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Algol – CPNG: photon counting cameras for interferometry in visible wavelengths

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2009

A. Blazit*
Affiliation:
UMR 6525 H. Fizeau, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Campus Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex, France
E. Thiébaut
Affiliation:
Université de Lyon, Lyon, 69000, France; Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, 69622, France; Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon, Observatoire de Lyon, 9 avenue Charles André, Saint-Genis Laval Cedex, 69561, France; CNRS/UMR-5574; École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
F. Vakili
Affiliation:
UMR 6525 H. Fizeau, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Campus Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex, France
L. Abe
Affiliation:
UMR 6525 H. Fizeau, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Campus Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex, France
A. Spang
Affiliation:
UMR 6525 H. Fizeau, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Campus Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex, France
J.-M. Clausse
Affiliation:
UMR 6525 H. Fizeau, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Campus Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex, France
D. Mourard
Affiliation:
UMR 6525 H. Fizeau, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Campus Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex, France
R. Foy
Affiliation:
Université de Lyon, Lyon, 69000, France; Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, 69622, France; Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon, Observatoire de Lyon, 9 avenue Charles André, Saint-Genis Laval Cedex, 69561, France; CNRS/UMR-5574; École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
X. Rondeau
Affiliation:
Université de Lyon, Lyon, 69000, France; Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, 69622, France; Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon, Observatoire de Lyon, 9 avenue Charles André, Saint-Genis Laval Cedex, 69561, France; CNRS/UMR-5574; École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France Institut de Recherches en Communication et Cybernétique de Nantes, 1 rue de la Noë, 44321 Nantes, France
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Abstract

Images in visible interferometry are characterised by their low coherence time, and except for brightest stars, the flux on the detector is much less than one photon per pixel per image. Algol and Comptage de Photons Nouvelle Génération (CPNG) are new photon counting cameras developed for high angular resolution in the visible. They are intensified CCDs built to benefit from improvements in photonic commercial components, and personal computer processing power. We present how we achieve optimal performances (sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution) by the combination of proper optical and electronics design, and real-time elaborated data processing. The number of pixels is 532 × 516 and 768 × 640 read at a frame rate of 262 Hz and 50 Hz for CPNG and Algol respectively. The dark current is very low: 5 × 10-4 electron.pixel-1.s-1. Quantum efficiencies reach up to 36% in the visible with the GaAsP photocathodes and and 26% in the red with the GaAs ones, thanks to the sensitivity of the photocathodes and to the photon centroiding algorithm; they are likely the highest values reported for ICCDs.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2009

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References

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