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Title: Demonstration of high-efficiency photonic lantern couplers for PolyOculus
The PolyOculus technology produces large-area-equivalent telescopes by using fiber optics to link modules of multiple semi-autonomous, small, inexpensive, commercial-off-the-shelf telescopes. Crucially, this scalable design has construction costs that are ><#comment/> 10 ×<#comment/> lower than equivalent traditional large-area telescopes. We have developed a novel, to the best of our knowledge, photonic lantern approach for the PolyOculus fiber optic linkages that potentially offers substantial advantages over previously considered free-space optical linkages, including much higher coupling efficiencies. We have carried out the first laboratory tests of a photonic lantern prototype developed for PolyOculus, and demonstrated broadband efficiencies of ∼<#comment/> 91 %<#comment/> , confirming the outstanding performance of this technology.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1711230
PAR ID:
10249702
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Optical Society of America
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Applied Optics
Volume:
60
Issue:
19
ISSN:
1559-128X; APOPAI
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: Article No. D93
Size(s):
Article No. D93
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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