During the past decade, state-of-the-art planet-finder instruments like SPHERE@VLT, coupling coronagraphic devices and extreme adaptive optics systems, unveiled, thanks to large surveys, around 20 planetary mass companions at semi-major axis greater than 10 astronomical units. Direct imaging being the only detection technique to be able to probe this outer region of planetary systems, the SPHERE infrared survey for exoplanets (SHINE) was designed and conducted from 2015 to 2021 to study the demographics of such young gas giant planets around 400 young nearby solar-type stars. In this paper, we present the observing strategy, the data quality, and the point sources analysis of the full SHINE statistical sample as well as snapSHINE. Both surveys used the SPHERE@VLT instrument with the IRDIS dual band imager in conjunction with the integral field spectrograph IFS and the angular differential imaging observing technique. All SHINE data (650 datasets), corresponding to 400 stars, including the targets of the F150 survey, are processed in a uniform manner with an advanced post-processing algorithm called PACO ASDI. An emphasis is put on the classification and identification of the most promising candidate companions. Compared to the previous early analysis SHINE F150, the use of advanced post-processing techniques significantly improved by one or 2 magnitudes (x3-x6) the contrast detection limits, which will allow us to put even tighter constraints on the radial distribution of young gas giants. This increased sensitivity directly places SHINE as the largest and deepest direct imaging survey ever conducted. We detected and classified more than 3500 physical sources. One additional substellar companion has been confirmed during the second phase of the survey (HIP 74865 B), and several new promising candidate companions are awaiting second epoch confirmations.

Context. Large surveys with new-generation high-contrast imaging instruments are needed to derive the frequency and properties of exoplanet populations with separations from ~5 to 300 au. A careful assessment of the stellar properties is crucial for a proper understanding of when, where, and how frequently planets form, and how they evolve. The sensitivity of detection limits to stellar age makes this a key parameter for direct imaging surveys. Aims. We describe the SpHere INfrared survey for Exoplanets (SHINE), the largest direct imaging planet-search campaign initiated at the VLT in 2015 in the context of the SPHERE Guaranteed Time Observations of the SPHERE consortium. In this first paper we present the selection and the properties of the complete sample of stars surveyed with SHINE, focusing on the targets observed during the first phase of the survey (from February 2015 to February 2017). This early sample composed of 150 stars is used to perform a preliminary statistical analysis of the SHINE data, deferred to two companion papers presenting the survey performance, main discoveries, and the preliminary statistical constraints set by SHINE. Methods. Based on a large database collecting the stellar properties of all young nearby stars in the solar vicinity (including kinematics, membership to moving groups, isochrones, lithium abundance, rotation, and activity), we selected the original sample of 800 stars that were ranked in order of priority according to their sensitivity for planet detection in direct imaging with SPHERE. The properties of the stars that are part of the early statistical sample wererevisited, including for instance measurements from the Gaia Data Release 2. Rotation periods were derived for the vast majority of the late-type objects exploiting TESS light curves and dedicated photometric observations. Results. The properties of individual targets and of the sample as a whole are presented.

The SpHere INfrared Exoplanet (SHINE) project is a 500-star survey performed with SPHERE on the Very Large Telescope for the purpose of directly detecting new substellar companions and understanding their formation and early evolution. Here we present an initial statistical analysis for a subsample of 150 stars spanning spectral types from B to M that are representative of the full SHINE sample. Our goal is to constrain the frequency of substellar companions with masses between 1 and 75 M-Jup and semimajor axes between 5 and 300 au. For this purpose, we adopt detection limits as a function of angular separation from the survey data for all stars converted into mass and projected orbital separation using the BEX-COND-hot evolutionary tracks and known distance to each system. Based on the results obtained for each star and on the 13 detections in the sample, we use a Markov chain Monte Carlo tool to compare our observations to two different types of models. The first is a parametric model based on observational constraints, and the second type are numerical models that combine advanced core accretion and gravitational instability planet population synthesis. Using the parametric model, we show that the frequencies of systems with at least one substellar companion are 23.0(-9.7)(+13.5) 23.0 -9.7 +13.5 , 5.8(-2.8)(+4.7) 5.8 -2.8 +4.7 , and 12.6(-7.1)(+12.9)% 12.6 -7.1 +12.9 % for BA, FGK, and M stars, respectively. We also demonstrate that a planet-like formation pathway probably dominates the mass range from 1-75 M-Jup for companions around BA stars, while for M dwarfs, brown dwarf binaries dominate detections. In contrast, a combination of binary star-like and planet-like formation is required to best fit the observations for FGK stars. Using our population model and restricting our sample to FGK stars, we derive a frequency of 5.7(-2.8)(+3.8)% 5.7 -2.8 +3.8 , consistent with predictions from the parametric model. More generally, the frequency values that we derive are in excellent agreement with values obtained in previous studies.

