Project Details
Projekt
NAIR-APREXIS: Astronomical Photonic Reformatter EXperiment for Infrared Science
Subject Area
Astrophysics and Astronomy
Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
Term
since 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 506421303
The progressive use of photonics-based solutions in new instruments for astrophysics is currently revolutionizing the field of astronomical instrumentation. The “astrophotonic” venue implements small-scale and precisely micro-structured optical functions that can efficiently route and process the incoming photons, which offers unique light reformatting properties that are very complementary to more classical bulk-optics solutions. The robustness and flexibility of photonic component can greatly expand the capabilities of instruments aiming at high-precision spectroscopic and interferometric imaging measurements, which are highly relevant to the key topic of planet and star formation. To increase the astrophysical return of astrophotonic instruments, we have initiated the NAIR project to place photonic technologies in the mainstream of astronomical instrumentation. In the first phase of NAIR we strongly focused on developing near-infrared coherent and incoherent reformatters to deliver photonic beam combiners, photonic lanterns, and 3D-printed micro-optics for integral-field unit, pupil-remapping and long-baseline interferometry applications. After successful prototyping and on-sky testing of our photonic units, we propose to pursue in the Phase 2 of NAIR the deployment of APREXIS, the “Astronomical Photonic Reformatter EXperiment for Infrared Science”. APREXIS deploys a suite of turn-key near-infrared instrument modules based on astrophotonic components that will be interfaced with large telescope and interferometric facilities. APREXIS will enable high-precision and high-stability integral field spectroscopy and long-baseline/pupil-remapping interferometry thanks to the single-mode properties of the photonic modules. We will exploit the manufacturing techniques developed during Phase 1 to make the core modules of APREXIS that will be commissioned first in our laboratories with controlled input parameters. Subsequently, APREXIS will be deployed at MagAO-X, at the CHARA interferometer and at the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) to be commissioned through engineering as well as night observing runs. We further take advantage of the compactness and versatility of the photonic approach to propose a cooled unit operating in the K band. As a fast-track instrument formed of spectroscopic and interferometric modules, APREXIS can deliver first high-contrast and high-resolution science studying low-mass to planetary-mass companion around young stars as well as faint circumstellar emission in the close environment of young- to main-sequence stars. The NAIR program and the successful deployment of APREXIS is expected to have repercussions on the development philosophy of the future instruments serving the European astronomy community, in particular in the era of the future European Extremely Large Telescope and Very Large Telescope Interferometer. In this context, NAIR fulfils the expectation of developing new instrumentation for research in astrophysics.
DFG Programme
New Instrumentation for Research
