3D-M3: high-spatial-resolution spectroscopy with extreme AO and 3D-printed micro-lenslets

Area of Science:

• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Optical Instrumentation

Background:

• Advanced astronomical observations require instruments capable of resolving fine details.
• Extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) systems push the limits of ground-based telescope resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel integral field unit (IFU) for coupling light from the SCExAO facility to a single-mode spectrograph.
• To enable high-contrast imaging and spectroscopy at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths with minimal plate scale.

Main Methods:

• Designed and integrated a 3D-printed micro-lens array with a custom single-mode multi-core fiber.
• Coupled the IFU to a spectrograph with off-the-shelf optics for rapid, low-cost development.
• Conducted on-sky testing with the Subaru Telescope's 8.2 m instrument.

Main Results:

• The IFU successfully couples light with minimal plate scale, optimizing light injection into fiber cores.
• Demonstrated the instrument's potential for high-resolution observations near the diffraction limit.
• Achieved initial on-sky results validating the instrument's performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed IFU is a cost-effective solution for enhancing ExAO system capabilities.
• This instrument opens new science cases by resolving objects close to the diffraction limit.
• The rapid development approach allows for timely scientific exploration.