The Vector Vortex Coronagraph: Laboratory Results and First Light at Palomar Observatory
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The Astrophysical Journal, 709:53–57, 2010 January 20 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/709/1/53 C 2010. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. THE VECTOR VORTEX CORONAGRAPH: LABORATORY RESULTS AND FIRST LIGHT AT PALOMAR OBSERVATORY D. Mawet1,4, E. Serabyn1,K.Liewer1, R. Burruss1, J. Hickey2, and D. Shemo3 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA; [email protected] 2 Palomar Observatory, California Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 200, Palomar Mountain, CA 92060, USA 3 JDS Uniphase Corporation, 2789 Northpoint Parkway, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, USA Received 2009 October 28; accepted 2009 December 1; published 2009 December 24 ABSTRACT High-contrast coronagraphy will be needed to image and characterize faint extrasolar planetary systems. Coronagraphy is a rapidly evolving field, and many enhanced alternatives to the classical Lyot coronagraph have been proposed in the past 10 years. Here, we discuss the operation of the vector vortex coronagraph, which is one of the most efficient possible coronagraphs. We first present recent laboratory results and then first light observations at the Palomar observatory. Our near-infrared H-band (centered at ∼1.65 μm) and K-band (centered at ∼2.2 μm) vector vortex devices demonstrated excellent contrast results in the lab, down to ∼10−6 at an angular separation of ∼3λ/d. On sky, we detected a brown dwarf companion 3000 times fainter than its host star (HR 7672) in the Ks band (centered at ∼2.15 μm), at an angular separation of ∼2.5λ/d. Current and next- generation high-contrast instruments can directly benefit from the demonstrated capabilities of such a vector vortex: simplicity, small inner working angle, high optical throughput (>90%), and maximal off-axis discovery space. Key words: brown dwarfs – instrumentation: adaptive optics – instrumentation: high angular resolution – techniques: high angular resolution Online-only material: color figures 1. INTRODUCTION theoretically ideal in terms of “useful throughput”: the phase- induced amplitude apodization coronagraph and the optical High-contrast imaging of extrasolar planetary systems rep- vortex phase-mask coronagraph (Mawet et al. 2005; Foo et al. resents one of the most challenging technological goals of 2005; Jenkins 2008; Swartzlander et al. 2008). The optical modern observational astrophysics. The challenge is twofold: vortex is truly close to ideal, as it has a small inner working the small angular separation between exoplanets and their host angle (IWA), high throughput, and a completely clear off-axis stars requires a high angular resolution (e.g., 100 mas for a discovery space. We have therefore been pursuing an especially 1 AU distance at 10 pc), and the brightness contrast between promising version of the vortex coronagraph, the vector vortex them is tremendous, ranging from 10−3 for very close hot gi- coronagraph (VVC). ant planets up to 10−10 for Earth-like planets. After the first Here, we present our most recent laboratory results with resolved observation of a bound planetary mass object was ob- VVC masks based on birefringent liquid crystal polymers tained by Chauvin et al. (2005), several exoplanets have re- (LCPs). These tests were carried out in the near-infrared, as cently been imaged. The majority of these observations were the masks considered here are intended for use behind ground- eased by the fairly large distance of the companions from their based extreme adaptive optics systems (ExAO). We also present host stars (0.5–15) and the moderate star/planet contrast in the results and consider the implication of the first use of our the near-infrared (Δm ≈ 5–12) due to the relatively high ther- VVC on the sky with the Palomar ExAO-level well-corrected mal emission of the young forming planets (at ∼1000 K). The subaperture (WCS; Serabyn et al. 2007, 2009). best characterizations obtained so far have relied on accurate multi-wavelength broadband photometry in the visible and near- infrared, and on multi-epoch astrometry. Keplerian motion was 2. THE VECTOR VORTEX CORONAGRAPH unambiguously detected for the most recent discoveries of Kalas An optical vortex is generated by a phase screw of the et al. (2008) around Fomalhaut and Marois et al. (2008) around form eiθ, with θ being the azimuthal coordinate. There are HR 8799. two kinds of optical vortex known: the scalar optical vortex, Direct imaging is clearly a self-consistent and complete implemented by a structural helix (Foo et al. 2005; Swartzlander characterization method as it provides a straightforward means et al. 2008) providing a scalar optical phase delay which to constrain orbital parameters and perform spectro-photometric applies to the two orthogonal polarization components of natural measurements in the most varied orbital configurations, at light identically, and