CAOSP abstracts, Volume: 49, No.: 2, year: 2019

Author(s): Harris, R.J.; Anagnos, Th.; Hottinger, P.
Journal: Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnaté Pleso, vol. 49, no. 2, p. 119-124.
Date: 5/2019
Title: Astrophotonic technologies for small telescopes
Keyword(s): astronomy, photonics, astrophotonics, instrumentation, photonic lantern, spectroscopy, wavefront sensing
Pages: 119 -- 124
License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Abstract: Astrophotonics is a field combining astronomical instrumentation and photonics, with the aim of making instruments cheaper, smaller or increasing their functionality. Small telescopes are perfectly placed to take advantage of these technologies, as their size reduces the complexity of instruments. In our group at the Landessternwarte we are working on two experimental technologies that could greatly benefit spectrographs behind small telescopes. The first is photonic reformatting, akin to image slicing, but using a photonic lantern to sample the telescope point spread function. The second technology is a sensor at the focal plane of the telescope, allowing increased coupling efficiency. This sensor is composed of a 3D printed microlens array coupled to a fibre bundle. We summarise both of these devices and their potential in future small telescope instruments.