Modal noise mitigation in a photonic lantern fed near-IR spectrograph

Fraser A. Pike; Aurélien Benoit; David G. MacLachlan; Robert J. Harris; Itandehui Gris-Sánchez; David Lee; Timothy A. Birks; Robert R. Thomson

doi:10.1117/12.2561644

Modal noise mitigation in a photonic lantern fed near-IR spectrograph

Fraser A. Pike, Aurélien Benoit, David G. MacLachlan, Robert J. Harris, Itandehui Gris-Sánchez, David Lee, Timothy A. Birks, Robert R. Thomson

Department of Physics

Research output: Chapter or section in a book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter in a published conference proceeding

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Abstract

Recently we have demonstrated the potential of a hybrid astrophotonic device, consisting of a multi-core fiber photonic lantern and a 3D waveguide reformatting component, to efficiently reformat the multimode point spread function of a telescope to a diffracted limited pseudo-slit. Here, we report on an investigation into the potential of this device to mitigate modal noise-one of the main hurdles of multi-mode fiber-fed spectrographs. The modal noise performance of the photonic reformatter and other fiber feeds was assessed using a bench-Top spectrograph based on an echelle grating. In a first method of modal noise quantification, we used broadband light as the input, and assessed the modal noise performance based on the variations in the normalized spectrum as the input coupling to the fiber feed is varied. In a second method, we passed the broadband light through an etalon to generate a source with spectrally narrow peaks. We then used the spectral stability of these peaks as the input coupling to the fiber feed was varied as a proxy for the modal noise. Using both of these approaches we found that the photonic reformatter could significantly reduce modal noise compared to the multi-mode fiber feed, demonstrating the potential of photonic reformatters to mitigate modal noise for applications such as near-IR radial velocity measurements of M-dwarf stars.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV
Editors	Ramon Navarro, Roland Geyl
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Electronic)	9781510636897
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2561644
Publication status	Published - 13 Dec 2020
Event	Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV 2020 - Virtual, Online, USA United States Duration: 14 Dec 2020 → 22 Dec 2020

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	11451
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Conference

Conference	Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV 2020
Country/Territory	USA United States
City	Virtual, Online
Period	14/12/20 → 22/12/20

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was funded by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – STFC grant no. ST/N000625/1, and by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant no. 730890 (OPTICON – Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy). FAP acknowledges support via an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) iCASE studentship part funded by Renishaw.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 SPIE.

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Funding

This work was funded by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – STFC grant no. ST/N000625/1, and by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant no. 730890 (OPTICON – Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy). FAP acknowledges support via an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) iCASE studentship part funded by Renishaw.

Keywords

astrophotonics
exoplanet detection
modal noise
photonic lanterns
radial velocity
spectrographs
ultrafast laser inscription
waveguides

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1117/12.2561644

2012 spie modal noise (sub)Accepted author manuscript, 490 KBLicence: Unspecified

Cite this

Pike, F. A., Benoit, A., MacLachlan, D. G., Harris, R. J., Gris-Sánchez, I., Lee, D., Birks, T. A., & Thomson, R. R. (2020). Modal noise mitigation in a photonic lantern fed near-IR spectrograph. In R. Navarro, & R. Geyl (Eds.), Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV Article 114510E (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 11451). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2561644

Modal noise mitigation in a photonic lantern fed near-IR spectrograph. / Pike, Fraser A.; Benoit, Aurélien; MacLachlan, David G. et al.
Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV. ed. / Ramon Navarro; Roland Geyl. SPIE, 2020. 114510E (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 11451).

Research output: Chapter or section in a book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter in a published conference proceeding

Pike, FA, Benoit, A, MacLachlan, DG, Harris, RJ, Gris-Sánchez, I, Lee, D, Birks, TA & Thomson, RR 2020, Modal noise mitigation in a photonic lantern fed near-IR spectrograph. in R Navarro & R Geyl (eds), Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV., 114510E, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 11451, SPIE, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV 2020, Virtual, Online, USA United States, 14/12/20. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2561644

Pike FA, Benoit A, MacLachlan DG, Harris RJ, Gris-Sánchez I, Lee D et al. Modal noise mitigation in a photonic lantern fed near-IR spectrograph. In Navarro R, Geyl R, editors, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV. SPIE. 2020. 114510E. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering). doi: 10.1117/12.2561644

