The objective of this proposal is to develop a new infrared camera based on Avalanche Photo Diodes (APD) technology. The First Light Imaging company has been created during the Framework Program 7 from researches initiated in the Opticon Research Infrastructure program. The technology developed here is entirely designed and produced in Europe. The goal is also to develop state of the art scientific detectors and cameras in order to avoid the European dependency toward the United States. This technology is a real technological breakthrough considering that usually, infrared cameras are slow and noisy. Infrared HgCdTe Avalanche Photo Diodes have been shown to exhibit multiplication of electrons up to gains of 10 000 associated with low excess noise factors and low dark currents. They have inspired a large effort in developing focal plan arrays using HgCdTe APDs for low photon number applications such as active imaging in the range gated mode (2D) and/or with direct time of flight detection (3D) and, more recently, passive imaging for wave front correction and fringe tracking in astronomical observations. These revolutionary infrared detectors have until now never been integrated into a commercial camera. This new development has been motivated by the success met by the Ocam2 EMCCD camera for fast imaging in the visible to be used by the biggest space and astronomical institutes in the world. In few months, First Light has become a world reference in visible fast and low noise imaging. The project initiated in 2013 and granted for its first stage by French Public Bank for Innovation is now at the stage of reaching the market by finalizing the first prototype and designing the “industrial” model. First Light takes advantage of its experience and success in scientific cameras and space activities in the past 3 years and 15 past years for its staff of engineers. The company also benefits of its high level environment, high value manpower and healthy financial structure.

The project's objective is to develop PLANETES, a pioneering ground-based interferometric system, engineered to transform the study of exoplanet atmospheres through high-contrast observations. The primary goal is to significantly enhance the dynamic range of optical interferometry, enabling the observation of exoplanets via their reflected stellar light. Other objectives include investigating the atmospheric composition of known exoplanets and identifying potential protoplanets. The strategy involves setting up a laboratory bench to scrutinize and address the current limitations observed with the GRAVITY instrument at the VLTI. These enhancements will then be deployed at the Paranal Observatory to examine the multitude of exoplanets anticipated from forthcoming Gaia spacecraft data releases. PLANETES is set to be the first ground-based instrument capable of observing exoplanets via reflected light, offering a contrast range of 10 million at less than 100 milliarcsecond. It will significantly surpass the detection and characterization capabilities of current ground-based instruments. In addition to fostering significant advancements in exoplanetary research, this project encompasses the development of a ground-breaking 4-million-pixel infrared camera. This device, equipped with a very low read noise and low dark current detector, will unveil new potential in high-contrast astronomical instrumentation. For the first time, it will allow to simultaneously have a good spectral resolution and high sensitivity, representing a significant leap in the field. This pioneering technology will set the stage for future instruments, yielding broad advantages to the scientific community at large.

Europe has become a global leader in optical-near infrared astronomy through excellence in space and ground-based experimental and theoretical research. While the major infrastructures are delivered through major national and multi-national agencies (ESO, ESA) their continuing scientific competitiveness requires a strong community of scientists and technologists distributed across Europe’s nations. OPTICON has a proven record supporting European astrophysical excellence through development of new technologies, through training of new people, through delivering open access to the best infrastructures, and through strategic planning for future requirements in technology, innovative research methodologies, and trans-national coordination. Europe’s scientific excellence depends on continuing effort developing and supporting the distributed expertise across Europe - this is essential to develop and implement new technologies and ensure instrumentation and infrastructures remain cutting edge. Excellence depends on continuing effort to strengthen and broaden the community, through networking initiatives to include and then consolidate European communities with more limited science expertise. Excellence builds on training actions to qualify scientists from European communities which lack national access to state of the art research infrastructures to compete successfully for use of the best available facilities. Excellence depends on access programmes which enable all European scientists to access the best infrastructures needs-blind, purely on competitive merit. Global competitiveness and the future of the community require early planning of long-term sustainability, awareness of potentially disruptive technologies, and new approaches to the use of national-scale infrastructures under remote or robotic control. OPTICON will continue to promote this excellence, global competitiveness and long-term strategic planning.