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High contrast imaging at small inner working angles can be achieved using a vector vortex coronagraph in the focal plane of the telescope providing a helical phase ramp with a singularity at its center. The form birefringence of full-diamond subwavelength gratings has proven to be well suited to manufacture such vortex phase masks for coronagraphic applications (Subwavelength Grating Vortex Coronagraph, SGVC). In the past years our group has developed and manufactured SGVCs of topological charge 2 (Annular Groove Phase Mask, AGPM) made of a concentric diamond subwavelength grating. For future applications including ELT-class telescopes in the near- to mid-infrared that will partly resolve nearby stars, it is however useful to increase the topological charge of the vortex. After shortly reviewing our previous attempts at optimizing the grating structure for SGVC of charge 4, we present the first laboratory results obtained with such devices. We then introduce and discuss more realistic simulations compared to prior studies using finite-difference time-domain methods. The quality of the simulation results obtained with the open source software MEEP for an AGPM is shown to be appropriate for developing and assessing the performance of future vortex phase masks. We therefore perform updated simulations for SGVC of charge 4 including various designs with straight and curved grating lines. We conclude with a perspective on the potential of metasurfaces and their applications to design novel vortex coronagraphs based on subwavelength structures.

We present L'-band imaging of the PDS 70 planetary system with Keck/NIRC2 using the new infrared pyramid wave front sensor. We detected both PDS 70 b and c in our images, as well as the front rim of the circumstellar disk. After subtracting off a model of the disk, we measured the astrometry and photometry of both planets. Placing priors based on the dynamics of the system, we estimated PDS 70 b to have a semimajor axis of au and PDS 70 c to have a semimajor axis of au (95% credible interval). We fit the spectral energy distribution (SED) of both planets. For PDS 70 b, we were able to place better constraints on the red half of its SED than previous studies and inferred the radius of the photosphere to be 2–3 R Jup. The SED of PDS 70 c is less well constrained, with a range of total luminosities spanning an order of magnitude. With our inferred radii and luminosities, we used evolutionary models of accreting protoplanets to derive a mass of PDS 70 b between 2 and 4 M Jup and a mean mass accretion rate between 3 × 10−7 and 8 × 10−7 M Jup/yr. For PDS 70 c, we computed a mass between 1 and 3 M Jup and mean mass accretion rate between 1 × 10−7 and 5 × 10−7 M Jup/yr. The mass accretion rates imply dust accretion timescales short enough to hide strong molecular absorption features in both planets' SEDs.

Coronagraphy is a high-contrast imaging technique that aims to reduce the blinding glare of a star to detect a potential companion in its close environment. Vortex phase mask coronagraphy is widely recognized as one of the most promising approaches. The vortex optical demonstrator for coronagraphic application (VODCA) is a test bench currently developed at the University of Liège. Its main goal is to optically characterize infrared phase masks, in particular vortex masks. We detail the layout and salient features of VODCA and present the performance of the latest L-band (3575 to 4125 nm) and M-band (4600 to 5000 nm) annular groove phase masks (AGPMs) manufactured by our team. We obtain the highest rejection ratio ever measured for an AGPM at L-band: 3.2 × 103 in a narrowband filter (3425 to 3525 nm) and 2.4 × 103 in a broad L-band filter. By providing measurements close to the intrinsic limit of science-grade AGPMs, VODCA proves to be a step forward in terms of the evaluation of vortex phase masks performance.

Photonic design and optimization of thin-film polycrystalline diamond waveguides are shown, serving as advanced evanescent field transducers in the mid-infrared fingerprint regime (2000-909 cm(-1); 5-11 mu m). Design constraints inherent to optical/system considerations and the material were implemented in a finite element method (FEM)-based simulation method that allowed three-dimensional modeling of the overall structure. Thus, lateral mode confinement, attenuation in the direction of radiation propagation, and physical resilience were evaluated. In a final step, the designed structures were fabricated, and their utility in combination with a broadly tunable external cavity quantum cascade laser for chemical sensing of a liquid phase analyte was demonstrated.

