arXiv subjects

Peter Delfyett

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Delfyett.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Demonstrating the integration of a photonic lantern with an all-fiber-based nulling interferometer

High-contrast imaging of Solar System scale exoplanets and protoplanets demands advancements in instrumentation to access deeper starlight suppression at smaller angular separations than today's state-of-the-art. The multi-mode to single-mode conversion capabilities of photonic lanterns (PLs) provide new avenues to implement techniques such as nulling interferometry due to the inherent spatial filtering of single-mode waveguides. In this work, we present laboratory results on an all-fiber-based focal plane nulling interferometer using off-the-shelf components operating at 1550 nm. We demonstrate the implementation of a PL for coupling light into the instrument, and compare it to the case when laser light is directly fed into the interferometer. The integration of a PL with the interferometer evidences their potential for feeding photonic-based science instruments. Additionally, we discuss expanding the concept of the instrument for the detection of accreting protoplanets.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

BACKGAMMON: A Scheme for Producing High Intensity Muon Beams for Future Colliders and Other Applications

We present a scheme for producing intense $\mu^+$ and $\mu^-$ lepton beams that could be utilized in a future muon-muon or muon-ion collider, as well as for other applications. The scheme makes use of BACKscattered GAMMas On Nucleons (BACKGAMMON). Current accelerator infrastructures could be utilized to produce the muon beams, such as the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States. We discuss the implementation of BACKGAMMON at the EIC.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2024

Laboratory demonstration of an all-fiber-based focal plane nulling interferometer

Starlight suppression techniques for High-Contrast Imaging (HCI) are crucial to achieving the demanding contrast ratios and inner working angles required for detecting and characterizing exoplanets with a wide range of masses and separations. The advent of photonic technologies provides new opportunities to control the amplitude and phase characteristics of light, with the potential to enhance and control starlight suppression. Here, we present a focal plane optical-fiber-based nulling interferometer working with commercially available components for amplitude and phase modulation. The instrument implements single-mode fiber-coupled elements: a MEMS variable optical attenuator (VOA) matches the on-axis and off-axis starlight amplitude, while a piezoelectric-driven fiber stretcher modifies the optical path difference between the channels to achieve the $\pi$ phase shift condition for destructive interference. We show preliminary lab results using a narrowband light source working at 632 nm and discuss future opportunities for testing on-sky with the Astrophotonics Advancement Platform at Lick Observatory (APALO) at the Shane 3-m Telescope.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

Second-harmonic generation in periodically-poled thin film lithium niobate wafer-bonded on silicon

Second-order optical nonlinear effects (second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation) are demonstrated in the telecommunication band by periodic poling of thin films of lithium niobate wafer-bonded on silicon substrates and rib-loaded with silicon nitride channels to attain ridge waveguide with cross-sections of ~ 2 μm2. The compactness of the waveguides results in efficient second-order nonlinear devices. A nonlinear conversion of 8% is obtained with a pulsed input in 4 mm long waveguides. The choice of silicon substrate makes the platform potentially compatible with silicon photonics, and therefore may pave the path towards on-chip nonlinear and quantum-optic applications.

physics.optics↗