capability to measure stellar centroids at the precision of 1x10-5 pixel. Current state-of-the-art methods for centroid estimation have reached a precision of about 3x10-5 pixel at two times Nyquist sampling, this was shown at the JPL by the VESTA experiment. A metrology system was used to calibrate intra and inter pixel quantum efficiency variations in order to correct pixelation errors. The Theia consortium is operating a testbed in vacuum in order to achieve 1x10-5 pixel precision for the centroid estimation. The goal is to provide a proof of concept for the precision requirement of the Theia spacecraft. The testbed consists of two main sub-systems. The first one produces pseudo stars: a blackbody source is fed into a large core fiber and lights-up a pinhole mask in the object plane, which is imaged by a mirror on the CCD. The second sub-system is the metrology, it projects young fringes on the CCD. The fringes are created by two single mode fibers facing the CCD and fixed on the mirror. In this paper we present the latest experiments conducted and the results obtained after a series of upgrades on the testbed was completed. The calibration system yielded the pixel positions to an accuracy estimated at 4x10-4 pixel. After including the pixel position information, an astrometric accuracy of 6 x 10-5 pixel was obtained, for a PSF motion over more than 5 pixels. In the static mode (small jitter motion of less than 1 x 10-3 pixel), a photon noise limited precision of 3x10-5 pixel was reached.

In this paper a set of radial and azimuthal phase functions are reviewed that have a null Strehl ratio, which is equivalent to generating a central extinction in the image plane of an optical system. The study is conducted in the framework of Fraunhofer scalar diffraction, and is oriented toward practical cases where optical nulls or singularities are produced by deformable mirrors or phase plates. The identified solutions reveal unexpected links with the zeros of type-J Bessel functions of integer order. They include linear azimuthal phase ramps giving birth to an optical vortex, azimuthally modulated phase functions, and circular phase gratings (CPGs). It is found in particular that the CPG radiometric efficiency could be significantly improved by the null Strehl ratio condition. Simple design rules for rescaling and combining the different phase functions are also defined. Finally, the described analytical solutions could also serve as starting points for an automated searching software tool.

The research and development activity on image slicer systems for integral field spectroscopy has increased in recent years, allowing the simultaneous observation on the same detector matrix of two‐dimensional sky maps and the spectral decomposition of light. Nowadays, image slicers lead to possible applications on future instrumentation for ground‐ and space‐based telescopes, covering a spectral domain ranging from UV to mid‐IR wavelengths. Among such projects, MUSE (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer) is an integral field spectrograph proposed by the European Southern Observatory for its second‐generation Very Large Telescope instrumentation. MUSE combines a 1' × 1' field of view, with a spectral resolution reaching 3000 and a spatial sampling of 02 provided by an adaptive optics system. MUSE operates in the visible and near‐IR wavelength range (0.465–0.93 μm) and is composed of 24 identical integral field units; each one incorporates an advanced image slicer made up of a combination of mirrors and "minilens" arrays, a spectrograph, and a detector. This paper describes the optical design of the MUSE image slicer, which complies with top‐level requirements at a reasonable cost. The optical manufacturing technique, based on an original method of assembly using molecular adhesion, is presented. Finally, we focus on the optical tests of the prototype both at a system level and at the level of individual optical elements.

A research and development activity on image slicer systems for integral field spectroscopy has grown in the last years. It allows the simultaneous observation on the same detector matrix of two-dimensional sky maps and a spectral decomposition of light reducing the observation times. Today, image slicers lead to possible applications on future instrumentation for ground-based and space telescopes, covering a spectral domain ranging from blue to mid-IR wavelengths. Since 2001, the Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon has designed, manufactured, integrated and tested three different prototypes using advanced image slicers.