Subwavelength gratings are gratings with periods smaller than the incident wavelength. They possess form birefringence, which depends on the grating parameters. This paper presents the results of an experimental method designed to measure the birefringent properties of diamond subwavelength gratings in the mid-infrared. The method consists of monitoring the intensity transmitted through one polarizer, a subwavelength grating, and a second polarizer for various orientations of the first polarizer. By fitting the intensity variation as a function of the orientation of the first polarizer, one can compute the phase shift induced by the grating, its local fast axis orientation, and the ratio of the transverse electric and transverse magnetic transmission efficiencies. The paper describes the method principle and its mathematical model. Then, several numerical simulations of different subwavelength gratings are presented and their results are discussed. Finally, the optical setup is described and the measurements of one subwavelength grating are displayed and compared with the values expected from the manufacturing process.

Context. Transition disks offer the extraordinary opportunity to look for newly born planets and to investigate the early stages of planet formation. Aims. In this context we observed the Herbig A5 star MWC 758 with the L'-band vector vortex coronagraph installed in the near-infrared camera and spectrograph NIRC2 at the Keck II telescope, with the aim of unveiling the nature of the spiral structure by constraining the presence of planetary companions in the system. Methods. Our high-contrast imaging observations show a bright (Delta L' = 7.0 +/- 0.3 mag) point-like emission south of MWC 758 at a deprojected separation of similar to 20 au (r = 0 ''.111 +/- 0 ''.004) from the central star. We also recover the two spiral arms (southeast and northwest), already imaged by previous studies in polarized light, and discover a third arm to the southwest of the star. No additional companions were detected in the system down to 5 Jupiter masses beyond 0 ''.6 from the star. Results. We propose that the bright L'-band emission could be caused by the presence of an embedded and accreting protoplanet, although the possibility of it being an asymmetric disk feature cannot be excluded. The spiral structure is probably not related to the protoplanet candidate, unless on an inclined and eccentric orbit, and it could be due to one (or more) yet undetected planetary companions at the edge of or outside the spiral pattern. Future observations and additional simulations will be needed to shed light on the true nature of the point-like source and its link with the spiral arms.

Since its first light at the VLT in 2012, the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM) has been used to implement vortex coronagraphy into AO-assisted infrared cameras at two additional world-leading observatories: the Keck Observatory and the LBT. In this paper, we review the status of these endeavors, and briefly highlight the main scientific results obtained so far. We explore the performance of the AGPM vortex coronagraph as a function of instrumental constraints, and identify the main limitations to the sensitivity to faint, off-axis companions in high-contrast imaging. These limitations include the AGPM itself, non-common path aberrations, as well as the data processing pipeline; we briefly describe our on-going efforts to further improve these various aspects. Based on the lessons learned from the first five years of on-sky exploitation of the AGPM, we are now preparing its implementation in a new generation of high-contrast imaging instruments. We detail the specificities of these instruments, and how they will enable the full potential of vortex coronagraphy to be unleashed in the future. In particular, we explain how the AGPM will be used to hunt for planets in the habitable zone of alpha Centauri A and B with a refurbished, AO-assisted version of the VISIR mid-infrared camera at the VLT (aka the NEAR project), and how this project paves the way towards mid-infrared coronagraphy on the ELT with the METIS instrument. We also discuss future LM-band applications of the AGPM with VLT/ERIS, ELT/METIS, and with a proposed upgrade of Keck/NIRC2, as well as future applications at shorter wavelengths, such as a possible upgrade of VLT/SPHERE with a K-band AGPM.

An optical vortex coronagraph has been implemented within the NIRC2 camera on the Keck II telescope and used to carry out on-sky tests and observations. The development of this new L′-band observational mode is described, and an initial demonstration of the new capability is presented: a resolved image of the low-mass companion to HIP 79124, which had previously been detected by means of interferometry. With HIP 79124 B at a projected separation of 186.5 mas, both the small inner working angle of the vortex coronagraph and the related imaging improvements were crucial in imaging this close companion directly. Due to higher Strehl ratios and more relaxed contrasts in L′ band versus H band, this new coronagraphic capability will enable high-contrast, small-angle observations of nearby young exoplanets and disks on a par with those of shorter-wavelength extreme adaptive optics coronagraphs.

