Rotationally-shearing Interferometer: Preliminary results with a Simulator solar system

We describe preliminary experimental results on the laboratory demonstration of a technique to detect an extrasolar planet using a rotationally shearing interferometer. We simulate a planet and a star in a simulated solar system that consists of two lasers, placed at approximately 90 degrees with respect to each other. Each laser beam is expanded with a beam expander, followed by a common collimator lens to simulate the wavefronts from the star and off-axis planet. We confirm the theoretical prediction that the off-axis planet produces fringes whose density increases with the angle of rotation of the Dove prism in the rotational shearing interferometer. The star generates a uniform wavefront that is invariant to the angle of rotation of the Dove prism. The angle of Dove prism is under control of the experimentalist; therefore, the number of fringes may be controlled from the Earth to confirm (or negate) the planet existence.