Abstract

Direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets and protoplanetary disks using diffraction limited optics is one of the main challenges of astronomy due to the small angular separation and their low brightness with respect to the host star. This makes interferometers an attractive solution for this research, although they are limited by the missing of starlight with the faint science signal and by their stability. This problem can be solved with the use of photonics. We present the first on-sky demonstration of a 3D fully-integrated photonic nulling interferometer that was successfully tested at the 3.9 m Anglo-Australian Telecope (AAT). The device was fabricated using the femtosecond laser direct write technique.

© 2016 Optical Society of America