Astrocomb development for the ELT: enhancing capability with a modern laser platform

ELT 的 Astrocomb 开发：利用现代激光平台增强能力

• 批准号: ST/W005468/1
• 负责人: Derryck Reid
• 金额: $ 14.03万
• 依托单位: Heriot-Watt University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FW005468%2F1
• 关键词: Astrocomb; development; ELT; enhancing; capability

This proposal aims to secure capital funding needed to support the continued development of laser frequency comb (LFC) technologies at Heriot-Watt University, which are needed for ultra-precise calibration of spectrographs in the next generation of new telescopes, such as the ELT. Specifically, the equipment will support research on E-ELT PPRP grant ST/S001328/1 ("The UK ELT Programme") and consortium grant ST/V000403/1 ("Precision Astronomical Spectrographs using Single-Mode Photonic Technologies"). Heriot-Watt's LFC architecture is based around a single ultrafast Ti:sapphire laser. This laser produces "ultrafast" laser pulses with durations of around 30 femtoseconds and with a repetition frequency of 1 GHz. These pulses serve as the pump source for a number of beamlines for wavelength down-conversion, visible- and near-infrared broadband supercontinuum generation, Fabry-Pérot étalon comb filtering and comb metrology / delivery. For nearly ten years, our astrocomb development has been based around an open-box Ti:sapphire laser, with limited output power, and now requiring time-consuming maintenance and realignment. For these reasons it is now poorly suited to the increasingly complex downstream systems that we are developing as a Phase B pilot for the UK ELT programme and in other wider research exploring new, robust astrocomb configurations.This single-item equipment bid is for a modern replacement laser offering 50% greater power (allowing the beam to be split across a greater number of beamlines) in a sealed zero-maintenance unit. Not only will this laser dramatically increase our productivity by avoiding many cumulative weeks of maintenance, but it is identical to the unit which is currently our laser platform of choice for adoption in the ELT-HIRES calibration unit, which requires a sealed, zero-maintenance and fully automatable laser source.Our proposal meets the assessment criteria in the following ways:(A) Strategic value within the STFC programmeThe requested laser will directly enhance research and development of basic astrocomb technologies, that must be deployed in around 10 years' time on telescopes such as the ELT. The UK (Cambridge, Durham, UKATC, Heriot-Watt) has a significant strategic role in the Italian-led ELT-HIRES spectrograph development, on which an astrocomb is needed for ultra-precise wavelength calibration. This equipment request will ensure that the UK continues to play an important role in the hardware development for the calibration of the ELT-HIRES spectrograph.(B) TimelinessAs the letter of support from Laser Quantum (Novanta) confirms, the equipment can be commissioned by 31 March 2022 as required in the conditions of the grant. Notably, projects ST/S001328/1 and ST/V000403/1 will have lifetimes of between one and three years from this date, and so the equipment will have the potential to enhance and accelerate the research programmes supported by these grants.

该提案旨在确保赫瑞瓦特大学持续开发激光频率梳（LFC）技术所需的资金，该技术是 ELT 等下一代新型望远镜中摄谱仪超精密校准所必需的。具体来说，该设备将支持 E-ELT PPRP 拨款 ST/S001328/1（“英国 ELT 计划”）和财团拨款 ST/V000403/1 的研究（“使用单模光子技术的精密天文摄谱仪”）赫瑞瓦特的 LFC 架构基于单个超快钛蓝宝石激光器，该激光器产生持续时间约为 30 飞秒、重复频率为 100 飞秒的“超快”激光脉冲。 1 GHz。这些脉冲用作波长下转换、可见光和近红外宽带超连续谱的许多光束线的泵浦源。近十年来，我们的星梳开发一直基于开箱钛蓝宝石激光器，输出功率有限，现在需要耗时的维护和重新对准。由于这些原因，它现在不太适合日益复杂的下游系统，我们正在为英国 ELT 项目开发 B 阶段试点，并在其他更广泛的研究中探索新的、强大的星体梳配置。这种单项设备投标是在密封的零维护单元中提供 50% 更大功率（允许光束在更多数量的光束线中分裂）的现代替代激光器，该激光器不仅可以通过避免数周的累积维护来显着提高我们的生产力。 ，但它与目前我们选择在 ELT-HIRES 校准装置中采用的激光平台相同，后者需要密封、零维护和完全自动化的激光源。我们的提案在以下方面满足评估标准:(A) 战略价值STFC 计划中所需的激光器将直接加强基本天体梳技术的研究和开发，该技术必须在大约 10 年内部署在英国（剑桥、达勒姆、UKATC、赫瑞瓦特）等望远镜上。在意大利主导的 ELT-HIRES 摄谱仪开发中发挥着战略作用，该摄谱仪需要使用天文梳进行超精密波长校准，这一设备需求将确保英国继续在该摄谱仪的硬件开发中发挥重要作用。 ELT-HIRES 摄谱仪的校准。(B) 及时性Laser Quantum (Novanta) 的支持信确认，该设备可以按照拨款条件的要求在 2022 年 3 月 31 日之前投入使用。值得注意的是，项目 ST/S001328/。自此日期起，ST/V000403/1 和 ST/V000403/1 的使用寿命将为一到三年，因此这些设备将有潜力增强和加速研究项目得到这些赠款的支持。