Combination Of Interferometer Research Articles

Probing the physics of star formation (ProPStar)

Context. Turbulence is a key component of molecular cloud structure. It is usually described by a cascade of energy down to the dissipation scale. The power spectrum for subsonic incompressible turbulence is ∝k−5/3, while for supersonic turbulence it is ∝k−2. Aims. We determine the power spectrum in an actively star-forming molecular cloud, from parsec scales down to the expected magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave cutoff (dissipation scale). Methods. We analyzed observations of the nearby NGC 1333 star-forming region in three different tracers to cover the different scales from ∼10 pc down to 20 mpc. The largest scales are covered with the low-density gas tracer 13CO (1–0) obtained with a single dish, the intermediate scales are covered with single-dish observations of the C18O (3–2) line, while the smallest scales are covered in H13CO+ (1–0) and HNC (1–0) with a combination of NOEMA interferometer and IRAM 30m single-dish observations. The complementarity of these observations enables us to generate a combined power spectrum covering more than two orders of magnitude in spatial scale. Results. We derive the power spectrum in an active star-forming region spanning more than 2 decades of spatial scales. The power spectrum of the intensity maps shows a single power-law behavior, with an exponent of 2.9 ± 0.1 and no evidence of dissipation. Moreover, there is evidence that the power spectrum of the ions to have more power at smaller scales than the neutrals, which is opposite to the theoretical expectations. Conclusions. We show new possibilities for studying the dissipation of energy at small scales in star-forming regions provided by interferometric observations.

A 3-D Near-Field Source Localization Approach Based on the Combination of a Phase Interferometer, the Centroid Algorithm and the Perpendicular Foot Algorithm.

In this study, several 3-dimensional (3-D) parameter estimation and localization algorithms for wireless near-field (NF) sources are proposed employing the uniform circular array (UCA) structure. In the single-base-station case, the algebraic relation is demonstrated between the azimuth angle under the far-field (FF) assumption and the actual NF source firstly. Secondly, two groups of antenna pairs are selected with distances less than half the wavelength, which are called short baselines in the interferometer method. The foregoing short-baseline method is qualified to localize an NF source. In addition, a long-baseline method is also proposed with further research. Two groups of antenna pairs with distances greater than half the wavelength are selected as two long baselines. In the multiple-base-stations case, another two novel algorithms are also proposed. The first one is the centroid algorithm, which is based on the centroid calculation of three estimated source locations. And the second one is the perpendicular foot algorithm, which takes the perpendicular foot within three estimated source locations as the final positioning location. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed algorithms can achieve higher localization accuracy than the conventional 3-D Root MUSIC method. Moreover, the long-baseline method performs better than the short-baseline method. And it is also shown that the proposed perpendicular foot algorithm shows better performance than the proposed centroid algorithm.

Simulated analogues II: a new methodology for non-parametric matching of models to observations

ABSTRACT Star formation is a multiscale problem, and only global simulations that account for the connection from the molecular cloud-scale gas flow to the accreting protostar can reflect the observed complexity of protostellar systems. Star-forming regions are characterized by supersonic turbulence, and as a result, it is not possible to simultaneously design models that account for the larger environment and in detail reproduce observed stellar systems. Instead, the stellar inventories can be matched statistically, and the best matches found that approximate specific observations. Observationally, a combination of single-dish telescopes and interferometers are now able to resolve the nearest protostellar objects on all scales from the protostellar core to the inner $10\, \mathrm{au}$. We present a new non-parametric methodology which uses high-resolution simulations and post-processing methods to match simulations and observations using deep learning. Our goal is to perform a down-selection from large data sets of synthetic images to a ranked list of best-matching candidates with respect to the observation. This is particularly useful for binary and multiple stellar systems that form in turbulent environments. The objective is to accelerate the rate at which we can do such comparisons, remove biases from hand-picking matches, and contribute to identifying the underlying physical processes that drive the creation and evolution of observed protostellar systems.

