Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform

Harry Dean Kenchington Goldsmith; Michael J. Ireland; Pan Ma; Barry Luther-Davies; Rongping Wang; Barnaby Norris; Peter Tuthill; Stephen J. Madden

doi:10.1117/12.2311904

Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform

Harry Dean Kenchington Goldsmith^*, Michael J. Ireland, Pan Ma, Barry Luther-Davies, Rongping Wang, Barnaby Norris, Peter Tuthill, Stephen J. Madden

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

The future of exoplanet detection lies in the mid-infrared (MIR). The MIR region contains the blackbody peak of both hot and habitable zone exoplanets, making the contrast between starlight and planet light less extreme. It is also the region where prominent chemical signatures indicative of life exist, such as ozone at 9.7 μm. At a wavelength of 4 μm the difference in emission between an Earth-like planet and a star like our own is 80 dB. However a jovian planet, at the same separation exhibits 60 dB of contrast, or only 20 dB if it is hot due to its formation energy or being close to its host star. A two dimensional nulling interferometer, made with chalcogenide glass, has been measured to produce a null of 20 dB depth, limited by scattered light. Measures to increase the null depth to the theoretical limit of 60 dB are discussed.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI
Editors	Peter G. Tuthill, Michelle J. Creech-Eakman, Antoine Merand
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Print)	9781510619555
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2311904
Publication status	Published - 2018
Event	2018 Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI - Austin, United States Duration: 11 Jun 2018 → 15 Jun 2018

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	10701
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Conference

Conference	2018 Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI
Country/Territory	United States
City	Austin
Period	11/06/18 → 15/06/18

Access to Document

10.1117/12.2311904

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Kenchington Goldsmith, H. D., Ireland, M. J., Ma, P., Luther-Davies, B., Wang, R., Norris, B., Tuthill, P., & Madden, S. J. (2018). Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform. In P. G. Tuthill, M. J. Creech-Eakman, & A. Merand (Eds.), Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI Article 107011E (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 10701). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2311904

Kenchington Goldsmith, Harry Dean ; Ireland, Michael J. ; Ma, Pan et al. / Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform. Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI. editor / Peter G. Tuthill ; Michelle J. Creech-Eakman ; Antoine Merand. SPIE, 2018. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering).

@inproceedings{6f73a3929429482d96df10f1e8a8448c,

title = "Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform",

abstract = "The future of exoplanet detection lies in the mid-infrared (MIR). The MIR region contains the blackbody peak of both hot and habitable zone exoplanets, making the contrast between starlight and planet light less extreme. It is also the region where prominent chemical signatures indicative of life exist, such as ozone at 9.7 μm. At a wavelength of 4 μm the difference in emission between an Earth-like planet and a star like our own is 80 dB. However a jovian planet, at the same separation exhibits 60 dB of contrast, or only 20 dB if it is hot due to its formation energy or being close to its host star. A two dimensional nulling interferometer, made with chalcogenide glass, has been measured to produce a null of 20 dB depth, limited by scattered light. Measures to increase the null depth to the theoretical limit of 60 dB are discussed.",

keywords = "Exoplanet, Interferometery, Multimode Interference coupler, Nulling",

author = "{Kenchington Goldsmith}, {Harry Dean} and Ireland, {Michael J.} and Pan Ma and Barry Luther-Davies and Rongping Wang and Barnaby Norris and Peter Tuthill and Madden, {Stephen J.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 SPIE.; 2018 Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI ; Conference date: 11-06-2018 Through 15-06-2018",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1117/12.2311904",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781510619555",

series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",

publisher = "SPIE",

editor = "Tuthill, {Peter G.} and Creech-Eakman, {Michelle J.} and Antoine Merand",

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address = "United States",

}

Kenchington Goldsmith, HD, Ireland, MJ, Ma, P, Luther-Davies, B, Wang, R, Norris, B, Tuthill, P & Madden, SJ 2018, Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform. in PG Tuthill, MJ Creech-Eakman & A Merand (eds), Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI., 107011E, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 10701, SPIE, 2018 Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI, Austin, United States, 11/06/18. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2311904

Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform. / Kenchington Goldsmith, Harry Dean; Ireland, Michael J.; Ma, Pan et al.
Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI. ed. / Peter G. Tuthill; Michelle J. Creech-Eakman; Antoine Merand. SPIE, 2018. 107011E (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 10701).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform

AU - Kenchington Goldsmith, Harry Dean

AU - Ireland, Michael J.

AU - Ma, Pan

AU - Luther-Davies, Barry

AU - Wang, Rongping

AU - Norris, Barnaby

AU - Tuthill, Peter

AU - Madden, Stephen J.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - The future of exoplanet detection lies in the mid-infrared (MIR). The MIR region contains the blackbody peak of both hot and habitable zone exoplanets, making the contrast between starlight and planet light less extreme. It is also the region where prominent chemical signatures indicative of life exist, such as ozone at 9.7 μm. At a wavelength of 4 μm the difference in emission between an Earth-like planet and a star like our own is 80 dB. However a jovian planet, at the same separation exhibits 60 dB of contrast, or only 20 dB if it is hot due to its formation energy or being close to its host star. A two dimensional nulling interferometer, made with chalcogenide glass, has been measured to produce a null of 20 dB depth, limited by scattered light. Measures to increase the null depth to the theoretical limit of 60 dB are discussed.

AB - The future of exoplanet detection lies in the mid-infrared (MIR). The MIR region contains the blackbody peak of both hot and habitable zone exoplanets, making the contrast between starlight and planet light less extreme. It is also the region where prominent chemical signatures indicative of life exist, such as ozone at 9.7 μm. At a wavelength of 4 μm the difference in emission between an Earth-like planet and a star like our own is 80 dB. However a jovian planet, at the same separation exhibits 60 dB of contrast, or only 20 dB if it is hot due to its formation energy or being close to its host star. A two dimensional nulling interferometer, made with chalcogenide glass, has been measured to produce a null of 20 dB depth, limited by scattered light. Measures to increase the null depth to the theoretical limit of 60 dB are discussed.

KW - Exoplanet

KW - Interferometery

KW - Multimode Interference coupler

KW - Nulling

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DO - 10.1117/12.2311904

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 9781510619555

T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

BT - Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI

A2 - Tuthill, Peter G.

A2 - Creech-Eakman, Michelle J.

A2 - Merand, Antoine

PB - SPIE

T2 - 2018 Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI

Y2 - 11 June 2018 through 15 June 2018

ER -

Kenchington Goldsmith HD, Ireland MJ, Ma P, Luther-Davies B, Wang R, Norris B et al. Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform. In Tuthill PG, Creech-Eakman MJ, Merand A, editors, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI. SPIE. 2018. 107011E. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering). doi: 10.1117/12.2311904

Photonic mid-infrared nulling for exoplanet detection on a planar chalcogenide platform

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