First AMBER/VLTI observations of hot massive stars

AMBER is the first near infrared focal instrument of the VLTI. It combines three telescopes and produces spectrally resolved interferometric measures. This paper discusses some preliminary results of the first scientific observations of AMBER with three Unit Telescopes at medium (1500) and high (12000) spectral resolution. We derive a first set of constraints on the structure of the circumstellar material around the Wolf Rayet Gamma2 Velorum and the LBV Eta Carinae

Sub electron readout noise & photon counting devices

We present recent advances on ultra low noise visible detectors at Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, photon counting and EMCCD developments in collaboration with Observatoire de haute provence, Laboratoire d'astrophysique de l'observatoire de Grenoble and Laboratoire d'Astrophysique Experimentale (Montreal). After a review of the progress with third generation Image Photon Counting Systems (IPCS), we present the OCAM camera, based on the E2V CCD220 EMCCD, part of the Opticon JRA2 programme, and the CCCP controller, a new controller for the 3DNTT instrument that reduces the clock induced charge of an EMCCD by a factor 10, making it competitive with IPCS detectors for very faint fluxes. We will finally present the RAPID project and the concept of photon counting avalanche photodiode CMOS device (in collaboration with CEA-LETI) which is foreseen to be the ultimate detector for the visible-IR range providing no readout noise, high QE and extremely fast readout

Fabrication of high-speed single photon detectors in NbN for quantum information processing

International audienceAbstract. We describe the collective fabrication and characterization of superconducting single photon detectors (SSPD) made of a superconducting NbN meander, suitable for near-infrared applications. The NbN layer acting as the photon absorber is deposited epitaxially on a three inch diameter R-plane Sapphire heated substrate by DC-Magnetron sputtering from a Nb target in a reactive mixture of nitrogen and argon gas. Very thin NbN (~4 nm) films superconducting up to 12 K with a rather large critical current density are in-situ covered by a 1.4 nm thick room temperature sputtered AlN layer protecting NbN from oxidation. Two reliable patterning processes has been developed successfully, one based on electron beam lithography, the second based on selective NbN film anodization under an AFM tip. The filling factor obtained with 150 nm wide stripes in the meander pixel is about 0.5 with e-beam lithography and improved up to 0.8 with AFM patterning. In order to achieve an improved optical coupling of the SSPD by using wafers integrating ion implanted IR waveguides, growth studies of NbN layers have been focused on R-plane Sapphire and silicon substrates. We present optical and superconducting properties of NbN layers by FTIR, ellipsometry and STM

First AMBER/VLTI Observations of Hot Massive Stars

8 pagesInternational audienceAMBER is the first near infrared focal instrument of the VLTI. It combines three telescopes and produces spectrally resolved interferometric measures. This paper discusses some preliminary results of the first scientific observations of AMBER with three Unit Telescopes at medium (1500) and high (12000) spectral resolution. We derive a first set of constraints on the structure of the circumstellar material around the Wolf Rayet gamma2 Velorum and the LBV eta Carinae

The SPHERE exoplanet imager: Status report at PDR

n/a, SPIE Proc. 6691, p. 66910L (2007)International audienc