Astrophotonics: a new era for astronomical instruments

TL;DR

Astrophotonics integrates photonics technology into astronomy, enabling advanced instrumentation like high-precision spectrographs, interferometers, and adaptive optics, thus transforming observational capabilities across ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths.

Contribution

This paper reviews recent advancements in astrophotonics, highlighting novel photonic devices and their applications in improving astronomical instrumentation and observational precision.

Findings

Development of planar waveguides for stellar interferometry

Implementation of frequency combs for exoplanet detection

Use of photonic lanterns for mode conversion

Abstract

Astrophotonics lies at the interface of astronomy and photonics. This burgeoning field -- now formally recognized by the optics community -- has emerged over the past decade in response to the increasing demands of astronomical instrumentation. Early successes include: (i) planar waveguides to combine signals from widely spaced telescopes in stellar interferometry; (ii) frequency combs for ultra-high precision spectroscopy to detect planets around nearby stars; (iii) ultra-broadband fibre Bragg gratings to suppress unwanted background; (iv) photonic lanterns that allow single-mode behaviour within a multimode fibre; (v) planar waveguides to miniaturize astronomical spectrographs; (vi) large mode area fibres to generate artificial stars in the upper atmosphere for adaptive optics correction; (vii) liquid crystal polymers in optical vortex coronographs and adaptive optics systems. Astrophotonics, a field that has already created new photonic capabilities, is now extending its reach down to the Rayleigh scattering limit at ultraviolet wavelengths, and out to mid infrared wavelengths beyond 2500nm.