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abstract = "Recently we have demonstrated the potential of a hybrid astrophotonic device, consisting of a multi-core fiber photonic lantern and a 3D waveguide reformatting component, to efficiently reformat the multimode point spread function of a telescope to a diffracted limited pseudo-slit. Here, we report on an investigation into the potential of this device to mitigate modal noise-one of the main hurdles of multi-mode fiber-fed spectrographs. The modal noise performance of the photonic reformatter and other fiber feeds was assessed using a bench-Top spectrograph based on an echelle grating. In a first method of modal noise quantification, we used broadband light as the input, and assessed the modal noise performance based on the variations in the normalized spectrum as the input coupling to the fiber feed is varied. In a second method, we passed the broadband light through an etalon to generate a source with spectrally narrow peaks. We then used the spectral stability of these peaks as the input coupling to the fiber feed was varied as a proxy for the modal noise. Using both of these approaches we found that the photonic reformatter could significantly reduce modal noise compared to the multi-mode fiber feed, demonstrating the potential of photonic reformatters to mitigate modal noise for applications such as near-IR radial velocity measurements of M-dwarf stars. ",

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author = "Pike, {Fraser A.} and Aur{\'e}lien Benoit and MacLachlan, {David G.} and Harris, {Robert J.} and Itandehui Gris-S{\'a}nchez and David Lee and Birks, {Timothy A.} and Thomson, {Robert R.}",

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AU - Birks, Timothy A.

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N1 - Funding Information: This work was funded by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – STFC grant no. ST/N000625/1, and by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant no. 730890 (OPTICON – Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy). FAP acknowledges support via an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) iCASE studentship part funded by Renishaw. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 SPIE. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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N2 - Recently we have demonstrated the potential of a hybrid astrophotonic device, consisting of a multi-core fiber photonic lantern and a 3D waveguide reformatting component, to efficiently reformat the multimode point spread function of a telescope to a diffracted limited pseudo-slit. Here, we report on an investigation into the potential of this device to mitigate modal noise-one of the main hurdles of multi-mode fiber-fed spectrographs. The modal noise performance of the photonic reformatter and other fiber feeds was assessed using a bench-Top spectrograph based on an echelle grating. In a first method of modal noise quantification, we used broadband light as the input, and assessed the modal noise performance based on the variations in the normalized spectrum as the input coupling to the fiber feed is varied. In a second method, we passed the broadband light through an etalon to generate a source with spectrally narrow peaks. We then used the spectral stability of these peaks as the input coupling to the fiber feed was varied as a proxy for the modal noise. Using both of these approaches we found that the photonic reformatter could significantly reduce modal noise compared to the multi-mode fiber feed, demonstrating the potential of photonic reformatters to mitigate modal noise for applications such as near-IR radial velocity measurements of M-dwarf stars.

AB - Recently we have demonstrated the potential of a hybrid astrophotonic device, consisting of a multi-core fiber photonic lantern and a 3D waveguide reformatting component, to efficiently reformat the multimode point spread function of a telescope to a diffracted limited pseudo-slit. Here, we report on an investigation into the potential of this device to mitigate modal noise-one of the main hurdles of multi-mode fiber-fed spectrographs. The modal noise performance of the photonic reformatter and other fiber feeds was assessed using a bench-Top spectrograph based on an echelle grating. In a first method of modal noise quantification, we used broadband light as the input, and assessed the modal noise performance based on the variations in the normalized spectrum as the input coupling to the fiber feed is varied. In a second method, we passed the broadband light through an etalon to generate a source with spectrally narrow peaks. We then used the spectral stability of these peaks as the input coupling to the fiber feed was varied as a proxy for the modal noise. Using both of these approaches we found that the photonic reformatter could significantly reduce modal noise compared to the multi-mode fiber feed, demonstrating the potential of photonic reformatters to mitigate modal noise for applications such as near-IR radial velocity measurements of M-dwarf stars.

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Y2 - 14 December 2020 through 22 December 2020

ER -

Modal noise mitigation in a photonic lantern fed near-IR spectrograph

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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