Unsuppressed starlight dominates the field and hides faint planets.
Profile
Exoplanet scientist and instrument builder
His research asks how to recover and interpret planetary light at the diffraction limit by combining coronagraphy, interferometric nulling, adaptive optics, wavefront control, single-mode fibers, and high-resolution spectroscopy.
His instrumentation program connects optical concepts and laboratory validation to commissioning, operations, and exoplanet science — from early Palomar and Keck demonstrations through the NIRC2 vortex and KPIC to HISPEC and MODHIS, with coronagraph technology and operations planning for the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
At Caltech, he directs the Exoplanet Technology Laboratory and contributes to observatory instrumentation strategy, teaching, and mentorship. At JPL, his work spans exoplanet science, high-contrast technology, and mission formulation.
Research throughline
The same measurement logic runs through much of the program: reshape or cancel starlight, isolate the planet, and resolve its spectrum well enough to measure chemistry and dynamics.
Starlight suppression reveals off-axis companions.
Fiber-fed high-resolution spectra encode composition and dynamics.
Extended profile
Mawet trained in engineering physics and astronomy at the University of Liège, with research periods at Paris–Meudon, Orsay, and JPL; early work on achromatic phase control and subwavelength diffractive optics led to the vortex coronagraph and its first validations at Palomar.
From 2011 to 2015 he was a staff astronomer and adaptive-optics scientist at ESO’s Paranal Observatory — the operational grounding for the instrument programs that followed; the record is in the timeline below.
Since joining Caltech in 2015 he has built a program spanning coronagraphy, astrophotonics, high-dispersion spectroscopy, and exoplanet atmospheres — KPIC, HCST, WIRC+Pol, HISPEC, MODHIS — with roles in Roman, HabEx, LUVOIR, and HWO, alongside teaching, supervision, and community service.
Research
Exoplanets at the diffraction limit
Starlight suppression, wavefront control, single-mode fibers, and high-resolution spectroscopy combine to measure composition, rotation, orbital motion, atmospheric structure, and formation history.
Coronagraphy and wavefront control
Vortex and apodized-vortex coronagraphs, low- and high-order wavefront sensing, and focal-plane control for ground- and space-based telescopes.
High-dispersion coronagraphy
Coupling adaptive optics and coronagraphy to single-mode fibers and high-resolution spectrographs to separate planetary spectra from residual starlight.
Atmospheres and planetary systems
Measurements of molecular abundances, isotopologue ratios, rotation, orbital radial velocities, variability, and circumstellar-disk structure.
Observatory instrumentation
Design, construction, commissioning, and scientific use of instruments for Palomar, Keck, TMT, ELTs, JWST programs, and future space observatories.
Selected programs
Instruments, testbeds, and space-mission work
Roles are stated explicitly; the CV holds the complete portfolio.
On-sky and facility instruments
- NIRC2 vortex
- PI · ON SKY L- and M-band vortex coronagraphy at Keck II.
- WIRC+Pol
- PI · ON SKY Near-infrared spectropolarimetry at the Hale 200-inch Telescope.
- PARVI
- CO-PI / CO-I · COMMISSIONED Single-mode-fiber precision radial-velocity demonstrator at Palomar.
- KPIC →
- PI · DECOMMISSIONED DEC 2025 Keck pathfinder for high-dispersion coronagraphy and the direct heritage of HISPEC. Legacy page →
- HISPEC ↗
- PI · IN BUILD Keck facility high-resolution infrared spectrograph spanning yJHK. hispec.astro.caltech.edu ↗
- SCALES
- SCIENCE TEAM · IN BUILD Keck thermal-infrared imager and integral-field spectrograph.
- MODHIS
- PI · TMT FIRST-LIGHT DESIGN TMT adaptation of the HISPEC architecture.
Testbeds and enabling technologies
- HCST
- PI High-contrast testbed for coronagraph masks, deformable-mirror control, and segmented-aperture methods.
- Fiber nulling
- PI / TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP Vortex-fiber and mode-selective nulling below the conventional diffraction limit.
- Infrared benches
- LAB INFRASTRUCTURE Qualification of coronagraphs, atmospheric-dispersion correctors, fibers, and instrument modules.
- Astrophotonics
- CO-I / COLLABORATOR Photonic lanterns, compact spectrographs, and integrated nulling; the Caltech program is led by Nem Jovanovic.
Space mission studies and current HWO work
- Roman / WFIRST
- INDEPENDENT REVIEW Coronagraph-instrument technical, management, and cost assessment.
- HabEx
- PAST STUDY Science and Technology Definition Team; lead of the coronagraph technology working group.
- LUVOIR
- PAST STUDY Coronagraph Instrument Working Group. HabEx and LUVOIR studies informed the present HWO program.
