Based on phase retrieval of defocused point source images from JWST commissioning, routine maintenance, and science data, we characterize components of the JWST OTE wavefront error variations over a wide range of time scales, including the accumulation of segment pose changes (tilt events) over days and weeks of typical wavefront control cycles, smooth drifts over hours and days, oscillation due to thermal cycling of the ISIM Electronics Compartment heaters with periods of a few minutes, and mechanical vibration modes with periods ~1 second and less. We extract the spatial and temporal forms of the detected WFE variations and explore correlation with relevant observatory telemetry data, including reaction wheel rotation speeds, IEC heater panel temperatures, and spacecraft attitude. This analysis extends the initial performance characterization during JWST commissioning and is intended to enhance the understanding and utility of JWST observations, as well as to provide more detailed in-flight characterization of optical stability for evaluation of integrated modeling and insight for the design and development of future observatories.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on December 25, 2021, and its optical performance in orbit has been even better than predicted pre-flight. The static wavefront error (WFE) is less than half the value specified for the requirement of having diffraction-limited image quality at 2 microns in the NIRCam shortwave channel, enabling the observatory to deliver both sharper images and higher sensitivity than anticipated. In addition to the excellent image quality, the optical stability has also exceeded expectations, both in terms of high-frequency dynamic contributions (which would be perceived as part of “static WFE”) and in terms of drifts over minutes, hours, and days. Stability over long timescales is critical for several important science cases, including exoplanet transit spectroscopy and coronagraphy. JWST’s stability success was achieved through detailed design and testing, with several important lessons learned for future observatories, especially the Habitable Worlds Observatory that is expected to need even higher levels of stability. We review the stability architecture, how it was technologically demonstrated, the ground test results and improvements, the on-orbit results, and the lessons learned.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a segmented deployable telescope, currently operating at L2. The telescope utilizes 6 degrees of freedom for adjustment of the Secondary Mirror (SM) and 7 degrees of freedom for adjustment of each of its 18 segments in the Primary Mirror (PM). After deployment, the PM segments and the SM arrived in their correct optical positions to within a ~1 mm, with accordingly large wavefront errors. A Wavefront Sensing and Controls (WFSC) process was executed to adjust each of these optical elements in order to correct the deployment errors and produce diffraction-limited images across the entire science field. This paper summarizes the application of the WFSC process.
Future large segmented space telescopes and their coronagraphic instruments are expected to provide the resolution and sensitivity to observe Earth-like planets with a 1010 contrast ratio at less than 100 mas from their host star. Advanced coronagraphs and wavefront control methods will enable the generation of high-contrast dark holes in the image of an observed star. However, drifts in the optical path of the system will lead to pointing errors and other critical low-order aberrations that will prevent maintenance of this contrast. To measure and correct for these errors, we explore the use of a Zernike wavefront sensor (ZWFS) in the starlight rejected and filtered by the focal plane mask of a Lyot-type coronagraph. In our previous work, the analytical phase reconstruction formalism of the ZWFS was adapted for a filtered beam. We now explore strategies to actively compensate for these drifts in a segmented pupil setup on the High-contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT). This contribution presents laboratory results from closed-loop compensation of bench internal turbulence as well as known introduced aberrations using phase conjugation and interaction matrix approaches. We also study the contrast recovery in the image plane dark hole when using a closed loop based on the ZWFS.
We present recent laboratory results demonstrating high-contrast coronagraphy for future space-based large segmented telescopes such as the Large UV, Optical, IR telescope (LUVOIR) mission concept studied by NASA. The High-contrast Imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT) testbed aims to implement a system-level hardware demonstration for segmented aperture coronagraphs with wavefront control. The telescope hardware simulator employs a segmented deformable mirror with 36 hexagonal segments that can be controlled in piston, tip, and tilt. In addition, two continuous deformable mirrors are used for high-order wavefront sensing and control. The low-order sensing subsystem includes a dedicated tip-tilt stage, a coronagraphic target acquisition camera, and a Zernike wavefront sensor that is used to measure low-order aberration drifts. We explore the performance of a segmented aperture coronagraph both in “static” operations (limited by natural drifts and instabilities) and in “dynamic” operations (in the presence of artificial wavefront drifts added to the deformable mirrors), and discuss the estimation and control strategies used to reach and maintain the dark zone contrast. We summarize experimental results that quantify the performance of the testbed in terms of contrast, inner/outer working angle and bandpass, and analyze limiting factors by comparing against our end-to-end models.