A novel direct detection lidar compatible with software-defined radio

This paper proposes a novel direct detection lidar compatible with software-defined radio, which can effectively absorb the advantages of radio frequency technology. The radio frequency signal is firstly loaded onto the output light of the lidar through a fiber phase modulator and then demodulated from its backward reflected light through a combination of fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer and photodetector. The generation of the transmitting radio frequency signal and the sampling and processing of the receiving radio frequency signal are completed by a software-defined radio. Theoretically, it has been proven that the range and velocity of the target cause phase delay and Doppler frequency shift of the radio frequency signal loaded on the lidar, just like using the radio frequency signal to directly detect the target in radar. In the experiment, by programming the software-defined radio, the ranging and velocimetry algorithms of radar have been applied to this lidar. The theoretical and experimental results indicate that the lidar proposed in this paper has software definable characteristics. Through programming, different functions can be achieved, and in the future, more advanced algorithms of radar can be easily transplanted to further improve its performance.

Analysis and simulation of the effect of large optical range difference of common path coherent-dispersion spectrometer on the detection of exoplanet radial velocities

The Exoplanet Explorer common-path coherent-dispersion spectrometer (CODES) utilizes a unique combination of an asymmetric common path Sagnac interferometer and a low to medium resolution spectrometer. The ideal optical range difference (OPD) interval for CODES is OPD ∈ {15.06 mm, 19.45 mm}; however, the OPD of CODES is 64.3 mm to achieve better detection accuracy. Though they will increase the accuracy of detection, large OPDs outside of the ideal interval will also reduce the contrast of the interference fringes, making phase changes more hazy. This may also significantly affect the radial velocity inversion and reduce CODES's instrumental accuracy. This study creates an inverse tone mapping operator based on the photographic model and designs an inverse tone mapping algorithm called CODESCE. The outcomes of the experiments demonstrate that the tone mapping algorithm CODESCE in this work is appropriate for enhancing the contrast of interference fringe images with high OPD, and it can enhance the contrast of interference fringes by three orders of magnitude when OPD = 64.3 mm; the processed interference fringes are located in the range of interference fringe curves of the optimal OPD. By comparison with other current approaches, the suggested algorithm yields superior processing outcomes.

Fabry-Perot parallel type high sensitivity fiber optic temperature sensor based on vernier effect beyond free spectral range measurement

Accurate detection of temperature is crucial in industry, agriculture, the military, etc. In our paper, using the vernier effect of fiber optic interference, we demonstrate a temperature sensoru, in parallel with a grating, to improve the sensitivity of the probe while expanding the measurement range. The probe consists of a combination of a temperature-sensitive polymer Fabry-Perot interferometer (SFPI) and a temperature-insensitive 3D printed reference Fabry-Perot interferometer (RFPI). The innovative combination of femtosecond-induced two-photon polymerization provides a reference cavity with determinable cavity length for vernier effects. Innovative use of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for vernier effect to determine the temperature interval and extend the range. This experiment concluded that the average sensitivity of the parallel probe reached −22.52 nm/°C in the temperature detection interval of 31°C to 37°C, a 16.8-fold increase in sensitivity, based on which the temperature outside the six free spectral ranges (FSR) can be measured in the interval of 31°C to 51°C using the FBG.

Combination of XEOL, TR-XEOL and HB-T interferometer at the TPS 23A X-ray nanoprobe for exploring quantum materials.

In this study, a combination of X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL), time-resolved XEOL (TR-XEOL) and the Hanbury-Brown and Twiss (HB-T) interferometer at the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) 23A X-ray nanoprobe beamline for exploring quantum materials is demonstrated. On the basis of the excellent spatial resolution rendered using a nano-focused beam, emission distributions of artificial micro-diamonds can be obtained by XEOL maps, and featured emission peaks of a selected local area can be obtained by XEOL spectra. The hybrid bunch mode of the TPS not only provides a sufficiently high peak power density for experiments at each beamline but also permits high-quality temporal domain (∼200 ns) measurements for investigating luminescence dynamics. From TR-XEOL measurements, the decay lifetime of micro-diamonds is determined to be approximately 16 ns. Furthermore, the XEOL spectra of artificial micro-diamonds can be investigated by the HB-T interferometer to identify properties of single-photon sources. The unprecedented strategy of combining XEOL, TR-XEOL and the HB-T interferometer at the X-ray nanoprobe beamline will open new avenues with significant characterization abilities for unraveling the emission mechanisms of single-photon sources for quantum materials.

