BLUVES: calibrating astronomical spectrographs in the UV with laser frequency combs

Tobias Schmidt; Markus Ludwig; Furkan Ayhan; Thibault Wildi; Thibault Voumard; Roman Blum; Zhichao Ye; François Wildi; Francesco Alfonso Pepe; Mahmoud Gaafar; Ewelina Obrzud; Davide Grassani; François Moreau; Bruno Chazelas; Rico Sottile; Victor Torres Company; Sylvain Karlen; Steve Lecomte; Victor Brasch; Luis Guillermo Villanueva; François Bouchy; Tobias Herr

doi:10.1117/12.3020169

19 July 2024 BLUVES: calibrating astronomical spectrographs in the UV with laser frequency combs

Tobias Schmidt, Markus Ludwig, Furkan Ayhan, Thibault Wildi, Thibault Voumard, Roman Blum, Zhichao Ye, François Wildi, Francesco Alfonso Pepe, Mahmoud Gaafar, Ewelina Obrzud, Davide Grassani, François Moreau, Bruno Chazelas, Rico Sottile, Victor Torres Company, Sylvain Karlen, Steve Lecomte, Victor Brasch, Luis Guillermo Villanueva, François Bouchy, Tobias Herr

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13096, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy X; 130961J (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020169
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

Precise and accurate wavelength calibration of spectrographs is essential for key science cases, e.g. the search for extrasolar planets, a possible variation of fundamental constants and the direct observation of cosmic expansion. A crucial tool for this are laser frequency combs (LFCs), directly linking the accuracy of atomic clocks to optical laser lines. However, strong material dispersion and large spectral separation from the established infrared laser oscillators so far prevent the use of LFCs for spectrograph calibration in the blue and UV part of the spectrum. At OHP/SOPHIE, we demonstrated for the first time the calibration of an astronomical spectrograph using an astrocomb in the ultraviolet spectral range below 400nm. Key technology used were nano-fabricated, periodically-poled waveguides in lithium niobate photonic chips, fed by either a robust infrared electro-optic comb generator or a chip-integrated microresonator comb. In an end-to-end test, we could demonstrate stable and accurate LFC-based spectrograph calibration, showcasing a viable path towards precision wavelength calibration of spectrographs in the ultraviolet, crucial e.g. for the future ELT/ANDES.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Tobias Schmidt, Markus Ludwig, Furkan Ayhan, Thibault Wildi, Thibault Voumard, Roman Blum, Zhichao Ye, François Wildi, Francesco Alfonso Pepe, Mahmoud Gaafar, Ewelina Obrzud, Davide Grassani, François Moreau, Bruno Chazelas, Rico Sottile, Victor Torres Company, Sylvain Karlen, Steve Lecomte, Victor Brasch, Luis Guillermo Villanueva, François Bouchy, and Tobias Herr "BLUVES: calibrating astronomical spectrographs in the UV with laser frequency combs", Proc. SPIE 13096, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy X, 130961J (19 July 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020169

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