VF·26 · Project catalogue
PHOBos - Optical Bench Control
Complete Python system for the control and automation of a kernel-nulling test bench in integrated photonics
- Designation
- VF·26
- Period
- March 2024 — Ongoing
- Fields
- Link
- View project →
PHOBos (PHotonics Bench Operating System) is a Python software developed as part of my PhD to control all the equipment on the kernel-nulling interferometry test bench at the Lagrange laboratory (Côte d’Azur Observatory).
Context
The PHOTONICS optical bench is a laboratory instrument that reproduces on a small scale the operation of a stellar interferometer. It enables the experimental testing and validation of kernel-nulling techniques on integrated photonic components, before their deployment on a real telescope.
Controlled Equipment
PHOBos provides a unified Python interface to control:
- Deformable Mirror (BMC) — Wavefront control and atmospheric turbulence simulation
- C-RED3 Camera — High-speed acquisition of interferometric data
- Filter Wheel (Thorlabs) — Automated spectral selection
- Pupil Mask — Telescope array configuration
- Photonic Chip — Thermal phase shifters (TOPs) control for tunable kernel-nulling
- Motors (Newport/Zaber) — Precision mechanical positioning
Architecture
The software adopts a modular architecture with hardware abstraction, enabling a sandbox mode that automatically simulates missing components via mock interfaces. This makes development and testing possible without access to the laboratory hardware.
Technologies
Python, NumPy, PySerial, Sphinx, BMC SDK
Impact
PHOBos is the central experimental tool of my PhD, enabling the acquisition of photonic chip characterization data and the experimental validation of tunable kernel-nulling.