the vectorial vortex, implemented by almost any point in time. However, the few exoplanets and a rotationally symmetric halfwave plate (HWP), providing a the majority of circumstellar disks imaged so far all required “geometrical” phase shift (Pancharatnam 1956;Berry1987) high contrast (Absil & Mawet 2010; Oppenheimer & Hinkley that applies opposite phase screws to the two orthogonal circular 2009; Ducheneˆ 2008; Wyatt 2008). Image dynamic ranges polarization states (Figure 1). can be increased with a coronagraph, and in a comparison of The detailed theory of the VVC is provided in Mawet et al. coronagraphs, Guyon et al. (2006) identified two as closest to (2005, 2009a), and so here we merely provide a quick schematic overview. In the vector vortex, for a linearly polarized input 4 NASA Postdoctoral Fellow. field (or for natural light projected onto a linear basis), the 53 54 MAWET ET AL. Vol. 709 (a) Linear Polarization (b) Circular Polarization (c) Phase ramp: φ (θ) = 2θ (d) FT[ei2θ.PSF] f e d φ θ g c ( ) 4π h b e d r r θ θ c i a Input b δt j p ω 0 a 0 0 k o n l m Input δt Figure 1. VVC azimuthal phase ramp. Panel (a): rotationally symmetric HWP with an optical axis orientation that rotates about the center (dashed lines perpendicular to the circumference). The net effect of an HWP on an impinging linear polarization is to rotate it by −2 × α, where α is the angle between the incoming polarization direction and the fast optical axis. An incoming horizontal polarization (blue arrow) is transformed by the vector vortex so that it spins around its center twice as fast as the azimuthal coordinate θ (red arrows). Panel (b): for circular polarization, the output field rotation is strictly equivalent to a phase delay (the starting angle 0 is rotated; therefore phase-shifted). The angle of local rotation of the polarization vector corresponds to a “geometrical” phase: upon a complete rotation about the center of the rotationally symmetric HWP, it has undergone a total 2 × 2π phase ramp, which corresponds to the definition of an optical vortex of topological charge 2 (panel (c)). Upon propagation from the focal plane to the subsequent pupil plane, the Fourier transform (FT) of the product of the PSF by the azimuthal phase ramp sends the light outside the original pupil area (panel (d)). (A color version of this figure is available in the online journal.) rotationally symmetric HWP rotates the polarization vector as so-called region of disorientation, where the LCP loses the in Figure 1(a). The definition of circular polarization is just a appropriate orientation close to the vortex axis, where most linear polarization rotating at the angular frequency ω (equal of the energy of the Airy diffraction pattern of the central to the pulsation of the electromagnetic field), so that a rotation stellar source would land. Our goal for the next generation of φ = 2θ of the polarization vector is strictly equivalent to a devices was thus to significantly decrease the central region phase delay (Figure 1(b)). If, at any given point in space, the of disorientation, and to cover the reduced residual zone by polarization vector is rotated such as in Figure 1(a), it implies an opaque aluminum mask so as to prevent leakage through for the circular polarization (Figure 1(b)) that it has acquired the center of the mask. Numerical simulations in Mawet et al. a geometric phase ramp eiφ = ei2θ such as represented in (2009a) promised dramatic improvements in contrast if these Figure 1(c). Thus, φ represents both an angle and a phase— steps were taken. The reduction was to be enabled by a redesign hence the term “geometrical” phase. of the mechanical manufacturing apparatus described in Mawet The factor 2 before the azimuthal coordinate in ei2θ is called et al. (2009a). the “topological charge” l. It determines the polarization spin The new topological charge 2 H- and K-band devices achieved rate and the subsequent height of the phase ramp after a full 2π our manufacturing goals. The size of the central region of rotation. In this particular example, we considered a vortex of disorientation was reduced to a diameter of ∼25 μm, a four-fold topological charge 2, meaning that, upon a complete rotation improvement upon the first vortex device. We chose to cover the about the center, it has undergone a total 2 × 2π phase shift. remaining residual zone by an aluminum spot 25 μm in diameter Note that this azimuthal phase ramp is generated without a (Figure 2, right). Given any beam F number 10 (F = f/d, corresponding structural helix. When the point-spread function with f the focal length and d the diameter of the beam as defined (PSF) at the focal plane of a telescope is centered on such a by the entrance pupil), the radius of the spot is comparable to or vector vortex, for non-zero even values of l, the light, upon smaller than the beam width Fλ(where λ is the wavelength of propagation to a subsequent pupil plane, then appears entirely the incident light), so the Al spot does not affect the IWA at all.