Photonic Technologies for Astronomical Instruments

To perform astronomy, we generally require two pieces of equipment. The first is a telescope, which collects and concentrates the signal of interest from space. The second is an instrument, which analyses the properties of the signal concentrated by the telescope. The limits to the knowledge we can gain about the universe are entirely determined by the performance of these two pieces of equipment, and they are of equal importance - a good telescope with a bad instrument is of little use, and vice versa.

The performance of any instrument (e.g. sensitivity and precision) is determined and limited by the performance of the technologies that are available at the time of development. For example, if better detectors are available, instruments can be constructed that can observe fainter objects such as more distant galaxies. If more precise and stable calibration technologies are available, we can finely track small changes in the signal from a source over long time-periods, enabling us to detect small Earth-like planets, and potentially even enabling us to observe the expansion of the universe in real-time!

In order to continue to increase the performance of astronomical instruments operating in and around the optical region of the electromagnetic spectrum, we must develop new technologies that allow us to efficiently manipulate, detect and calibrate the light captured by the telescope. One option here is to exploit advanced "photonic" technologies and techniques. Photonics is the broad area of science concerned with the generation, manipulation and detection of light. Modern photonic technologies include lasers and optical fibres - technologies that have revolutionised our world. The overarching aim of this STFC Consortium Grant is to bring together a critical mass of UK experts in the fields of photonics and astronomical instrumentation, with the specific aim of securing the UK's position as a global leader in the field of "astrophotonics", and opening the way to a new generation of optical astronomical instruments with unprecedented performance.

Informed by instrumentation priorities over the coming decade, we will perform fundamental technology research in three main areas by developing:

- advanced photonic laser manufacturing techniques to fabricate monolithic glass optical sub-systems, enabling more efficient and lower cost instruments with enhanced instrument design freedom.

- versatile precision laser calibration sources that are specifically tailored to meet the demands of future astronomy, and that are suitable for widespread adoption.

- bespoke low-loss optical fibres which can be used to flexibly route light from the telescope to instruments for analysis without degrading the spatial and spectral properties of the light.

This project will lay the foundation for leading UK roles in the next generation of astronomical optical instruments. The vastly improved performance compared to current facilities will give increased scientific output, and ultimately deliver new insights to our understanding of the universe.

1. Academics
The astrophotonics community: This Consortium Grant will have a considerable impact on academics working in the field of astrophotonics. It will develop new platform technologies and capabilities and build confidence in these emerging technologies. It will also act as an beacon of how the astrophotonic and instrumentation communities can collaborate, with the astrophotonics research being pulled and informed by the future priorities of astronomical instrumentation.

The instrumentation community: This project will result in a paradigm shift in the design and construction of astronomical instruments over the coming decades. If Project 1 achieves its goals (e.g. ultrafast laser fabricated freeform image slicers, fibre coupled micro-lenses and monolithic multimode spectrometers), then the design, construction and performance of many astronomical instruments would be transformed forever. If Project 2 achieves its goals, then the ultra-precision broadband calibration of spectrographs would be a "solved" issue. If Project 3 achieves its goals, astronomical instruments that exploit optical fibres would be more efficient and more precise than ever before. Thus, it is clear that these goals will result in a significant benefit to the instrumentation community, by demonstrating new technologies that can enable better astronomical measurements. As a UK Consortium, we also foresee a particular benefit to the UK instrumentation community, who will have the leading edge in exploiting the technologies we develop.

Astronomers: As a Consortium, our long-term goal is to raise the confidence in the technologies we develop, to a sufficient level that they can be integrated into facility-class instruments. Such instruments would enable measurements of unprecedented absolute precision and sensitivity, with a clear benefit to both UK astronomers and those around the world.

The photonics community: The technologies we will demonstrate are themselves cutting-edge in the field of photonics. We therefore anticipate a benefit to researchers in the field of photonics, by demonstrating new capabilities and applications. We will engage with the photonics community through publications in appropriate journals and by giving talks at leading photonics conferences (e.g. CLEO).

2. Industry and UK PLC
This project will result in extensive opportunities for knowledge transfer, technology exchange and economic impact. As detailed in the Pathways-to-Impact document, we will ensure that opportunities for knowledge transfer and exploitation are not missed by engaging with industry through an industry-focused workshop, talks and publications at industry focused conferences (e.g. Photonics West and OFC). Intellectual property protection is key to maximise the possibilities for commercial exploitation, and IP protection decisions will be made at project review meetings. A collaboration agreement will be put in place before the project starts.

3. The Public
We see the public as direct beneficiaries, who will be enthused about astronomy and about the applications of photonic technologies in astronomical instruments. Outreach will form an important part of our impact strategy, and we will seek to engage the impact through a wide variety of routes (See Pathways-to-Impact).