Test results of the infrared single-mode fiber for the DARWIN mission

Lun K. Cheng; Anne-Jans Faber; Wim Gielesen; Catherine Boussard-Pledel; Patrick Houizot; Jacques Lucas; Joao Pereira Do Carmo

doi:10.1117/12.616797

5 October 2005 Test results of the infrared single-mode fiber for the DARWIN mission

Lun K. Cheng, Anne-Jans Faber, Wim Gielesen, Catherine Boussard-Pledel, Patrick Houizot, Jacques Lucas, Joao Pereira Do Carmo

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5905, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets II; 59051F (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.616797
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Nulling interferometry is the baseline technique for the DARWIN planet finding mission of the European Space Agency. Using this technique it will be possible to cancel, by destructive interference, the light from the bright star and look directly at its surrounding planets and eventually discover life on them. To achieve this goal wavefront errors need to be reduced to a very high degree in order to achieve the required nulling quality. Such a high wavefront quality can only be achieved with adequate wavefront filtering measures. Single mode fibers in general have excellent mode filtering capabilities, but they were not recently available for the broad infrared wavelength region of Darwin (4-20 um). Within an ESA technology development project, TNO has designed and tested an infrared single mode fiber based on chalcogenide glasses that has been manufactured by the University of Rennes. Several tests are carried out to characterize the materials used and the IR single mode fiber. Far field intensity distribution measurement at 10.6 um reveals the single mode operation of the manufactured fiber. Influence of coating, length, light coupling and bending of the fiber are also investigated.

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Lun K. Cheng, Anne-Jans Faber, Wim Gielesen, Catherine Boussard-Pledel, Patrick Houizot, Jacques Lucas, and Joao Pereira Do Carmo "Test results of the infrared single-mode fiber for the DARWIN mission", Proc. SPIE 5905, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets II, 59051F (5 October 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.616797

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