Fiber-connectorized ultrafast-laser-inscribed K-band integrated optics beam combiner for the CHARA telescope array.

A fiber-connectorized K-band integrated-optics two-telescope beam combiner was developed for long-baseline interferometry at the CHARA telescope array utilizing the ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) technique. Single-mode waveguide insertion losses were measured to be ∼1.1d B over the 2-2.3µm window. The development of asymmetric directional couplers enabled the construction of a beam combiner that includes a 50:50 coupler for interferometric combination and two ∼75:25 couplers for photometric calibration. The visibility of the bare beam combiner was measured at 87% and then at 82% after fiber-connectorization by optimizing the input polarization. These results indicate that ULI technique can fabricate efficient fiber-connectorized K-band beam combiners for astronomical purposes.

Intensity correlation holography for remote phase sensing and 3D imaging.

Holography is an established technique for measuring the wavefront of optical signals through interferometric combination with a reference wave. Conventionally the integration time of a hologram is limited by the interferometer coherence time, thus making it challenging to prepare holograms of remote objects, especially using weak illumination. Here, we circumvent this limitation by using intensity correlation interferometry. Although the exposure time of individual holograms must be shorter than the interferometer coherence time, we show that any number of randomly phase-shifted holograms can be combined into a single intensity-correlation hologram. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we use this technique to perform phase imaging and 3D reconstruction of an object at a ∼3 m distance using weak illumination and without active phase stabilization.

Simultaneous flow measurement and deformation tracking for passive flow control experiments involving fluid–structure interactions

Fluid–structure interactions (FSI) on highly flexible structures involve large deformations and require specific techniques for a thorough investigation of the flow field and structural deformation. To this purpose, a physics-informed method is introduced that allows for simultaneous determination of the flow fields and the structural deformation by using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) raw images. The method combines apriori knowledge of the mechanical characteristics of the flexible structure with classical image processing techniques for segmentation. PIV recordings of an actively pitched, highly deformable hydrodynamic profile experiment in a closed water tunnel serve as an example case. To achieve accurate results, the contour obtained from image segmentation is further defined under the assumption that its flexure can be described with the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory model. This makes it possible to determine the neutral fiber of the structure and the final reconstruction becomes possible from knowledge of the original geometry. The resulting procedure allows for a recognition of the structure itself and is suitable for cross-section deformation measurements and for masking of the structure in the raw images to improve the PIV processing. A test case comprising synthetic data similar to the application with a modeled profile geometry of known shape is used to investigate the accuracy of the method and its validity for deformation measurements. Under conditions of cyclic dynamic stall, a mean absolute error of 0.84° could be reached, with a deterioration up to 2° mean absolute error under static stall. The method has a major advantage compared to other technically more sophisticated and complex methods, such as the combination of Laser interferometers combined with Laser-Doppler Anemometry: the method allows for the usage of a single data source for both, fluid and solid in a unified measurement method. Therefore a direct comparison of instantaneous flow field and deformation is possible. In consequence it is in particular useful for highly dynamic multi-physical processes involving extreme deformations, such as passive flow control and soft actuated or flexible under water robotics.

AdpPL: An adaptive phase linking-based distributed scatterer interferometry with emphasis on interferometric pair selection optimization and adaptive regularization

