Concept
Progress in astronomy and astrophysics is driven by the development of
technology. Paradigm shifts in how we construct our instruments almost
always usher in a flood of discoveries altering our understanding of the
Universe. The VLTI/GRAVITY instrument is one of the latest
demonstrations of this process, providing astronomers with unprecedented
high-angular resolution measurements of stars, some exoplanets, and the
environment around Sagittarius A* at the galactic centre (which
contributed to the recent Nobel Prize). What is perhaps less well known
is that at the core of GRAVITY beats a photonic heart. The primary
beam-combination and interferometry is not done using classical
bulk-optics, but rather inside a specially-made integrated photonic
circuit.
Over the last decade, the use of photonic technologies in astronomy –
from simple optical fibres to advanced integrated circuits – has grown
immensely. In fact, French astronomers and instrumentation scientists
played an early pioneering role in developing and deploying these
technologies, paving the road for incredible discoveries. Today, groups
across France are developing revolutionary new devices and
instrumentation using photonic technologies for a diverse set of
astronomical fields, such as spectroscopy, high-contrast imaging,
interferometry, and gravitational wave science. Further, with the
tremendous growth of commercial photonic foundries across the EU, and
additional photonic design companies acting as middle-men between
researchers and manufacturers, making novel state-of-the-art photonic
devices for astronomy has never been easier (or cheaper).
The aim of this workshop is to showcase to the whole astrophysical
community the most recent and exciting developments in the field of
astrophotonics, and how it will impact the next generation of
instrumentation. Further, this workshop aims to re-solidify the
interdisciplinary links between different groups working in this field
as well as “photonics-adjacent” work in material science, wavefront
control, and advanced detectors for astronomy.