NEAT (Nearby Earth Astrometric Telescope) is an astrometric space mission aiming at detecting Earth-like exoplanets located in the habitable zone of nearby solar-type stars. For that purpose, NEAT should be able to measure stellar centroids within an accuracy of 5 10 -6 pixels. In order to fulfil such stringent requirement, NEAT incorporates an interferometric metrology system measuring pixel gains and location errors. To validate this technology and assess the whole performance of the instrument, a dedicated test bench has been built at IPAG, in Grenoble (France). In this paper are summarized the main system engineering considerations allowing to define sub-systems specifications. Then we describe the general architecture of the performance models (including photometric, interferometric, and final astrometric budgets) and confront their predictions with the experimental results obtained on the test bench. It is concluded that most of error items are well understood, although some of them deserve further investigations.

NEAT is an astrometric mission proposed to ESA with the objectives of detecting Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby solar-type stars. NEAT requires the capability to measure stellar centroids at the precision of 5 x 10 -6 pixel. Current state-of-the-art methods for centroid estimation have reached a precision of about 2 x 10 -5 pixel at two times Nyquist sampling, this was shown at the JPL by the VESTA experiment. A metrology system was used to calibrate intra and inter pixel quantum efficiency variations in order to correct pixelation errors. The European part of the NEAT consortium is building a testbed in vacuum in order to achieve 5 x 10 -6 pixel precision for the centroid estimation. The goal is to provide a proof of concept for the precision requirement of the NEAT spacecraft. The testbed consists of two main sub-systems. The first one produces pseudo stars: a blackbody source is fed into a large core fiber and lights-up a pinhole mask in the object plane, which is imaged by a mirror on the CCD. The second sub-system is the metrology, it projects young fringes on the CCD. The fringes are created by two single mode fibers facing the CCD and fixed on the mirror. In this paper we present the experiments conducted and the results obtained since July 2013 when we had the first light on both the metrology and pseudo stars. We explain the data reduction procedures we used.

International audience; NectarCAM is a camera designed for the medium-sized telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) covering the central energy range 100 GeV to 30 TeV. It has a modular design based on the NECTAr chip, at the heart of which is a GHz sampling Switched Capacitor Array and 12-bit Analog to Digital converter. The camera will be equipped with 265 7-photomultiplier modules, covering a field of view of 7 to 8 degrees. Each module includes the photomultiplier bases, High Voltage supply, pre-amplifier, trigger, readout and Thernet transceiver. Events recorded last between a few nanoseconds and tens of nanoseconds. A flexible trigger scheme allows to read out very long events. NectarCAM can sustain a data rate of 10 kHz. The camera concept, the design and tests of the various subcomponents and results of thermal and electrical prototypes are presented. The design includes the mechanical structure, the cooling of electronics, read-out, clock distribution, slow control, data-acquisition, trigger, monitoring and services. A 133-pixel prototype with full scale mechanics, cooling, data acquisition and slow control will be built at the end of 2014

In this communication is described a new type of Achromatic phase shifter (APS) suitable for both nulling interferometry and coronagraphy, based on a couple of crossed beamsplitter cubes, well-suited for equipping future spaceborne instruments searching for extra-solar planets located in a habitable zone. We present the general principle of this APS and discuss possible implementations into a nulling coronagraph telescope or into a sparse-aperture interferometer, either of the Fizeau or Michelson type. Expected performance in terms of transmission maps and a preliminary tolerance analysis are also provided. It turns out that the device is cheap, compact, and presents reasonable manufacturing tolerances and costs, This paper has been withdrawn by the authors due to wrong phase-shifts of the beams transmitted by the semi-reflective cubes. It follows that an achromatic and non polarized null is only achievable with two of the four considered telescopes. A revised paper will be issued soon

SPIRou is a near-IR echelle spectropolarimeter and high-precision velocimeter under construction as a next- generation instrument for the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope. It is designed to cover a very wide simultaneous near-IR spectral range (0.98-2.35 μm) at a resolving power of 73.5K, providing unpolarized and polarized spectra of low-mass stars at a radial velocity (RV) precision of 1m/s. The main science goals of SPIRou are the detection of habitable super-Earths around low-mass stars and the study of stellar magnetism of star at the early stages of their formation. Following a successful final design review in Spring 2014, SPIRou is now under construction and is scheduled to see first light in late 2017. We present an overview of key aspects of SPIRou's optical and mechanical design., Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy V, June 22-26, 2014, Series: Proceedings of SPIE; no. 9147

