The ZIMPOL high-contrast imaging polarimeter for SPHERE: design, manufacturing, and testing

Ronald Roelfsema; Hans Martin Schmid; Johannes Pragt; Daniel Gisler; Rens Waters; Andreas Bazzon; Andrea Baruffolo; Jean-Luc Beuzit; Anthony Boccaletti; Julien Charton; Claudio Cumani; Kjetil Dohlen; Mark Downing; Eddy Elswijk; Markus Feldt; Charlotte Groothuis; Menno de Haan; Hiddo Hanenburg; Norbert Hubin; Franco Joos; Markus Kasper; Christoph Keller; Jan Kragt; Jean-Louis Lizon; David Mouillet; Aleksej Pavlov; Florence Rigal; Sylvain Rochat; Bernardo Salasnich; Peter Steiner; Christian Thalmann; Lars Venema; François Wildi

doi:10.1117/12.857045

20 July 2010 The ZIMPOL high-contrast imaging polarimeter for SPHERE: design, manufacturing, and testing

Ronald Roelfsema, Hans Martin Schmid, Johannes Pragt, Daniel Gisler, Rens Waters, Andreas Bazzon, Andrea Baruffolo, Jean-Luc Beuzit, Anthony Boccaletti, Julien Charton, Claudio Cumani, Kjetil Dohlen, Mark Downing, Eddy Elswijk, Markus Feldt, Charlotte Groothuis, Menno de Haan, Hiddo Hanenburg, Norbert Hubin, Franco Joos, Markus Kasper, Christoph Keller, Jan Kragt, Jean-Louis Lizon, David Mouillet, Aleksej Pavlov, Florence Rigal, Sylvain Rochat, Bernardo Salasnich, Peter Steiner, Christian Thalmann, Lars Venema, François Wildi

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7735, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III; 77354B (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857045
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

ZIMPOL is the high contrast imaging polarimeter subsystem of the ESO SPHERE instrument. ZIMPOL is dedicated to detect the very faint reflected and hence polarized visible light from extrasolar planets. ZIMPOL is located behind an extreme AO system (SAXO) and a stellar coronagraph. SPHERE is foreseen to have first light at the VLT at the end of 2011. ZIMPOL is currently in the manufacturing, integration and testing phase. We describe the optical, polarimetric, mechanical, thermal and electronic design as well as the design trade offs. Specifically emphasized is the optical quality of the key performance component: the Ferro-electric Liquid Crystal polarization modulator (FLC). Furthermore, we describe the ZIMPOL test setup and the first test results on the achieved polarimetric sensitivity and accuracy. These results will give first indications for the expected overall high contrast system performance. SPHERE is an instrument designed and built by a consortium consisting of LAOG, MPIA, LAM, LESIA, Fizeau, INAF, Observatoire de Genève, ETH, NOVA, ONERA and ASTRON in collaboration with ESO.

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Ronald Roelfsema, Hans Martin Schmid, Johannes Pragt, Daniel Gisler, Rens Waters, Andreas Bazzon, Andrea Baruffolo, Jean-Luc Beuzit, Anthony Boccaletti, Julien Charton, Claudio Cumani, Kjetil Dohlen, Mark Downing, Eddy Elswijk, Markus Feldt, Charlotte Groothuis, Menno de Haan, Hiddo Hanenburg, Norbert Hubin, Franco Joos, Markus Kasper, Christoph Keller, Jan Kragt, Jean-Louis Lizon, David Mouillet, Aleksej Pavlov, Florence Rigal, Sylvain Rochat, Bernardo Salasnich, Peter Steiner, Christian Thalmann, Lars Venema, and François Wildi "The ZIMPOL high-contrast imaging polarimeter for SPHERE: design, manufacturing, and testing", Proc. SPIE 7735, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III, 77354B (20 July 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857045

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