The Four Quadrant-ZOG and Annular Groove Phase Mask Coronagraphs

Phase mask coronagraphy is a technique aiming at accommodating both high dynamic and high angular resolution imaging of faint sources around bright objects such as exo-planets orbiting their parent stars or host galaxies around Active Galactic Nuclei. We present two new phase mask coronagraphs implemented with subwavelength diffractive optical elements consisting of optimized surface-relief gratings. The first one is an evolution of the Four Quadrant Phase Mask coronagraph, which resolves the π phase shift chromaticity problem: the Four Quadrant Zeroth Order Grating (4QZOG). The second one is a totally new design consisting of an optical vortex induced by a space-variant grating: the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM) coronagraph is fully symmetric and free from any "shaded zones". Some manufacturing hints are given.