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Completed TRL 3 (started at 3, targeting 3)
To enable direct imaging of exoplanets in the future, the top priority of the Habitable Worlds observatory, two fundamental limitations affecting the telescope - diffraction and optical aberrations need to be addressed. While coronagraphs can solve the diffraction problem, time-varying optical aberrations degrade their starlight suppression capabilities. Advanced wavefront sensing and control (WFS&C) using deformable mirrors (DMs) can enable imaging of Earth-like planets around solar-type stars. This proposal aims to test a novel DM technology that serves as an imaging element in the instrument, reducing instrument footprint and improving performance by addressing a critical technology gap area for future spaceborne coronagraph instruments.
The proposed work is directly relevant to NASA’s hunt for exoplanets and search for the possibility of extraterrestrial life. If successful, the work proposed here will have a significant impact on coronagraph missions for direct imaging of Earth analogues. It would be useful for Habitable Words Observatory.
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