International audience; The next generation of optical interferometers will provide high-resolution imaging of celestial objects by using either the aperture synthesis technique or the direct imaging principle. To determine the technical requirements, we have developed an interferometric test bench, called SIRIUS. To preserve the quality of the image, fast corrections of the optical path differences within a fraction of a wavelength have to be applied: this is the cophasing of the array, whereas making it coherent aims at stabilizing the optical path differences within a fraction of the coherence length. In the SIRIUS test bench, coherence and cophasing are achieved by fibred delay lines. Air delay lines are also used for the raw delay equalization. We present an original implementation of a piston sensor, called chromatic phase diversity, which is adaptable to any interferometer, whatever the configuration of the entrance pupil and the number of sub-pupils and whatever the interferometric combiner. Our method is based on the dispersed fringes principle and uses a derived version of the dispersed speckles method. The numerical simulation shows the performance of the method in terms of cophasing, accuracy and limiting magnitude. Experimental tests have been carried out both with optical turbulence and without. They show good results in both cases, despite some instrument-related limitations that can be eliminated. We show that our method is able to handle an amplitude of correction of ±11(λ/2) with an accuracy of ∼λ/30 over many minutes.

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be the largest cosmic gamma ray detector ever built in the world. It will be installed at two different sites in the North and South hemispheres and should be operational for about 30 years. In order to cover the desired energy range, the CTA is composed of typically 50-100 collecting telescopes of various sizes (from 6 to 24-m diameters). Most of them are equipped with a focal plane camera consisting of 1500 to 2000 Photomultipliers (PM) equipped with light concentrating optics, whose double function is to maximize the amount of Cherenkov light detected by the photo-sensors, and to block any stray light originating from the terrestrial environment. Two different optical solutions have been designed, respectively based on a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC), and on a purely dioptric concentrating lens. In this communication are described the technical specifications, optical designs and performance of the different solutions envisioned for all these light concentrators. The current status of their prototyping activities is also given.

NEAT is an astrometric mission proposed to ESA with the objectives of detecting Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby solar-type stars. NEAT requires the capability to measure stellar centroids at the precision of 5e-6 pixel. Current state-of-the-art methods for centroid estimation have reached a precision of about 2e-5 pixel at two times Nyquist sampling, this was shown at the JPL by the VESTA experiment. A metrology system was used to calibrate intra and inter pixel quantum efficiency variations in order to correct pixelation errors. The European part of the NEAT consortium is building a testbed in vacuum in order to achieve 5e-6 pixel precision for the centroid estimation. The goal is to provide a proof of concept for the precision requirement of the NEAT spacecraft. In this paper we present the metrology and the pseudo stellar sources sub-systems, we present a performance model and an error budget of the experiment and we report the present status of the demonstration. Finally we also present our first results: the experiment had its first light in July 2013 and a first set of data was taken in air. The analysis of this first set of data showed that we can already measure the pixel positions with an accuracy of about 1e-4 pixel., Comment: SPIE conference proceedings

This paper reviews the recent laboratory results we have obtained on the demonstration of a cophasing algorithm based on the chromatic phase diversity method. The SIRIUS testbed was initially dedicated to the demonstration of the direct imaging capabilities of arrays of telescope. We have developed and numerically modeled a piston sensor based on the chromatic dependance of the spectral density phase. This method allows a global cophasing of the array over a capture range of many wavelengths aiming at improving the robustness of the method.