HD 141569 A is a pre-main sequence B9.5 Ve star surrounded by a prominent and complex circumstellar disk, likely still in a transition stage from protoplanetary to debris disk phase. Here, we present a new image of the third inner disk component of HD 141569 A made in the L′ band (3.8 μm) during the commissioning of the vector vortex coronagraph that has recently been installed in the near-infrared imager and spectrograph NIRC2 behind the W. M. Keck Observatory Keck II adaptive optics system. We used reference point-spread function subtraction, which reveals the innermost disk component from the inner working distance of ;23 au and up to ;70 au. The spatial scale of our detection roughly corresponds to the optical and near-infrared scattered light, thermal Q, N, and 8.6 μm PAH emission reported earlier. We also see an outward progression in dust location from the L′ band to the H band (Very Large Telescope/ SPHERE image) to the visible (Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/ STIS image), which is likely indicative of dust blowout. The warm disk component is nested deep inside the two outer belts imaged by HST-NICMOS in 1999 ( at 406 and 245 au, respectively) . We fit our new L′ -band image and spectral energy distribution of HD 141569 A with the radiative transfer code MCFOST. Our best-fit models favor pure olivine grains and are consistent with the composition of the outer belts. While our image shows a putative very faint point-like clump or source embedded in the inner disk, we did not detect any true companion within the gap between the inner disk and the first outer ring, at a sensitivity of a few Jupiter masses.

Diamond has excellent optical properties including broadband transmissivity, low self-absorption, and a high refractive index, which have prompted its use for optical sensing applications. Thin-film diamond strip waveguides (DSWGs) combined with tunable quantum cascade lasers (tQCLs) providing an emission wavelength range of 5.78-6.35 mu m (1735-1570 cm(-1)) have been used to obtain mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of proteins, thereby enabling the analysis of their secondary structure via the amide I band. Three different proteins were analyzed, namely bovine serum albumin (BSA), myoglobin, and gamma-globulin. The secondary structure of BSA and myoglobin has a major contribution of a-helices, whereas gamma-globulins are rich in beta-sheet structures, which is reflected in the amide I band. Acomparison of the spectra obtained via the combination of the tQCL and DSWG with spectra obtained using conventional Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and a commercial diamond attenuated total reflection (ATR) element has been performed. It is shown that the main features evident in FTIR-ATR spectra are also obtained using tQCL-DSWG sensors.

Context. The annular groove phase mask (AGPM) is one possible implementation of the vector vortex coronagraph, where the helical phase ramp is produced by a concentric subwavelength grating. For several years, we have been manufacturing AGPMs by etching gratings into synthetic diamond substrates using inductively coupled plasma etching. Aims. We aim to design, fabricate, optimize, and evaluate new L-band AGPMs that reach the highest possible coronagraphic performance, for applications in current and forthcoming infrared high-contrast imagers. Methods. Rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) is used for designing the subwavelength grating of the phase mask. Coronagraphic performance evaluation is performed on a dedicated optical test bench. The experimental results of the performance evaluation are then used to accurately determine the actual profile of the fabricated gratings, based on RCWA modeling. Results. The AGPM coronagraphic performance is very sensitive to small errors in etch depth and grating profile. Most of the fabricated components therefore show moderate performance in terms of starlight rejection (a few 100: 1 in the best cases). Here we present new processes for re-etching the fabricated components in order to optimize the parameters of the grating and hence significantly increase their coronagraphic performance. Starlight rejection up to 1000: 1 is demonstrated in a broadband L filter on the coronagraphic test bench, which corresponds to a raw contrast of about 10 5 at two resolution elements from the star for a perfect input wave front on a circular, unobstructed aperture. Conclusions. Thanks to their exquisite performance, our latest L-band AGPMs are good candidates for installation in state of the art and future high-contrast thermal infrared imagers, such as METIS for the E-ELT.

Two designs of diamond quarter-wave plates for CO2 lasers, based on the birefringence of sub-wavelength gratings, were manufactured and tested. In one design the grating was etched on the surface of a 300 µm thick polycrystalline diamond substrate. The other consisted of a diamond grating hanging freely in air, suspended at the edges from a silicon frame. The free-hanging design, while more fragile, had several advantages both in terms of fabrication and performance such as a larger grating period, higher transmission, and no need for an antireflective treatment of the backside.

For several years, we have been developing vortex phase masks based on sub-wavelength gratings, known as Annular Groove Phase Masks. Etched onto diamond substrates, these AGPMs are currently designed to be used in the thermal infrared (ranging from 3 to 13 μm). Our AGPMs were first installed on VLT/NACO and VLT/VISIR in 2012, followed by LBT/LMIRCam in 2013 and Keck/NIRC2 in 2015. In this paper, we review the development, commissioning, on-sky performance, and early scientific results of these new coronagraphic modes and report on the lessons learned. We conclude with perspectives for future developments and applications.