The distributed scatterer (DS) interferometry (DSI) technology is a powerful geodetic tool for measuring the deformation over abundant land covers. As a state-of-the-art DSI technology, the SqueeSAR approach considered the statistical behavior of the decorrelated DS and proposed the phase triangulation algorithm (PTA) as the pioneering implementation of the phase linking (PL) theory to estimate the equivalent single-reference (ESR) phases from all interferometric combinations. Subsequently, many advanced estimators of the systematic phase series have been introduced. Interestingly, this paper has demonstrated that the utilization of weakly coherent interferometric pairs is not conducive to the theoretical accuracy improvement of the PL theory in case of the fast decorrelation scenario. Moreover, the reduction of the small baseline scales will worsen the positive definite degree of the time series coherence matrix, which makes the ill-posed solution problem more serious. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel adaptive PL (AdpPL) method integrating the following two innovations for mapping surface deformation: 1) in terms of the interferometric pair selection optimization (IPSO), this paper performs the homogeneity measure-based IPSO (HoMeIPSO) method to remove the lowly coherent candidate subset progressively and select the moderate interferometric pairs adaptively; 2) in terms of the robust parameter estimation, an adaptive regularization (AdpReg) approach suggests selecting an optimal damping factor according to the minimum fitting error of all interferogram observables. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can restore the systematic phase series more clearly and detect the deformation area with spatially highly dynamic characteristics successfully.

Self-calibration phase demodulation scheme for stabilization based on an auxiliary reference fiber-optic interferometer and ellipse fitting algorithm.

To solve the problem of light source jitter and asymmetric 3 × 3 coupler, a phase demodulation method with the combination of an auxiliary reference interferometer and elliptic fitting algorithm is proposed, which is verified by simulation and experiment. By introducing additional phase modulation in the auxiliary reference interferometer, the parameters of the sensing arm can be calibrated in real time, which ensures the effective operation of elliptic fitting algorithm in small signal measurement. Consequently, the experiments show that the self-calibration scheme enables a higher signal to noise and distortion ratio with an average increase of 1.65 dB and 10.47 dB compared with the traditional Arctan and cross multiplication differential, respectively. Meanwhile, the self-calibration scheme can also effectively suppress the harmonic distortion, with a total harmonic distortion of -33.64 dB in the case of small signal.

Laboratory implementation of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrograph using a super-continuum laser

Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a technique to indirectly measure the spectrum of electromagnetic wave over a broad range. The vibrational response signature will be revealed through the absorption spectrum. The super-continuum laser is the appropriate option for using as a light source of FTIR because of its broad spectral bandwidth and high spatial coherence, which could expand the observable region. In this work, a custom design of laboratory prototype of FTIR system using a super-continuum laser with a wavelength in the range of 1500 – 2 400 nm (6667 – 4167 cm−1) is presented. The system was designed to have a combination of monochromatic and broadband interferometers in a free space Michelson interferometer configuration. An interferogram of a monochromatic laser at 532 nm (18 797 cm−1) was used to correct the phase distortion in the interferogram of the broadband light source. The location of peaks and valleys of the monochromatic interferogram were used to resample the broadband interference signal. The resulting spectrum was analyzed and then compared to the theoretical spectrum for further performance improvements.

Even sampling photonic-integrated interferometric array for synthetic aperture imaging.

To improve the effectiveness of spatial spectrum sampling for the photonic-integrated interferometric imaging, an array forming scheme is proposed with evenly distributed interferometric baselines, which is referred to as the even sampling photonic-integrated interferometric array (ESPIA). The subaperture array of ESPIA is configured as equi-spaced concentric rings. The subaperture beams are coupled and transmitted to the photonic integrated circuit through fiber optic channels and paired into baselines by the interferometric beam combination. The characteristics of ESPIA are analyzed with the discrete modulation transfer function (D-MTF) and multi-resolution mutual information (MR-MI). The simulation results show that it can realize the even sampling coverage of spatial spectrum effectively. With the same scale of synthetic aperture and subaperture array, it can also improve the capabilities of information acquisition for the interferometric array.

JPPL: A joint-polarization phase linking algorithm for phase optimization of TSPolInSAR data

