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Laboratory Experiment Results with the Phase Knife Coronagraph

Abstract
We report experimental results from the Phase Knife Coronagaph (monochromatic case) which validate our previous theoretical and numerical simulations, prove the physical principle of it and set realistic limitations to the nulling properties of the coronagraph. The optical set-up, phase knives manufacturing technique and different aspects of the instrumental limitations are given. The first results attain easily a 3000 nulling effect. These results are successfully confronted to numerical simulations, proving the good agreement to theory.