The direct detection of low-mass planets in the habitable zone of nearby stars is an important science case for future E-ELT instruments such as the mid-infrared imager and spectrograph METIS, which features vortex phase masks and apodizing phase plates (APP) in its baseline design. In this work, we present end-to-end performance simulations, using Fourier propagation, of several METIS coronagraphic modes, including focal-plane vortex phase masks and pupil-plane apodizing phase plates, for the centrally obscured, segmented E-ELT pupil. The atmosphere and the AO contributions are taken into account. Hybrid coronagraphs combining the advantages of vortex phase masks and APPs are considered to improve the METIS coronagraphic performance.

On March 2015 an L'-band vortex coronagraph based on an Annular Groove Phase Mask made up of a diamond sub-wavelength grating was installed on NIRC2 as a demonstration project. This vortex coronagraph operates in the L' band not only in order to take advantage from the favorable star/planet contrast ratio when observing beyond the K band, but also to exploit the fact that the Keck II Adaptive Optics (AO) system delivers nearly extreme adaptive optics image quality (Strehl ratios values near 90%) at 3.7 mu m. We describe the hardware installation of the vortex phase mask during a routine NIRC2 service mission. The success of the project depends on extensive software development which has allowed the achievement of exquisite real-time pointing control as well as further contrast improvements by using speckle nulling to mitigate the effect of static speckles. First light of the new coronagraphic mode was on June 2015 with already very good initial results. Subsequent commissioning nights were interlaced with science nights by members of the VORTEX team with their respective scientific programs. The new capability and excellent results so far have motivated the VORTEX team and the Keck Science Steering Committee (KSSC) to offer the new mode in shared risk mode for 2016B.

The direct detection of low-mass planets in the habitable zone of nearby stars is an important science case for future E-ELT instruments such as the mid-infrared imager and spectrograph METIS, which features vortex phase masks and apodizing phase plates (APP) in its baseline design. In this work, we present end-to-end performance simulations, using Fourier propagation, of several METIS coronagraphic modes, including focal-plane vortex phase masks and pupil-plane apodizing phase plates, for the centrally obscured, segmented E-ELT pupil. The atmosphere and the AO contributions are taken into account. Hybrid coronagraphs combining the advantages of vortex phase masks and APPs are considered to improve the METIS coronagraphic performance.

In its original design, the E-ELT/Metis instrument envisages a vortex coronagraph in the mid-IR regime for detection and characterization of exoplanets, with a contrast of 1e-4 at 2 lambda/D (~40 mas in L band). The AGPM (Annular Groove Phase Mask) is a vortex phase mask with impressive characteristics: small inner working angle, high throughput, achromaticity. A non-perfectly circular pupil and non-flat input wavefront result in a starlight leakage, degrading the performance of the vortex coronagraph. In this work, we present end-to-end performance simulations using Fourier optical propagation to determine the quality of the starlight rejection obtained with an infrared vortex coronagraph. We first analyse the performance facing E-ELT pupil variations (segmentations, central obscuration, spiders, missing segments), then pointing jitter and random adaptive optics residual phase screens are introduced to derive more realistic performance. Finally, more advanced concepts of the infrared vortex coronagraph are presented, in order to compensate for performance degradation.

The subwavelength grating vortex coronagraph (SGVC) is a focal-planespiral-like phase mask whose key benefit is to allow high contrast imaging atsmall angles. Directly etched onto a CVD diamond substrate, it is well suitedto perform in the mid-infrared domain. It provides a continuous helicalphase ramp with a dark singularity in its center, and is characterized by itsnumber of phase revolutions, called the topological charge. Over the pasttwo years, we have manufactured several charge-2 SGVCs (a.k.a. annulargroove phase masks) and successfully demonstrated their performanceson 10-m class telescopes (LBT, VLT/NaCo, VLT/VISIR). To prevent stellarleakage on future 30-m class telescopes (E-ELT, TMT, GMT), a broaderoff-axis extinction is required, which can be achieved by increasing thetopological charge. We have recently proposed an original design for acharge-4 SGVC allowing less starlight to leak through the coronagraph, atthe cost of a degraded inner working angle. In this talk, we report on ourlatest development of higher charge SGVCs. From 3D rigorous numericalsimulations using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm, weConference 9605: Techniques and Instrumentationfor Detection of Exoplanets VIIR eturn to Contents +1 360 676 3290 · help@spie.org 647have derived a family of coronagraphs with higher topological charge(SGVC4/6/8). Our new optimization method addresses the principallimitation of such space-variant polarization state manipulation, i.e., theinconvenient discontinuities in the discrete grating pattern. The resultinggratings offer improved precision to the phase modulation compared toprevious designs. Finally, we present our preliminary manufacturing andmetrology results for infrared components down to the K-band.