- HWO
- CURRENT LEADERSHIP Chair of the Concept of Operations and Post-Processing Working Group; apodized-vortex architecture and technology development.
Current leadership
Institutional roles and instrumentation strategy
Current responsibilities span faculty leadership, observatory instrumentation, institutional governance, and NASA mission development.
Caltech faculty and ET Lab
Research, teaching, and supervision; leadership of a laboratory developing exoplanet instrumentation and observing methods.
- Principal investigator for major instrumentation programs
- Undergraduate and graduate instruction
- Supervision of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduates
Caltech Optical Observatories
Strategic and scientific leadership for Caltech’s optical and infrared instrumentation program.
- Roadmaps for Palomar, Keck, TMT, ELTs, and space
- Portfolio priorities and funding recommendations
- Staffing, partnerships, reviews, and major development decisions
IPAC Directorate
Strategic governance of IPAC and alignment of its mission and research activities with Caltech priorities.
- Organizational health and long-term planning
- Mission-specific investments and execution
- Research-proposal oversight and institutional liaison
JPL and HWO
Exoplanet science, coronagraph technology, and mission formulation as a Senior Research Scientist at JPL.
- HWO operations and post-processing leadership
- Apodized-vortex architectures for segmented telescopes
- Technical assessment and mission-concept development
Education and career
Training, observatory operations, and academic leadership
B.S., Civil EngineeringUniversity of Liège
M.Phil., Physical EngineeringUniversity of Liège
M.Phil., ScienceUniversity of Liège
Ph.D., ScienceUniversity of Liège
Liège · Paris–Meudon · Orsay
Marie Curie-supported training in astronomy, nulling interferometry, subwavelength diffractive optics, and achromatic phase shifting; invention and foundational development of the vortex coronagraph.
University of Liège
Postdoctoral research on achromatic phase shifters for ESA Darwin and development of the annular-groove and vector vortex coronagraph.
JPL · Palomar
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Scientist. Modeling, fabrication, and on-sky validation of high-contrast systems, including early vector-vortex demonstrations, P1640, the Well-Corrected Subaperture, and the Palomar Fiber Nuller.
ESO · Paranal Observatory
Operations Staff Astronomer and adaptive-optics scientist and coordinator, with approximately 420 VLT observing nights. Instrument Scientist for SPHERE, NACO, and VISIR at different stages; from the observatory side, he oversaw SPHERE commissioning and its transition into science operations.
Caltech · JPL
Caltech faculty member and ET Lab PI; Professor with tenure from 2019 and David Morrisroe Professor from 2022. Senior Research Scientist at JPL from 2021, member of the IPAC Directorate from 2020, and Director of Instrumentation for Caltech Optical Observatories from 2025.
Teaching, mentorship, and service
Academic and community contributions
Teaching
Caltech courses include Ay 20, Ay 1, Ay 101, Ay 123, Ay/Ge 198, Ay 105, Ay 122a, Ay 141, Ay 142, and Ay 30, spanning introductory astronomy, stellar astrophysics, exoplanets, research instruction, and astronomical instrumentation.
Mentorship
Roughly 50 postdoctoral and graduate researchers and as many undergraduates have trained under his supervision; alumni hold faculty, observatory, engineering, and research posts across universities, JPL, Keck, GMTO, IPAC, and industry.
Selected mission and professional service
TMT Science Advisory Committee; Keck Science Steering Committee; Keck Adaptive Optics Working Group, co-chair; IPAC Directorate; Schmidt Sciences Lazuli mission advisory
Concept of Operations and Post-Processing Working Group, chair; coronagraph technology and mission assessment
HabEx STDT and coronagraph technology leadership; LUVOIR Coronagraph Instrument Working Group; Roman/WFIRST independent review
ExoPAG Executive Committee and SAG 19; National Academies Exoplanet Science Strategy Committee; In the Spirit of Lyot 6 (Caltech 2026), chair; observatory and mission reviews
Selected invited lectures
The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer: discoveries and lessons learned · INVITED PLENARY, AAS
Next-generation diffraction-limited fiber-fed high-resolution infrared spectrographs · TOKYO AND UCLA
Worlds Beyond: detecting and characterizing exoplanets with precision technology · CLEO / OPTICA
Seeing Other Worlds · WATSON LECTURE, CALTECH
Selected honors
Appointments, awards, and fellowships
2024NASA Group Achievement Award, Habitable Worlds Observatory Collaborative Team
2022–presentDavid Morrisroe Professor of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology
2019NASA Agency Honor and Group Achievement Award, HabEx Science and Technology Definition Team
2018NASA Agency Honor and Group Achievement Award, WFIRST independent external review
2013–2014ESO Exceptional Performance Awards, awarded twice
2007NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
2002Marie Curie Research Fellowship
Contact
Contact and institutional profile
Emaildmawet [at] astro.caltech.edu