A Broadband Scalar Vortex Coronagraph

Abstract

Broadband coronagraphy with deep nulling and small inner working angle has the potential of delivering images and spectra of exoplanets and other faint objects. In recent years, many coronagraphic schemes have been proposed, the most promising being the optical vortex phase mask coronagraphs. In this paper, a new scheme of broadband optical scalar vortex coronagraph is proposed and characterized experimentally in the laboratory. Our setup employs a pair of computer generated phase gratings (one of them containing a singularity) to control the chromatic dispersion of phase plates and achieves a constant peak-to-peak attenuation below $1\cdot 10^{-3}$ over a bandwidth of 120 nm centered at 700 nm. An inner working angle of ~\lambda/D is demonstrated along with a raw contrast of 11.5 magnitudes at 2\lambda/D.