International audience; The PERSEE breadboard, developed by a consortium including CNES, IAS, LESIA, OCA, ONERA and TAS since 2005, is a nulling demonstrator that couples an infrared nulling interferometer with a formation flying simulator able to introduce realistic disturbances in the set-up. The general idea is to prove that an adequate optical design can considerably relax the constraints applying at the spacecrafts level of a future interferometric space mission like Darwin/TPF or one of its precursors. The breadboard is now fully operational and the measurements sequences are managed from a remote control room using automatic procedures. A set of excellent results were obtained in 2011. The measured polychromatic nulling depth with non polarized light is 8.8 10-6 stabilized at 9 10-8 in the 1.65-2.45 mum spectral band (37 % bandwidth) during 100 s. This result was extended to a 7h duration thanks to an automatic calibration process. The various contributors are identified and the nulling budget is now well mastered. We also proved that harmonic disturbances in the 1-100 Hz up to several ten's of nm rms can be very efficiently corrected by a Linear Quadratic Control (LQG) if a sufficient flux is available. These results are important contributions to the feasibility of a future space based nulling interferometer.

NEAT is an astrometric mission proposed to ESA with the objectives of detecting Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby solar-type stars. In NEAT, one fundamental aspect is the capability to measure stellar centroids at the precision of 5e-6 pixel. Current state-of-the-art methods for centroid estimation have reached a precision of about 4e-5 pixel at Nyquist sampling. Simulations showed that a precision of 2 micro-pixels can be reached, if intra and inter pixel quantum efficiency variations are calibrated and corrected for by a metrology system. The European part of the NEAT consortium is designing and building a testbed in vacuum in order to achieve 5e-6 pixel precision for the centroid estimation. The goal is to provide a proof of concept for the precision requirement of the NEAT spacecraft. In this paper we give the basic relations and trade-offs that come into play for the design of a centroid testbed and its metrology system. We detail the different conditions necessary to reach the targeted precision, present the characteristics of our current design and describe the present status of the demonstration., Comment: SPIE proceedings

Since the realization of the twin Keck telescopes of 10-meter diameter built atop the Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the technology of segmented mirrors has become a cornerstone for on-going projects of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELT). Here the individual mirror segments should actually be phased together (i.e. reconstruct the surface of an ideal continuous, giant mirror) within accuracies typically better than one tenth of the operating wavelength. This could be achieved using existing Wavefront Sensors (WFS), but may also involve the development of alternative methods: in this communication is described a new generation WFS operating in the image plane and able to sense differential piston errors of the segments with residual uncertainties inferior to 25 nm by means of a phase-shifting technique. We describe the principle of the method in both monochromatic and polychromatic light and present its achievable performance in terms of limiting magnitude of the guide star in presence of various noise sources. It is emphasized that the technique is also applicable for co-phasing sparse aperture interferometers, or more generally to any Adaptive Optics (AO) system making use of image plane WFS evaluating telescope wavefront errors (WFE) in real time.

In this paper is presented a simple alternative model of the dual nature of light, based on the deliberate inversion of the original statement from P. A. M. Dirac: "Each photon interferes only with itself. Interference between different photons never occurs." Such an inversion implies that photons and light quanta are considered as different classes of objects, but stays apparently compatible with results reported from different recent experiments. A Gedanken experiment having the potential capacity to test the proposed model in single photon regime is described, and its possible outcomes are discussed. The proposed setup could also be utilized to assess the modern interpretation of the principle of complementarity., Comment: 7 pages, 4 Figures

On-going developments on the PERSEE nulling testbench include the realization of a focal plane simulator featuring one central star, an extra-solar planet orbiting around it, and an Exo-Zodiacal Cloud (EZC) surrounding the observed stellar system. PERSEE (Pegase Experiment for Research and Stabilization of Extreme Extinction) is a laboratory testbench jointly developed by a Consortium of six French institutes and companies, incorporating Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur (OCA) who is in charge of the manufacturing and procurement of the future Star and Planet Simulator (SPS). In this communication is presented a complete description of the SPS, including general requirements, techniques employed for simulating the observed planet and EZC, opto-mechanical design and expected performance. The current status of the SPS activities is summarized in the conclusion, pending final integration on the PERSEE test bench in September 2011.

