Developing An Ultra-Stable Single Mode Fiber Spectrograph For Adaptive Optics Assisted Observation In The Infrared

Ever more precise radial velocity instruments are needed to observe potential earth-like exoplanet targets that are beyond the range of current generation high resolution echelle spectrographs. Meanwhile, extreme adaptive optics systems at 8 meter class facilities have made ground based observations possible at the diffraction limit. In the field of Doppler spectroscopy, one way to take advantage of these AO capabilities is by the development of ultra-stable single mode fiber fed spectrographs.(1) Coupling the light efficiently into SMFs with an extreme adaptive optics system offers significant advantage in removing modal noise, reducing instrument size, enabling superior environmental control and curbing cost. We report the design and challenges in building an ultra-stable spectrograph for the near infrared range. The design wavelength range is 650 to 1500 nm.