End-to-end simulation for on-sky coupling to single-mode fibers of large optical telescopes

The imminent construction of a ten-meter-class ground-based astronomical telescope in China signifies the nation’s remarkable progress in optical instrumentation. Currently, the integration of large telescopes with singlemode fibers, facilitating light delivery to compact photonic spectrometers, or enhancing the performance of radial velocity measurements through high-resolution spectrographs, presents an active and challenging frontier in the near future. Furthermore, this endeavor aims to elevate the accuracy and resolution of long-baseline optical interferometry, marking a crucial stride in advancing observational capabilities. Comprehensive end-to-end simulation platform are employed for on-sky coupling to single-mode fibers(SMF). Utilizing open-source atmospheric models and adaptive optics software as baseline and core simulators enhances the evaluation process. Subsequently the phase functions being corrected by adaptive optics are extracted for further evaluation. Several previously overlooked factors are identified and addressed. The simulations are integrated into optical software, enabling the execution of physical optics propagation and a comprehensive, dynamic evaluation of fiber coupling performance. The impact of each component of the system has been analyzed, and statistical results could be obtained to identify the optimal component parameters. The error budget determination procedure is outlined as well, ensuring a relative completeness in assessing potential uncertainties. This research integrates end-to-end optical platform, where preliminary results have been obtained.