Sign in Subscribe
Extrasolar planets

Game-Changing Instrument to Revolutionize Exoplanet Detection with Liquid Crystals

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A team of Swiss researchers from the University of Bern and the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland of Yverdon (HEIG-VD) has developed a game-changing instrument, the Programmable Liquid-crystal Active Coronagraphic Imager for the DAG telescope (PLACID), to improve the detection and direct imaging of planets outside our Solar System. The instrument, which harnesses the power of liquid crystals, is set to join the small club of direct high-contrast imaging facilities in the northern hemisphere.

Key Takeaways:

  • The PLACID instrument uses a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) with liquid crystals to create complex masks for direct imaging of exoplanets, allowing for the creation of novel optical paths and phases of light waves.
  • The instrument is capable of direct imaging of circumbinary planets and proto-planetary discs orbiting binary or multiple stars, which are challenging to observe with traditional coronagraphs.
  • PLACID's advanced masking capabilities will enable scientists to directly image exoplanets that have already been detected using indirect methods, and potentially discover new exoplanets that have been missed by traditional coronagraphs.
  • The instrument is currently in the integration and validation phase and is expected to start its first on-sky observations in the first quarter of 2026.
  • PLACID's development has been a collaborative effort between the University of Bern and the HEIG-VD, with funding support from the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS and the Division of Space Research and Planetary Science of the University of Bern.
  • The instrument's capabilities will enable scientists to gain unique insights into the formation and composition of exoplanets, particularly their atmospheres.

Statistics:

  • Only a few dozen exoplanets have been directly imaged to date, compared to the nearly 6000 planets discovered using indirect methods.
  • 50% of all stars in the galaxy are binary or multiple stars, which have been challenging to observe with traditional coronagraphs.
  • PLACID's advanced masking capabilities will enable scientists to directly image exoplanets that have been missed by traditional coronagraphs.
  • The instrument will be paired with an Adaptive Optics (AO) system, built by the team of Prof Laurent Jolissaint of HEIG-VD, which will reduce the effects of atmospheric turbulence.

Sources:

  • "PLACID team". University of Bern. 2025.
  • "Programmable Liquid-crystal Active Coronagraphic Imager for the DAG telescope (PLACID)". EPSC-DPS2025 Joint Meeting. 2025.
  • "The Programmable Liquid-crystal Active Coronagraphic Imager for the DAG telescope (PLACID)". VerticalNews Health & Science. 2025.

Read more