Context. With an orbital distance comparable to that of Saturn in the solar system, beta Pictoris b is the closest (semi-major axis similar or equal to 9 au) exoplanet that has been imaged to orbit a star. Thus it offers unique opportunities for detailed studies of its orbital, physical, and atmospheric properties, and of disk-planet interactions. With the exception of the discovery observations in 2003 with NaCo at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), all following astrometric measurements relative to beta Pictoris have been obtained in the southwestern part of the orbit, which severely limits the determination of the planet's orbital parameters. Aims. We aimed at further constraining beta Pictoris b orbital properties using more data, and, in particular, data taken in the northeastern part of the orbit. Methods. We used SPHERE at the VLT to precisely monitor the orbital motion of beta beta Pictoris b since first light of the instrument in 2014. Results. We were able to monitor the planet until November 2016, when its angular separation became too small (125 mas, i.e., 1.6 au) and prevented further detection. We redetected beta Pictoris b on the northeast side of the disk at a separation of 139 mas and a PA of 30 degrees in September 2018. The planetary orbit is now well constrained. With a semi-major axis (sma) of a = 9.0 +/- 0.5 au (1 sigma), it definitely excludes previously reported possible long orbital periods, and excludes beta Pictoris b as the origin of photometric variations that took place in 1981. We also refine the eccentricity and inclination of the planet. From an instrumental point of view, these data demonstrate that it is possible to detect, if they exist, young massive Jupiters that orbit at less than 2 au from a star that is 20 pc away.

Observations of circumstellar environments that look for the direct signal of exoplanets and the scattered light from disks have significant instrumental implications. In the past 15 years, major developments in adaptive optics, coronagraphy, optical manufacturing, wavefront sensing, and data processing, together with a consistent global system analysis have brought about a new generation of high-contrast imagers and spectrographs on large ground-based telescopes with much better performance. One of the most productive imagers is the Spectro-Polarimetic High contrast imager for Exoplanets REsearch (SPHERE), which was designed and built for the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. SPHERE includes an extreme adaptive optics system, a highly stable common path interface, several types of coronagraphs, and three science instruments. Two of them, the Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) and the Infra-Red Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS), were designed to efficiently cover the near-infrared range in a single observation for an efficient search of young planets. The third instrument, ZIMPOL, was designed for visible polarimetric observation to look for the reflected light of exoplanets and the light scattered by debris disks. These three scientific instruments enable the study of circumstellar environments at unprecedented angular resolution, both in the visible and the near-infrared. In this work, we thoroughly present SPHERE and its on-sky performance after four years of operations at the VLT.

The SHINE program is a large high-contrast near-infrared survey of 600 young, nearby stars. It is aimed at searching for and characterizing new planetary systems using VLT/SPHERE's unprecedented high-contrast and high-angular resolution imaging capabilities. It also intends at placing statistical constraints on the occurrence and orbital properties of the giant planet population at large orbits as a function of the stellar host mass and age to test planet formation theories. We use the IRDIS dual-band imager and the IFS integral field spectrograph of SPHERE to acquire high-constrast coronagraphic differential near-infrared images and spectra of the young A2 star HIP65426. It is a member of the ~17 Myr old Lower Centaurus-Crux association. At a separation of 830 mas (92 au projected) from the star, we detect a faint red companion. Multi-epoch observations confirm that it shares common proper motion with HIP65426. Spectro-photometric measurements extracted with IFS and IRDIS between 0.95 and 2.2um indicate a warm, dusty atmosphere characteristic of young low surface-gravity L5-L7 dwarfs. Hot-start evolutionary models predict a luminosity consistent with a 6-12 MJup, Teff=1300-1600 K and R=1.5 RJup giant planet. Finally, the comparison with Exo-REM and PHOENIX BT-Settl synthetic atmosphere models gives consistent effective temperatures but with slightly higher surface gravity solutions of log(g)=4.0-5.0 with smaller radii (1.0-1.3 RJup). Given its physical and spectral properties, HIP65426b occupies a rather unique placement in terms of age, mass and spectral-type among the currently known imaged planets. It represents a particularly interesting case to study the presence of clouds as a function of particle size, composition, and location in the atmosphere, to search for signatures of non-equilibrium chemistry, and finally to test the theory of planet formation and evolution.

