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| Paper: |
Seeing Within the Inner Working Angle of Coronagraphs at Infrared Wavelengths with Photonic Lantern Nulling |
| Monograph: |
11, HWO25 Proceedings Part II: Mission Framework, Technology, and Broader Contributions |
| Page: |
213 |
| Authors: |
Yinzi Xin, Nemanja Jovanovic, Dimitri Mawet, Daniel Echeverri, Jonathan Lin, Yoo Jung Kim, Julien Lozi, Sebastien Vievard, Olivier Guyon, Grace Piroscia, Vincent Deo, Sergio Leon-Saval, Rodrigo Amezcua-Correa, Stephanos Yerolatsitis, Michael P. Fitzgerald, Pradip Gatkine, Suvinay Goyal, Barnaby Norris, Garreth Ruane, and Steph Sallum |
| DOI: |
10.26624/EWXN6589 |
| Abstract: |
HWO’s optical-wavelength coronagraph will be designed to detect exoplanets in the habitable zone of solar type stars. However, a coronagraph’s inner working angle scales with wavelength, and most of the habitable zones accessible by a coronagraph at optical wavelengths will no longer be accessible in the
infrared. For these planets, a nulling interferometry mode operating at smaller separations (∼ 1 λ/D) is necessary for spectroscopic follow-up in the infrared, where molecules like COz_2z and CHz_4z have the strongest features. The Photonic Lantern Nuller is one potential nulling architecture that uses a mode-sorting waveguide to cancel out starlight while maintaining planet light, with naturally broadband nulls that result from the waveguide geometry. We present the instrument concept, laboratory demonstrations (including wavefront control for dark-zone generation), and preliminary on-sky work at the Subaru Observatory, and we discuss the anticipated technological hurdles for achieving ultra-deep contrasts for HWO. |
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