Fabrication and Manufacturing of Coronagraph Masks for The High-Contrast Imaging Test beds (CORFAB)

The quest to directly image exoplanets requires precisely fabricated masks to control diffraction and scattering of light in coronagraphs. In this study, we will attempt to fabricate a number of different pupil plane coronagraphic masks for use mainly in the high-contrast imaging test beds at Goddard. We will employ a combination of different techniques to achieve our goal of building the most precise and absorptive masks possible over the largest bandwidth.

Our main objective of this study is to fabricate coated series of coronagraphic pupil masks designed by our collaborator at STScI for the HiCAT test bed in addition to Lyot mask for VNC test bed. We intend to manufacture a series of Lyot masks to be used on the VNC test bed. Upon successful fabrication of masks, our collaborators at the STScI will assess the optical performance of CNT and coated pupil masks on their HiCAT test bed.   Similarly, the Lyot masks will be assessed at the Goddard’s VNC test bed.