Context. The planetary system discovered around the young A-type HR8799 provides a unique laboratory to: a) test planet formation theories; b) probe the diversity of system architectures at these separations, and c) perform comparative (exo)planetology.Aims. We present and exploit new near-infrared images and integral-field spectra of the four gas giants surrounding HR8799 obtained with SPHERE, the new planet finder instrument at the Very Large Telescope, during the commissioning and science verification phase of the instrument (July-December 2014). With these new data, we contribute to completing the spectral energy distribution (SED) of these bodies in the 1.0-2.5 mu m range. We also provide new astrometric data, in particular for planet e, to further constrain the orbits.Methods. We used the infrared dual-band imager and spectrograph (IRDIS) subsystem to obtain pupil-stabilized, dual-band H2H3 (1.593 mu m, 1.667 mu m), K1K2 (2.110 mu m, 2.251 mu m), and broadband J (1.245 mu m) images of the four planets. IRDIS was operated in parallel with the integral field spectrograph (IFS) of SPHERE to collect low-resolution (R similar to 30), near-infrared (0.94-1.64 mu m) spectra of the two innermost planets HR8799 d and e. The data were reduced with dedicated algorithms, such as the Karhunen-Loeve image projection (KLIP), to reveal the planets. We used the so-called negative planets injection technique to extract their photometry, spectra, and measure their positions. We illustrate the astrometric performance of SPHERE through sample orbital fits compatible with SPHERE and literature data.Results. We demonstrated the ability of SPHERE to detect and characterize planets in this kind of systems, providing spectra and photometry of its components. The spectra improve upon the signal-to-noise ratio of previously obtained data and increase the spectral coverage down to the Y band. In addition, we provide the first detection of planet e in the J band. Astrometric positions for planets HR8799 bcde are reported for the epochs of July, August, and December 2014. We measured the photometric values in J, H2H3, K1K2 bands for the four planets with a mean accuracy of 0.13 mag. We found upper limit constraints on the mass of a possible planet f of 3-7 M-Jup. Our new measurements are more consistent with the two inner planets d and e being in a 2d:1e or 3d:2e resonance. The spectra of HR8799 d and e are well matched by those of L6-8 field dwarfs. However, the SEDs of these objects are redder than field L dwarfs longward of 1.6 mu m.

The exoplanetary science through direct imaging and spectroscopy will largely expand with the forthcoming development of new instruments at the VLT (SPHERE), Gemini (GPI), Subaru (HiCIAO), and Palomar (Project 1640) observatories. All these ground-based adaptive optics instruments combine extremely high performance adaptive optics (XAO) systems correcting for the atmospheric turbulence with advanced starlight-cancellation techniques such as coronagraphy to deliver contrast ratios of about 10-6 to 10-7. While the past fifteen years have seen intensive research and the development of high-contrast coronagraph concepts, very few concepts have been tested under dynamical seeing conditions (either during sky observation or in a realistic laboratory environment). In this paper, we discuss the results obtained with four different coronagraphs -- phase and amplitude types -- on the High-Order Testbench (HOT), the adaptive optics facility developed at ESO. This facility emphasizes realistic conditions encountered at a telescope (e.g., VLT), including a turbulence generator and a high-order adaptive optics system. It enables to evaluate the performance of high-contrast coronagraphs in the near-IR operating with an AO-corrected PSF of 90% Strehl ratio under 0.5 arcsec dynamical seeing.

Context. Less than 3% of the known exoplanets were directly imaged for two main reasons. They are angularly very close to their parent star, which is several magnitudes brighter. Direct imaging of exoplanets thus requires a dedicated instrumentation with large telescopes and accurate wavefront control devices for high-angular resolution and coronagraphs for attenuating the stellar light. Coronagraphs are usually chromatic and they cannot perform high-contrast imaging over a wide spectral bandwidth. That chromaticity will be critical for future instruments.Aims. Enlarging the coronagraph spectral range is a challenge for future exoplanet imaging instruments on both space-and ground-based telescopes.Methods. We propose the multi-stage four-quadrant phase mask that associates several monochromatic four-quadrant phase mask coronagraphs in series. Monochromatic device performance has already been demonstrated and the manufacturing procedures are well-under control since their development for previous instruments on VLT and JWST. The multi-stage implementation simplicity is thus appealing.Results. We present the instrument principle and we describe the laboratory performance for large spectral bandwidths and for both pupil shapes for space- (off-axis telescope) and ground-based (E-ELT) telescopes.Conclusions. The multi-stage four-quadrant phase mask reduces the stellar flux over a wide spectral range and it is a very good candidate to be associated with a spectrometer for future exoplanet imaging instruments in ground-and space-based observatories.