• As a new polarimetric optimization, the joint-polarization phase linking (JPPL) is proposed to improve the phase quality. • The used joint diagonalization can extract the ESM phases from multi-polarimetric time-series coherence matrices. • Simulated experiment analyzes the interferometric phase quality of the HH, ESPO, and JPPL algorithms quantitatively. • Real experiment demonstrates that the proposed method reduces the speckle noise and restores the interferometric phase. In the time-series interferometric SAR (TSInSAR) technology, the phase linking (PL) algorithm can exploit all interferometric combinations to reconstruct the equivalent single master (ESM) interferograms for the phase quality improvement. According to the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for PL, besides the number of spatial samples, the time-series coherence magnitude matrix determines the reconstruction performance of the ESM phases. With the abundance of time-series polarimetric SAR data, many polarimetric optimization algorithms for distributed scatterer (DS) have been introduced, mainly the averaged coherence magnitude maximization-based exhaustive search polarimetric optimization (ESPO) algorithm. However, traditional polarimetric optimization algorithms cannot work satisfactorily because of the unstable statistical characteristics. Similarly, the multi-temporal observations of each polarimetric channel contain interferometric information. From the perspective of redundant observation, introducing full-polarization information can increase the number of observations significantly. Therefore, based on the PL theory and the polarimetric optimization, this paper proposes to perform the joint diagonalization method to simultaneously extract the ESM interferometric phases of interest from three time-series coherence matrices in the Pauli basis polarizations, called the joint-polarization phase linking (JPPL) algorithm. In the experiments, the proposed JPPL algorithm can better improve the optimization performance of time-series interferometric phases of DSs than the HH and traditional ESPO algorithms in terms of speckle noise reduction and interferometric phase restoration.

High-stability PGC demodulation technique with an additional sinusoidal modulation based on an auxiliary reference interferometer and EFA.

In the reference interferometer demodulation scheme, it's difficult to guarantee in practice that both interferometers have the same optical path length difference (OPD), which makes the phase modulation depth different in different interferometers with the same laser modulation. The random shift of phase modulation depth also affects the demodulation results. An improved phase-generated carrier (PGC) technique is proposed based on an auxiliary reference interferometer and the ellipse fitting algorithm (EFA). The technique ensures the correct fitting of the EFA for small amplitude signals by introducing a sinusoidal signal as an additional phase modulation. The combination of the reference interferometer and EFA can eliminate the effect of different phase modulation depths of the two interferometers caused by different OPDs, the non-linear distortion caused by phase modulation depth shifts, and improve the accuracy of the demodulation results. The experiment results are consistent with the theoretical analysis, and the method extends the application of the EFA in the reference interferometer phase demodulation technique.

Interferometric beam combination with a triangular tricoupler photonic chip

Beam combiners are important components of an optical/infrared astrophysical interferometer, with many variants as to how to optimally combine two or more beams of light to fringe-track and obtain the complex fringe visibility. One such method is the use of an integrated optics chip that can instantaneously provide the measurement of visibility without temporal or spatial modulation of the optical path. Current asymmetric planar designs are complex, resulting in a throughput penalty, and so here, we present developments into a three-dimensional triangular tricoupler that can provide the required interferometric information with a simple design and only three outputs. Such a beam combiner is planned to be integrated into the upcoming Pyxis interferometer, where it can serve as a high-throughput beam combiner with a low size footprint. Results into the characterization of such a coupler are presented, highlighting a throughput of 85 ± 7 % and a flux splitting ratio between 33:33:33 and 52:31:17 over a 20% bandpass. We also show the response of the chip to changes in the optical path, obtaining an instantaneous complex visibility and group delay estimate at each input delay.

Mass distribution in the Galactic Center based on interferometric astrometry of multiple stellar orbits

Stars orbiting the compact radio source Sgr A* in the Galactic Center serve as precision probes of the gravitational field around the closest massive black hole. In addition to adaptive optics-assisted astrometry (with NACO/VLT) and spectroscopy (with SINFONI/VLT, NIRC2/Keck and GNIRS/Gemini) over three decades, we have obtained 30–100 μas astrometry since 2017 with the four-telescope interferometric beam combiner GRAVITY/VLTI, capable of reaching a sensitivity of mK = 20 when combining data from one night. We present the simultaneous detection of several stars within the diffraction limit of a single telescope, illustrating the power of interferometry in the field. The new data for the stars S2, S29, S38, and S55 yield significant accelerations between March and July 2021, as these stars pass the pericenters of their orbits between 2018 and 2023. This allows for a high-precision determination of the gravitational potential around Sgr A*. Our data are in excellent agreement with general relativity orbits around a single central point mass, M• = 4.30 × 106 M⊙, with a precision of about ±0.25%. We improve the significance of our detection of the Schwarzschild precession in the S2 orbit to 7σ. Assuming plausible density profiles, the extended mass component inside the S2 apocenter (≈0.23″ or 2.4 × 104 RS) must be ≲3000 M⊙ (1σ), or ≲0.1% of M•. Adding the enclosed mass determinations from 13 stars orbiting Sgr A* at larger radii, the innermost radius at which the excess mass beyond Sgr A* is tentatively seen is r ≈ 2.5″ ≥ 10× the apocenter of S2. This is in full harmony with the stellar mass distribution (including stellar-mass black holes) obtained from the spatially resolved luminosity function.

