Coronagraphic Low Order Wavefront Sensor: Principle and Application to a Phase-Induced Amplitude Coronagraph

TL;DR

The paper introduces the Coronagraphic Low Order Wavefront Sensor (CLOWFS), a technique for accurately measuring low-order aberrations in coronagraphs, enhancing high-contrast imaging capabilities near stars.

Contribution

It presents a new, efficient method for measuring low-order wavefront aberrations in coronagraphs using a defocused focal plane ring, with demonstrated high sensitivity and immunity to non-common path errors.

Findings

Achieves nearly optimal sensitivity for low-order aberration measurement.

Demonstrates 1e-3 lambda/D pointing stability in laboratory tests.

Can measure aberrations faster than science focal plane methods.

Abstract

High contrast coronagraphic imaging of the immediate surrounding of stars requires exquisite control of low-order wavefront aberrations, such as tip-tilt (pointing) and focus. We propose an accurate, efficient and easy to implement technique to measure such aberrations in coronagraphs which use a focal plane mask to block starlight. The Coronagraphic Low Order Wavefront Sensor (CLOWFS) produces a defocused image of a reflective focal plane ring to measure low order aberrations. Even for small levels of wavefront aberration, the proposed scheme produces large intensity signals which can be easily measured, and therefore does not require highly accurate calibration of either the detector or optical elements. The CLOWFS achieves nearly optimal sensitivity and is immune from non-common path errors. This technique is especially well suited for high performance low inner working angle (IWA) coronagraphs. On phase-induced amplitude apodization (PIAA) type coronagraphs, it can unambiguously recover aberrations which originate from either side of the beam shaping introduced by the PIAA optics. We show that the proposed CLOWFS can measure sub-milliarcsecond telescope pointing errors several orders of magnitude faster than would be possible in the coronagraphic science focal plane alone, and can also accurately calibrate residual coronagraphic leaks due to residual low order aberrations. We have demonstrated 1e-3 lambda/D pointing stability in a laboratory demonstration of the CLOWFS on a PIAA type coronagraph.