Phase-mask coronagraphs are known to provide high contrast imaging capabilities while preserving a small inner working angle, which allows searching for exoplanets or circumstellar disks with smaller telescopes or at longer wavelengths. The AGPM (Annular Groove Phase Mask, Mawet et al. 2005(1)) is an optical vectorial vortex coronagraph (or vector vortex) induced by a rotationally symmetric subwavelength grating (i.e. with a period smaller than lambda/n, lambda being the observed wavelength and n the refractive index of the grating substrate). In this paper, we present our first mid-infrared AGPM prototypes imprinted on a diamond substrate. We firstly give an extrapolation of the expected coronagraph performances in the N-band (similar to 10 mu m), and prospects for down-scaling the technology to the most wanted L-band (similar to 3.5 mu m). We then present the manufacturing and measurement results, using diamond-optimized microfabrication techniques such as nano-imprint lithography (NIL) and reactive ion etching (RIE). Finally, the subwavelength grating profile metrology combines surface metrology (scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, white light interferometry) with diffractometry on an optical polarimetric bench and cross correlation with theoretical simulations using rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA).

In the framework of exoplanet direct imaging, a few coronagraphs have been proposed to overcome the large flux ratio that exists between the star and its planet. However, there are very few solutions that gather in the same time broad band achromaticity, a small inner working angle (shortest angular distance for planet detection), a good throughput for the planet light, and a mature technical feasibility. Here, we propose to use a combination of chromatic Four Quadrant Phase Mask coronagraphs to achromatize the dephasing of this well-studied monochromatic coronagraph. After describing the principle of the technique, we present preliminary results for a compact prototype. Contrast larger than 10000 are reached with more than 250 nm of spectral bandwidth in the visible. Stability over time and effect of the filtering is also discussed.

In the framework of the instrument Exo-Planet Imaging and Spectrograph (EPICS), an optical bench is being set up in the Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA). With this bench, we will test a new high contrast technique, the Self-Coherent Camera (SCC). As already described in Galicher et al. (2008), the SCC is able to measure the incoming phase defects and, in the same time, detect a faint companion in the residual speckle field. To reach high contrast detection, both coronagraphy and adaptive optics are used to make measurements with the SCC. The principle of the instrument is based on interferences between two beams. One of them is spatially filtered using a pinhole which filters the high frequencies of the star beam and stops the light from the companion. The recombination of these two beams takes place at the pupil plane in a Fizeau type setup. As a result, the speckles in the final focal plane created by residual aberrations will be encoded with fringes. To test this instrument in laboratory environment, we are developing a test bench which will combine high performance coronagraph (four-quadrant phase mask coronagraph), an extreme adaptive optics (a Boston electrostatic deformable mirror with 32x32 actuators) and the SCC itself. After introducing the principle of the SCC, we show the first results of a numerical study. We eventually describe the status of the test bench development.

A large number of coronagraphs have been proposed to overcome the ratio that exists between the star and its planet. The planet finder of the Extremely Large Telescope, which is called EPICS, will certainly need a more efficient coronagraph than the ones that have been developed so far. We propose to use a combination of chromatic Four Quadrant Phase Mask coronagraph to achromatize the dephasing of the device while maintaining a high rejection performance. After describing this multi-stage FQPM coronagraph, we show preliminary results of a study on its capabilities in the framework of the EPICS instrument, the planet finder of the European Extremely Large Telescope. Eventually, we present laboratory tests of a rough prototype of a multi-stage four-quadrant phase mask. On one hand, we deduce from Our laboratory data that a detection at the 10(-10) level is feasible in monochromatic light. On the other hand, we show the detection of a laboratory companion fainter than 10(-8) with a spectral bandwidth larger than 20%.

The James Webb Space Telescope (formerly the Next Generation Space Telescope) will be capable of unprecedented science, owing to its large diameter, its low background, and its dedicated IR instruments. One of these instruments is a mid-IR facility called MIRI (Mid-IR Instrument), which is being studied through a collaboration of US and European teams. Our group at Observatoire de Meudon has developed a coronagraphic device for the MIRI camera. Taking advantage of the reduced star-planet contrast in this spectral range, the prime goal of this coronagraph is the direct detection of extrasolar planets. Differential imaging in several well-chosen spectral windows is foreseen. In this paper, we evaluate the manufacturing process of the coronagraphic masks and compare the intrinsic performance, as measured in the laboratory, with the scientific requirements.