Defining requirements and identifying relevant technologies in astrophotonics

Astrophotonics offers a solution to some of the problems of building instruments for the next generation of telescopes through the use of photonic devices to miniaturise and simplify instruments. It has already proved its worth in interferometry over the last decade and is now being applied to nightsky background suppression. Astrophotonics offers a radically different approach to highly-multiplexed spectroscopy to the benefit of galaxy surveys such as are required to determine the evolution of the cosmic equation of state. The Astrophotonica Europa partnership funded by the EU via OPTICON is undertaking a wide-ranging survey of the technological opportunities and their applicability to high-priority astrophysical goals of the next generation of observatories. Here we summarise some of the conclusions.

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