Description du projet
Les «astro-peignes» à microrésonateur pourraient donner un coup de fouet à la recherche d’exoplanètes habitables
Le projet STARCHIP, financé par l’UE, développe un nouveau type de peigne de fréquence laser susceptible d’améliorer la manière dont les scientifiques recherchent des exoplanètes habitables. Les peignes de fréquence laser produisent des raies spectrales de lumière avec des fréquences uniformément espacées qui peuvent aider à observer de minuscules décalages de longueur d’onde dans les spectres optiques des étoiles hôtes des exoplanètes. Il est toutefois extrêmement difficile d’obtenir ce type de spectre de peigne de fréquence avec des raies séparables. La nouvelle classe d’astro-peignes de STARCHIP, reposant sur des micro-résonateurs à puce photonique, donnera des spectres à large bande avec des raies séparables, sur une plage potentielle de longueurs d’onde allant du visible à l’infrarouge moyen, permettant ainsi de surmonter les principales difficultés inhérentes à la génération d’astro-peignes.
Objectif
Without doubt, one of the most intriguing questions in modern astronomy is whether habitable planets, potentially supporting life, exist outside our solar system. In the upcoming era of large aperture astronomical telescopes and highly stable spectrometers, answering these questions is for the first time a tangible possibility. Successfully finding answers to these questions will, however, critically rely on non-incremental advances in astronomical instrumentation. The objective of the proposed research is, developing and demonstrating novel photonic-chip laser frequency combs to support the revolutionary advances in astronomical precision spectroscopy required to enable detection and characterization of habitable Earth-like planets.
Habitable exo-planets can be discovered by observing minute wavelength-shifts in the optical spectra of their host stars. These wavelength-shifts are so small that exquisitely accurate and precise wavelength-calibration of astronomical spectrometers is required. It has been recognized that laser frequency combs (LFCs), broadband spectra of laser-lines with absolutely-known optical frequencies, can provide the required level of precision, provided the LFC’s lines can be resolved by the spectrometer. Generating such frequency comb spectra (“astrocombs�) with resolvable lines remains, however, exceedingly challenging.
Here, we will develop and demonstrate a novel class of photonic-chip microresonator-based astrocombs that can naturally provide broadband spectra of resolvable lines, potentially from visible to mid-infrared wavelengths, thereby overcoming key challenges in astrocomb generation. In order to achieve this goal we will pursue radically different microresonator designs and new nonlinear optical regimes in order to overcome long-standing limitation in microresonator physics. The developed astrocombs will not only be pivotal to astronomy but indeed can directly and profoundly impact the way we transfer data, monitor our environm
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
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Régime de financement
ERC-STG - Starting GrantInstitution d’accueil
22607 Hamburg
Allemagne