In this talk, we will review the on-going activities within the VORTEX teamat the University of Liège and Uppsala University. The VORTEX project aimsto design, manufacture, test, and exploit vector vortex phase masks madeof sub-wavelength gratings (aka the Annular Groove Phase Mask, AGPM)for the direct detection and characterization of extrasolar planets. This talkwill specifically report on the commissioning of several AGPMs on infraredcameras equipping 10-m class telescopes, including the VLT, the LBT andthe Keck. We will describe the in-lab and on-sky performance of the AGPMs,and discuss first scientific observations. We will also report on the lessonslearned from the on-sky operation of our vortices, and discuss ways toimprove their performance. The potential of our coronagraphic devices inthe context of future extremely large telescopes and space missions will alsobe addressed.

The direct detection of exoplanets requires the use of dedicated, highcontrast imaging instruments. In this context, vector vortex coronagraphs(VVCs) are considered to be among the most promising solutions to reachhigh contrast at small angular separations. They feature a small innerworking angle (down to 0.9 lambda/D), high throughput, clear off-axis360° discovery space, and are simple to implement. The AGPM (AnnularGroove Phase Mask) is an implementation of the vortex phase mask, whichprovides achromaticity over an appreciable spectral range thanks to the useof sub-wavelength gratings. The grating profile can be optimized based onthe rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) to achieve a quasi-achromaticphase shift up to a very broad band (L+M band: 3.5-5.1μm). These deviceshave been manufactured onto CVD diamond substrates, using reactiveion etching. In this communication, I will first present the latest RCWAConference 9605: Techniques and Instrumentationfor Detection of Exoplanets VIIR eturn to Contents +1 360 676 3290 · help@spie.org 631simulations performed in the L, M and N spectral bands, and for somecombinations of these bands. The resulting optimized AGPMs could beperfectly integrated in the E-ELT/METIS instrument, which aims at detectingand characterizing exoplanets by direct imaging. The target contrast forMETIS is <1e-4 at 2 lambda/D (~40 mas in L band), which translates into apeak rejection rate of few hundreds for the AGPMs. Secondly, the opticalpropagation within the METIS instrument will be studied to determine theperformances of a vortex coronagraph at the focus of METIS. In particular,the effect of the central obstruction, spiders, missing E-ELT segments,and pointing jitter will be analysed, together with the sensitivity to tip-tilt.Finally, the atmosphere and the AO contributions will be considered toobtain more realistic results.

Vortex coronagraphs are among the most promising solutions to perform high contrast imaging at small angular separations from bright stars. They feature a very small inner working angle (down to the diffraction limit of the telescope), a clear 360 degree discovery space, have demonstrated very high contrast capabilities, are easy to implement on high-contrast imaging instruments, and have already been extensively tested on the sky. Since 2005, we have been designing, developing and testing an implementation of the charge-2 vector vortex phase mask based on concentric sub-wavelength gratings, referred to as the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM). Science-grade mid-infrared AGPMs were produced in 2012 for the first time, using plasma etching on synthetic diamond substrates. They have been validated on a coronagraphic test bench, showing broadband peak rejection up to 500:1 in the L band, which translates into a raw contrast of about 6 x 10^(-5) at 2⋋=D. Three of them have now been installed on world-leading diffraction-limited infrared cameras, namely VLT/NACO, VLT/VISIR and LBT/LMIRCam. During the science verification observations with our L-band AGPM on NACO, we observed the beta Pictoris system and obtained unprecedented sensitivity limits to planetary companions down to the diffraction limit (0.1"). More recently, we obtained new images of the HR 8799 system at L band during the AGPM first light on LMIRCam. After reviewing these first results obtained with mid-infrared AGPMs, we will discuss the short- and mid-term goals of the on-going VORTEX project, which aims to improve the performance of our vortex phase masks for future applications on second-generation high-contrast imager and on future extremely large telescopes (ELTs). In particular, we will briefly describe our current efforts to improve the manufacturing of mid-infrared AGPMs, to push their operation to shorter wavelengths, and to provide deeper starlight extinction by creating new designs for higher topo