Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Infrared avalanche photodiode (APD) arrays represent a panacea for many branches of astronomy by enabling extremely low-noise, high-speed, and even photon-counting measurements at near-infrared wavelengths. We recently demonstrated the use of an early engineering-grade infrared APD array that achieves a correlated double sampling read noise of 0.73 e − in the lab, and a total noise of 2.52 e − on sky, and supports simultaneous high-speed imaging and tip-tilt wavefront sensing with the Robo-AO visible-light laser adaptive optics (AO) system at the Palomar Observatory 1.5 m telescope. Here we report on the improved image quality simultaneously achieved at visible and infrared wavelengths by using the array as part of an image stabilization control loop with AO-sharpened guide stars. We also discuss a newly enabled survey of nearby late M-dwarf multiplicity, as well as future uses of this technology in other AO and high-contrast imaging applications.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Authors: Christoph Baranec, Dani Atkinson, Reed Riddle, Donald Hall, Shane Jacobson, Nicholas M. Law, Mark Chun
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: A near-infrared science and tip-tilt camera for Robo-AO, CAMERA - A Compact Affordable MEMS based Rayleigh Adaptive Optics System for 2m class telescopes, CCAO-Cam: A Remote-Access, Dual-Band (Optical/NIR) Adaptive Optics System for the Table Mountain 1-meter telescope, THE HIGH QUANTUM EFFICIENCY AND VERY LOW DARK CURRENT, TOGETHER WITH THE ABILITY TO SET THE WAVELENGTH CUTOFF FROM ONE TO FAR BEYOND 5.5 MICRONS, OF, THIS PROPOSAL CONCERNS THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MERCURY CADMIUM TELLURIDE (HGCDTE) AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE (APD) ARRAY FOR USE AS A LOW-NOISE S, Linear Avalanche HgCdTe Arrays for Photon Counting AO Wavefront Sensing
OpenAlex ID: W1949947937