Diffraction analysis of pupil mapping systems for planet finding

Robert J. Vanderbei

doi:10.1117/12.617394

31 August 2005 Diffraction analysis of pupil mapping systems for planet finding

Robert J. Vanderbei

Proceedings Volume 5905, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets II; 590517 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.617394
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Pupil-mapping is a technique whereby a uniformly-illuminated input pupil, such as from starlight, can be mapped into a non-uniformly illuminated exit pupil, such that the image formed from this pupil will have suppressed sidelobes, many orders of magnitude weaker than classical Airy ring intensities. Pupil mapping is therefore a candidate technique for coronagraphic imaging of extrasolar planets around nearby stars. Pupil mapping is lossless and preserves the full angular resolution of the collecting telescope. Prior analyses based on pupil-to-pupil ray-tracing indicate that a planet fainter than 10^-10 times its parent star, and as close as about 2λ/D, could be detectable. In this paper, we describe the results of careful diffraction analysis of pupil mapping systems. These results reveal a serious unresolved issue. Namely, high-contrast pupil mappings distribute light from very near the edge of the first pupil to a broad area of the second pupil thereby dramatically amplifying diffraction-based edge effects resulting in a limiting attainable contrast of about 10⁻⁵. We provide two hybrid designs that provide partial solutions to this problem but a complete resolution remains open.

Citation Download Citation

Robert J. Vanderbei "Diffraction analysis of pupil mapping systems for planet finding", Proc. SPIE 5905, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets II, 590517 (31 August 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.617394

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