Imaging exo-Earths is an exciting but challenging task because of the 10-10 contrast ratio between these planets and their host star at separations narrower than 100 mas. Large segmented aperture space telescopes enable the sensitivity needed to observe a large number of planets. Combined with coronagraphs with wavefront control, they present a promising avenue to generate a high-contrast region in the image of an observed star. Another key aspect is the required stability in telescope pointing, focusing, and co-phasing of the segments of the telescope primary mirror for long-exposure observations of rocky planets for several hours to a few days. These wavefront errors should be stable down to a few tens of picometers RMS, requiring a permanent active correction of these errors during the observing sequence. To calibrate these pointing errors and other critical low-order aberrations, we propose a wavefront sensing path based on Zernike phase-contrast methods to analyze the starlight that is filtered out by the coronagraph at the telescope focus. In this work we present the analytical retrieval of the incoming low order aberrations in the starlight beam that is filtered out by an Apodized Pupil Lyot Coronagraph, one of the leading coronagraph types for starlight suppression. We implement this approach numerically for the active control of these aberrations and present an application with our first experimental results on the High-contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT) testbed, the STScI testbed for Earth-twin observations with future large space observatories, such as LUVOIR and HabEx, two NASA flagship mission concepts.
We discuss the use of parametric phase-diverse phase retrieval to characterize and optimize the transmitted wavefront of a high-contrast apodized pupil coronagraph with and without an apodizer. We apply our method to correct the transmitted wavefront of the HiCAT (High contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes) coronagraphic testbed. This correction requires a series of calibration steps, which we describe. The correction improves the system wavefront from 16 nm RMS to 3.0 nm RMS for the case where a uniform circular aperture is in place. We further measure the wavefront with the apodizer in place to be 11.7 nm RMS. Improvement to the apodized pupil phase retrieval process is necessary before a correction based on this measurement can be applied.
The goal of the High-contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT) testbed is to demonstrate coronagraphic starlight suppression solutions for future segmented aperture space telescopes such as the Large UV, Optical, IR telescope (LUVOIR) mission concept being studied by NASA. The testbed design has the flexibility to enable studies with increasing complexity for telescope aperture geometries starting with off-axis telescopes, then on-axis telescopes with central obstruction and support structures. The testbed implements the Apodized Pupil Lyot Coronagraph (APLC) optimized for the HiCAT aperture, which is similar to one of the possible geometries considered for LUVOIR. Wavefront can be controlled using continuous deformable mirrors, and wavefront sensing is performed using the imaging camera, or a dedicated phase retrieval camera, and also in a low-order wavefront sensing arm. We present a progress update of the testbed in particular results using two deformable mirror control to produce high-contrast dark zone, and preliminary results using the testbed’s low order Zernike wavefront sensor.
Segmented telescopes are a possible approach to enable large-aperture space telescopes for the direct imaging and spectroscopy of habitable worlds. However, the increased complexity of their aperture geometry, due to the central obstruction, support structures and segment gaps, makes high-contrast imaging very challenging. The High-contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT) testbed was designed to study and develop solutions for such telescope pupils using wavefront control and coronagraphic starlight suppression. The testbed design has the flexibility to enable studies with increasing complexity for telescope aperture geometries starting with off-axis telescopes, then on-axis telescopes with central obstruction and support structures - e.g. the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) - up to on-axis segmented telescopes, including various concepts for a Large UV, Optical, IR telescope (LUVOIR). In the past year, HiCAT has made significant hardware and software updates in order to accelerate the development of the project. In addition to completely overhauling the software that runs the testbed, we have completed several hardware upgrades, including the second and third deformable mirror, and the first custom Apodized Pupil Lyot Coronagraph (APLC) optimized for the HiCAT aperture, which is similar to one of the possible geometries considered for LUVOIR. The testbed also includes several external metrology features for rapid replacement of parts, and in particular the ability to test multiple apodizers readily, an active tip-tilt control system to compensate for local vibration and air turbulence in the enclosure. On the software and operations side, the software infrastructure enables 24/7 automated experiments that include routine calibration tasks and high-contrast experiments. In this communication we present an overview and status update of the project, both on the hardware and software side, and describe the results obtained with APLC wavefront control.
High contrast imaging using coronagraphy is one of the main avenues to enable the search for life on extrasolar Earth analogs. The HiCAT testbed aims to demonstrate coronagraphy and wavefront control for segmented on-axis space telescopes as envisioned for a future large UV optical IR mission (LUVOIR). Our software infrastructure enables 24/7 automated operation of high-contrast imaging experiments while monitoring for safe operating parameters, along with graceful shutdown processes for unsafe conditions or unexpected errors. The infrastructure also includes a calibration suite that can run nightly to catch regressions and track optical per- formance changes over time, and a testbed simulator to support software development and testing, as well as optical modeling necessary for high-contrast algorithms. This paper presents a design and implementation of testbed control software to leverage continuous integration whether the testbed is available or not.
