An Integrated 1-5 Micron Test bench for the Characterization of Cryogenic Optical Elements.

We report on the final design and current status of a 1-5 micron infrared test bench at the ETH Zurich Institute for Astronomy. This facility will enable us to characterize infrared optics, both reflective and transmissive, at cryogenic operating temperatures for both ground- and space-based applications. A focus of our lab is to facilitate the detection and characterization of extra-solar planets. The test bench is designed to characterize a range of spectrally dispersive and diffraction suppression optics such as filters, grisms, gratings, as well as both focal and pupil plane coronagraphs. The test bench is built around a 2048x2048 HAWAII-2RG detector from Teledyne Imaging Systems. The optical bench is envisioned to operate down to 30 K. “First light” is expected in the second half of 2012. We outline the status of the project, and describe the capabilities of the test bench in detail in order to alert potential collaborators to this new capability.