用于近红外消零干涉测量的三耦合器几何结构
Tri-coupler geometries for achromatic nulling interferometry in the near-infrared
AI总结：
本文比较了三种三耦合器（锥形、标准和多模干涉耦合器）在1.5-1.8微米波段的消零干涉性能，其中锥形三耦合器实现了97%的平均系外行星吞吐量和>40dB的星光衰减，并重新设计以实现非简并传感状态。
摘要：
天体光子学是下一代天文仪器的核心，为地面观测站和未来太空任务提供紧凑的光子集成电路。用于消零干涉测量的光束组合抑制星光，揭示系外行星和伴星。双波导光子组合器依赖于对称的倏逝波耦合（本质上是色散的）来干涉光。与双波导方法相比，三波导配置（或三耦合器）具有实现更深、更宽和更稳定的消零的潜力。这项工作比较了倏逝波三耦合器和多模干涉耦合器在1.5-1.8微米波段的模拟性能，评估了系外行星吞吐量、星光衰减、传感特性以及制造容差估计。所有三种三耦合器在270nm带宽内实现了>40dB的衰减。包括组件损耗，锥形三耦合器具有最高的总吞吐量，平均为97%，而标准三耦合器开始时具有等效的系外行星吞吐量，但在波段边缘降至50%。锥形三耦合器进一步重新设计以实现非简并传感状态。MMI虽然由于未耦合光而将星光衰减限制在40dB，但显示出对制造误差的最大容差。未来的设计旨在将高系外行星吞吐量、深度星光衰减和非简并传感结合在单个集成架构中。这项工作为三种三耦合器提供了一个模拟套件。
英文摘要：
Astrophotonics is central to the next generation of astronomical instrumentation, enabling compact photonic integrated circuits for both ground-based observatories and future space missions. Beam combination for nulling interferometry suppresses starlight, revealing exoplanets and companions. Two-waveguide photonic combiners rely on symmetric evanescent, inherently chromatic, coupling to interfere light. A three-waveguide configuration, or tri-coupler, offers the potential for deeper, broader, and more stable achromatic nulls compared with two-waveguide approaches. This work compares the simulated performance of evanescent tri-couplers and a multimode interference coupler across the 1.5-1.8 micron band, evaluating exoplanet throughput, starlight attenuation, sensing characteristics, and estimations on fabrication tolerance. All three tri-couplers achieved >40dB attenuation over a 270nm bandwidth. Including component loss, the tapered tri-coupler has the highest total throughput, averaging 97%, whereas the standard tri-coupler began with an equivalent exoplanet throughput and fell to 50% at the band edges. The tapered tri-coupler was further redesigned to achieve a non-degenerate sensing state. The MMI, while limited to a starlight attenuation of 40dB by uncoupled light, showed the greatest tolerance to fabrication errors. Future designs aim to combine high exoplanet throughput, deep starlight attenuation, and non-degenerate sensing within a single integrated architecture. This work provides a simulation suite for three tri-couplers.
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