KEYWORDS: Wavefronts, James Webb Space Telescope, Monochromatic aberrations, Point spread functions, Wavefront sensors, Mirrors, Cameras, Space telescopes, Telescopes, Phase retrieval
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Simulation Testbed (JOST) is a hardware simulator for wavefront sensing and control designed to produce JWST-like images. A model of the JWST three mirror anastigmat is realized with three lenses in the form of a Cooke triplet, which provides JWST-like optical quality over a field equivalent to a NIRCam module. An Iris AO hexagonally segmented mirror stands in for the JWST primary. This setup successfully produces images extremely similar to expected JWST in- ight point spread functions (PSFs), and NIRCam images from cryotesting, in terms of the PSF morphology and sampling relative to the diffraction limit. The segmentation of the primary mirror into subapertures introduces complexity into wavefront sensing and control (WFSandC) of large space based telescopes like JWST. JOST provides a platform for independent analysis of WFSandC scenarios for both commissioning and maintenance activities on such observatories. We present an update of the current status of the testbed including both single field and wide-field alignment results. We assess the optical quality of JOST over a wide field of view to inform the future implementation of different wavefront sensing algorithms including the currently implemented Linearized Algorithm for Phase Diversity (LAPD). JOST complements other work at the Makidon Laboratory at the Space Telescope Science Institute, including the High-contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes (HiCAT) testbed, that investigates coronagraphy for segmented aperture telescopes. Beyond JWST we intend to use JOST for WFSandC studies for future large segmented space telescopes such as LUVOIR.
We discuss the use of parametric phase-diverse phase retrieval as an in-situ high-fidelity wavefront measurement method to characterize and optimize the transmitted wavefront of a high-contrast coronagraphic instrument. We apply our method to correct the transmitted wavefront of the HiCAT (High contrast imager for Complex Aperture Telescopes) coronagraphic testbed. This correction requires a series of calibration steps, which we describe. The correction improves the system wavefront from 16 nm RMS to 3.0 nm RMS.
We design and fabricate arrays of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) to realize neutral atom micro-traps for
quantum computing. We initialize a single atom at each site of an array of optical tweezer traps for a customized
spatial configuration. Each optical trapping volume is tailored to ensure only one or zero trapped atoms.
Specifically designed DOEs can define an arbitrary optical trap array for initialization and improve collection
efficiency in readout by introducing high-numerical aperture, low-profile optical elements into the vacuum
environment.
We will discuss design and fabrication details of ultra-fast collection DOEs integrated monolithically and coaxially
with tailored DOEs that establish an optical array of micro-traps through far-field propagation. DOEs, as mode
converters, modify the lateral field at the front focal plane of an optical assembly and transform it to the desired field
pattern at the back focal plane of the optical assembly. We manipulate the light employing coherent or incoherent
addition with judicious placement of phase and amplitude at the lens plane. This is realized through a series of
patterning, etching, and depositing material on the lens substrate. The trap diameter, when this far-field propagation
approach is employed, goes as 2.44λF/#, where the F/# is the focal length divided by the diameter of the lens
aperture. The 8-level collection lens elements in this presentation are, to our knowledge, the fastest diffractive
elements realized; ranging from F/1 down to F/0.025.
For practical quantum computing, it will be necessary to detect the fluorescence from trapped ions using microscale ion
trap chips. We describe the first design, fabrication and assembly of a set of diffractive optics for intimate integration
into the trap chip and for coupling this fluorescence into multimode fibers. The design is complicated by the constraints
of the ion trap environment. In addition, the choice of available materials is restricted to those compatible with ultrahigh
vacuum. The completed optics-ion trap assembly has successfully demonstrated ion trapping, as well as ion shuttling,
with no necessary modifications to the trapping and shuttling voltage levels.
Phase retrieval is a promising method for optical system and surface metrology that makes use of intensity
measurements of diffraction patterns. An iterative algorithm is used to solve the inverse problem to find the phase of the
field producing the measured intensity distributions. For practical reasons, such as the reduction of coherent artifacts or
to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the measured data, it is often desirable to measure intensity distributions using
broadband illumination. It is possible to perform phase retrieval with broadband data by incorporating a broadband
model of the system into the phase retrieval algorithm. To do this, the system is modeled at several discrete wavelengths
and the results from each are summed incoherently to produce a broadband result. This significantly increases the
computational load. We show here that when aberrations are small, accurate estimates of the OPD distribution, on the
level of &lgr;/1000 RMS error, can be achieved using data with bandwidth up to about 10% as the input to a phase retrieval
algorithm that assumes monochromatic data.
Phase retrieval can be useful in the measurement of optical surfaces and systems. It distinguishes itself through the simplicity of the experimental apparatus, just a detector array which collects light near a focal plane. Aspherics can be measured without null optics. The challenging part of the method is the estimation of the wavefront from the near-focus intensity measurements to reconstruct the wavefront.
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