Towards Innovative cost-effective astronomical instrumentation

Enabling disruptive technologies has always been crucial to trigger revolutionary science discoveries. The daring challenges in astronomy and astrophysics are extremely demanding in terms of high angular resolution and high contrast imaging, and require extreme stability and image quality. Instruments based on current classical designs tend to get bigger and more complex, and are faced to ever increasing difficulties to meet science requirements.
This proposal had the objective to propose breakthrough compact optical architectures for the next generation of giant observatories. The project focus on the niche of active components and is structured in two main research pillars to (I) enable the use of additive manufacturing (3D-printing) to produce affordable deformable mirrors for VIS or NIR observations, (II) pave the road for a common use of curved and deformable detectors. Extensive finite element analysis will allow to cover the parameter space and broad prototyping will demonstrate and characterize the performance of such devices.
Both pillars are extremely challenging, the fields of detectors and optical fabrication being driven by the market. For that we will orientate the activities towards a mass production method.
To maximize the impact of this high gain R&D, the pillars are surrounded by two transverse activities: (i) design and optimization of a new zoo of optical systems using active mirrors and flexible detectors, and (ii) build a solid plan of technology transfer to end-user industrial companies, through a patenting and licensing strategy, to maximize the financial return and then perpetuate the activities.
The pathway proposed here is mandatory to develop affordable components in the near future, and will enable compact and high performance instrumentation. These high potential activities will dramatically reduce the complexity of instruments in the era of giant observatories, simplify the operability of systems and offer increased performances.

The first pillar of the program targeted the development of new manufacturing methods for high performance mirrors, making use of the capabilities offered by the emerging 3D printing methods. This objective has been fully fulfilled with the work of a PhD student. She developed new process for the polishing of "off axis parabolas", with an utmost optical quality, in collaboration with the UK Astroonomical Technology Center in Edinburgh. This process allowed us to propose our methods to the NASA/JPL new flagship mission named "Roman Space Telescope", for which we delivered all the off axis parabolas of the exo-planet imager (coronagraphic instrument). This success, going far beyond the objectives of the ERC first pillar, allowed our LAM colleagues to be included in the Science teams of this instrument, which means they will have a direct access to the observation data once the telescope will be launched in the forthcoming years.
The second pillar of the program aimed at paving the way to a common use of curved sensors for astronomy, through a technology transfer and valorization program (WP6 of the ERC). Here again, the success of the program went far beyond the expectations we had seven years ago at time of writing. A complete manufacturing process for the production of curved sensors has been developed and protected with a "know how", know how that has been transferred to the start-up we founded in 2019. A mass production process was developed and patented in 2017 (Chambion & Hugot 2017). The first curved sensors have been produced and delivered to a Neuroscience institute, and the Curved Sensors have been selected as the baseline for two astronomical projects: the Blue-Muse instrument for the VLT and the CASTLE telescope currently under construction at Calar Alto, Spain.
We proposed novel methodologies for the design of optical systems taking into account the capabilities offered either by the use of freeform mirrors, the use of curved sensors, the use of the deformable versions of these components. It has led to a suite of scientific papers describing the novel methodologies.
On the trans-disciplinary aspects, we have been working on novel approaches for the design of Neurosciences imaging systems (for which a fully functional prototype has been delivered), and on an ESA-led project for Space survey monitoring with ultra-compact UV cameras embarked on nano satellites, for which we delivered optical designs and curved sensors prototypes.
On the knowledge and technology transfer aspects, it was the objective of WP6 and has been successfully fulfilled with the creation of a start-up which uses a know-how that we protected.
We are now engaged in the building of a full telescope (CASTLE) using freeform mirrors and curved sensors, which is currently under construction and will see its first light in 2023.
In total, the program allowed to hire three post docs, two PhD students, six research engineers and has seen several internships at the MsC level. Every single person who has been working for ICARUS found an activity afterwards either in the research, academic or industrial domain.

The activity triggered new projects:
1/ We have been selected by the EU-ATTRACT funding for the development of a curved-sensor based system for brain imaging,
2/ We have been selected in the H2020-OPTICON program for freeform mirrors metrology development and 3D printing for astronomical applications,
3/ We have been selected by ESA for the study of a UV wide-field camera for Aurora Borealis survey.
4/ We are the first to propose a simple way to produce off axis parabolas with a super-polished quality (ie a roughness lower than 5 Angstroms) and we will be the first to send stress-polished mirrors in space.
5/ Also, we are the first to propose to put curved sensors on the market. The process we developed is dedicate to mass production and its industrialization is part of the ERC-PoC program I obtained.
6/ We were able to participate to the NASA decadal survey through the study of the POLLUX instrument in the frame of the LUVOIR study, and propose the optical design of the instrument as well as the Exposure time calculator

During the project we achieved:

1/ To deliver the first off axis parabolas to the Roman Space Telescope NASA project at the Jet Propulsion Lab, and then to participate to the delivery of all the off axis parabolas of the instrument.
2/ To deliver the first commercial curved sensors.
3/ To raise a start-up dedicated to the commercialization of curved sensors for civil applications.

The first on-sky demonstration of a telescope with a curved sensors, that we will install at the Calar Alto Observatory, is planned for summer in 2023,

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - ICARUS (Towards Innovative cost-effective astronomical instrumentation)

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