Stabilizing a nulling interferometer at a nanometric level is the key issue to obtain deep null depths. The PERSEE breadboard has been designed to study and optimize the operation of a cophased nulling bench in the most realistic disturbing environment of a space mission. This presentation focuses on the current results of the PERSEE bench. In terms of metrology, we cophased at 0.33 nm rms for the piston and 80 mas rms for the tip/tilt (0.14% of the Airy disk). A Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control coupled with an unsupervised vibration identification allows us to maintain that level of correction, even with characteristic vibrations of nulling interferometry space missions. These performances, with an accurate design and alignment of the bench, currently lead to a polychromatic unpolarised null depth of 8.9E-6 stabilized at 3E-7 on the [1.65-2.45] \mum spectral band (37% bandwidth)., Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, proceedings of the Optics+Photonics SPIE conference, San Diego, 2011

In this paper are discussed the nulling and imaging properties of monolithic pupil telescopes equipped with a focal plane waveguide array, which could be envisaged as precursor space missions for future nulling interferometers or coronagraphs searching for habitable planets outside of our solar system. Three different concepts of nulling telescopes are reviewed, namely the Super-Resolving Telescope (SRT) having multiple, non-overlapping exit sub-apertures and the Sheared-Pupil Telescope (SPT), either unmasked or masked with a Lyot stop placed at its exit pupil plane. For each case simple theoretical relationships allowing to estimate the nulling rate, Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Inner Working Angle (IWA) of the telescope are established or recalled, and numerical simulations are conducted. The preliminary results of this study show that the most promising designs should either be a SRT of high radiometric efficiency associated with an adequate leakage calibration procedure, or a masked SPT with potentially deeper nulling rates but lower SNR, depending on what kind of performance is to be preferred., 14 pages, 6 figures

In this paper, we describe the principle of a multi-aperture interferometer that uses a phase-shifting technique and is suitable for quick, snapshot imaging of astrophysical objects at extreme angular resolution through Fourier inversion. A few advantages of the proposed design are highlighted, among which are radiometric efficiency, Field of View equivalent to those of Fizeau interferometers, and a preliminary calibration procedure allowing characterization of instrumental errors. For large telescope numbers, the proposed design also results in considerable simplification of the optical and mechanical design. Numerical simulations suggest that it should be possible to couple hundreds of telescopes on a single 4K x 4K detector array, using only conventional optical components or emerging technologies., Comment: 40 pages and 9 figures

As for large interferometers, the crucial point to solve is the cophasing issue. Indeed, the cophasing device must be both efficient and independent of the number of telescopes allowing a large capture range and accurate piston measurements while being easy to implement. We developed such a cophasing method named the Chromatic Phase Diversity (CPD) method. Actually, using three spectral channels, the CPD method can determine the piston errors without ambiguity and on a range much larger than ± half a wave. This method makes it possible to work whether in coherencing mode or in cophasing mode. We designed and implemented this method on the SIRIUS test bench1 at the Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, France. We present the instrument design, the results obtained with the CPD method. The performances such as the achieved capture range, the accuracy of the piston values extraction and the attainable magnitude are described and analyzed.

We present a review of our activities on PERSEE (Pegase Experiment for Research and Stabilization of Extreme Extinction) at Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur (OCA). PERSEE is a laboratory testbench aiming at achieving a stabilized nulling ratio better than 10-4 in the astronomical bands K and M, in presence of flight-representative spacecraft perturbations. The bench has been jointly developed by a Consortium of six French institutes and companies, among which OCA was responsible for the star simulator and of the opto-mechanical studies, procurement and manufacturing of the optical train. In this communication are presented the alignment and image quality requirements and the optomechanical design of the illumination module and main optical train, including a periscope Achromatic Phase Shifter (APS), tip-tilt mirrors used to introduce and then compensate for dynamic disturbances, delay lines, beam compressors and fiber injection optics. Preliminary test results of the star simulator are also provided.