Abstract
We present an improved theoretical model to estimate the minimum fiber length required for achieving a desired degree of wavefront filtering in stellar interferometry. The proposed model is based on modal analysis of the fiber and is compared with numerical results obtained through the beam propagation method as well as with reported experimental observations. We also study the effect of introducing a spatial filter at the output end of the fiber and show that the required fiber length can be reduced significantly by introducing a circular aperture of optimum radius after the fiber.
Highlights
The search for extrasolar earth-like planets and extra-terrestrial life has garnered a lot of attention lately
It is proposed to make direct measurements of the light emitted by the planets themselves [3,4,5]. This has led to the launch of planet-finder projects like the DARWIN mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) [6] and the Terrestrial Planet Finder mission by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) [7], which aim to collect light emitted by the planets directly and perform spectroscopic analysis in order to detect signs of life-supporting elements and compounds such as oxygen, water and carbon etc
Estimating the minimum length of fiber required to achieve wavefront filtering is crucial in stellar interferometry
Summary
The search for extrasolar earth-like planets and extra-terrestrial life has garnered a lot of attention lately. It is proposed to make direct measurements of the light emitted by the planets themselves [3,4,5] This has led to the launch of planet-finder projects like the DARWIN mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) [6] and the Terrestrial Planet Finder mission by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) [7], which aim to collect light emitted by the planets directly and perform spectroscopic analysis in order to detect signs of life-supporting elements and compounds such as oxygen, water and carbon etc. Single-mode waveguides (optical fibers) are the best suited wavefront filters for this purpose [9, 11,12,13] since they can rectify all the spatial frequencies and a wide range of optical aberrations with minimal loss of photon flux over a wide range of wavelengths
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