Model validation and tolerancing of scalar vortex masks in the High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) facility

TL;DR

This paper evaluates scalar vortex masks for high-contrast imaging, focusing on their manufacturing, modeling, and performance validation in the HCIT facility to support future exoplanet imaging missions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive validation of scalar vortex coronagraph models against experimental data, including manufacturing defect analysis and model-mismatch impact assessment.

Findings

Good agreement between experimental and simulated performance.

Manufacturing deviations impact contrast performance.

Refined models improve prediction accuracy for future designs.

Abstract

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) mission will require coronagraphs capable of suppressing starlight at the $\sim 10^{-10}$ contrast level to directly image exo-Earths. High contrast achromatic coronagraphic masks are the missing critical component to achieving this. Vortex coronagraphs, particularly scalar vortex designs with an achromatic focal plane mask, offer key advantages. While all vortex coronagraph varieties provide high throughput, a small inner working angle, and rejection of low-order aberrations, the scalar approach enables dual-polarization observation in a single optical path. This simplifies instrument design and increases transmission by maintaining light from the planet in two orthogonal polarization states. In this work we test scalar vortex masks and investigate their contrast limitations. We perform phase metrology to assess the mask defects and manufacturing deviations and use it to refine the coronagraphic model used for electric field conjugation (EFC) algorithms and end-to-end simulations. We also measure the impact of model-mismatch with EFC by varying model parameters including clocking angle, and central wavelength in laboratory demonstrations. Finally, we validate our scalar vortex models against experimental results from the High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) facility at JPL by finding good agreement between lab and simulated performance. This ultimately helps to benchmark simulated contrast predictions for future scalar vortex coronagraph designs for HWO.