Laboratory demonstration and characterization ofphase-sorting interferometry

摘要

Non-common path (NCP) errors that lie downstream from the wavefront sensor (WFS) in an AO setup can’tbe directly corrected by the WFS and end up altering the science images by introducing quasi-static speckles.These speckles impose limits to the direct imaging of exoplanets, debris disks and other objects for which werequire high contrast. Phase-sorting interferometry (PSI) uses WFS residuals as interferometric probes to thespeckles. With the retrieved amplitude and phase the deformable mirror can be adjusted to remove the speckles.Previously PSI has been demonstrated to correct -to first order- the non-common path error on-sky at the MMTOin Arizona. We present an AO laboratory testbed and the techniques used to determine the properties of PSI;the influence of the time synchronisation between WFS and science camera, the achromacity of the atmosphereand other limiting factors. Furthermore we test the performance of the PSI method when coronagraphs suchas apodizing phase plates, Lyot masks and 4QPMs are introduced to the setup. Lastly this setup enables us torapidly prototype high-contrast imaging techniques.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.