Detecting Rock Glacier Displacement in the Central Himalayas Using Multi-Temporal InSAR

Rock glaciers represent typical periglacial landscapes and are distributed widely in alpine mountain environments. Rock glacier activity represents a critical indicator of water reserves state, permafrost distribution, and landslide disaster susceptibility. The dynamics of rock glacier activity in alpine periglacial environments are poorly quantified, especially in the central Himalayas. Multi-temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) has been shown to be a useful technique for rock glacier deformation detection. In this study, we developed a multi-baseline persistent scatterer (PS) and distributed scatterer (DS) combined MT-InSAR method to monitor the activity of rock glaciers in the central Himalayas. In periglacial landforms, the application of the PS interferometry (PSI) method is restricted by insufficient PS due to large temporal baseline intervals and temporal decorrelation, which hinder comprehensive measurements of rock glaciers. Thus, we first evaluated the rock glacier interferometric coherence of all possible interferometric combinations and determined a multi-baseline network based on rock glacier coherence; then, we constructed a Delaunay triangulation network (DTN) by exploiting both PS and DS points. To improve the robustness of deformation parameters estimation in the DTN, we combined the Nelder–Mead algorithm with the M-estimator method to estimate the deformation rate variation at the arcs of the DTN and introduced a ridge-estimator-based weighted least square (WLR) method for the inversion of the deformation rate from the deformation rate variation. We applied our method to Sentinel-1A ascending and descending geometry data (May 2018 to January 2019) and obtained measurements of rock glacier deformation for 4327 rock glaciers over the central Himalayas, at least more than 15% detecting with single geometry data. The line-of-sight (LOS) deformation of rock glaciers in the central Himalayas ranged from −150 mm to 150 mm. We classified the active deformation area (ADA) of all individual rock glaciers with the threshold determined by the standard deviation of the deformation map. The results show that 49% of the detected rock glaciers (monitoring rate greater than 30%) are highly active, with an ADA ratio greater than 10%. After projecting the LOS deformation to the steep slope direction and classifying the rock glacier activity following the IPA Action Group guideline, 12% of the identified rock glaciers were classified as active and 86% were classified as transitional. This research is the first multi-baseline, PS, and DS network-based MT-InSAR method applied to detecting large-scale rock glaciers activity.

Probing dipole radiation from binary neutron stars with ground-based laser-interferometer and atom-interferometer gravitational-wave observatories

Atom-interferometer gravitational-wave (GW) observatory, as a new design of ground-based GW detector for the near future, is sensitive at a relatively low frequency for GW observations. Taking the proposed atom interferometer Zhaoshan Long-baseline Atom Interferometer Gravitation Antenna (ZAIGA), and its illustrative upgrade (Z+) as examples, we investigate how the atom interferometer will complement ground-based laser interferometers in testing the gravitational dipole radiation from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. A test of such kind is important for a better understanding of the strong equivalence principle laying at the heart of Einstein's general relativity. To obtain a statistically sound result, we sample BNS systems according to their merger rate and population, from which we study the expected bounds on the parameterized dipole radiation parameter $B$. Extracting BNS parameters and the dipole radiation from the combination of ground-based laser interferometers and the atom-interferometer ZAIGA/Z+, we are entitled to obtain tighter bounds on $B$ by a few times to a few orders of magnitude, compared to ground-based laser interferometers alone, ultimately reaching the levels of $|B| \lesssim 10^{-9}$ (with ZAIGA) and $|B| \lesssim 10^{-10}$ (with Z+).