Get to know Harsh’s research: Next-generation Extreme Precision Radial Velocity (EPRV) experiments demand stability approaching < 1 cm/s over years. Current spectrographs rely on passive stability, struggling to maintain this precision due to long-term degradation from optical path length deviation. We introduce the Single-Mode Autonomous Solar Heterodyne Spectrograph (SMASHSpec), a novel, actively-stabilized, cross-dispersed echelle EPRV spectro- graph. SMASHSpec improves stability using active path length metrology and thermal control within a cryo- genic vacuum environment. It features a cross-dispersed echelle layout for high resolution (R > 100, 000) over a broad 380–930 nm bandpass. Accepting light via a single-mode fiber from a solar micro-telescope, SMASH- Spec serves as a stability testbed. It will use a Laser Frequency Comb (LFC) for calibration, targeting a radial velocity stability of a few cm/s/year. Future designs will incorporate LISA-style interferometric Nd:YAG laser cavities to continuously provide precise metrology, driving an active feedback loop to reshape the optical bench and maintain stability over decades. We will present the design details and progress-to date on SMASHSpec.

Harh’s advice: “One of the most important pieces of advice I can offer is to pursue research even when you don’t feel ready. Research isn’t something you master before you start, it’s something you learn as you go. Every question you can’t answer, every mistake you make, every moment of confusion is part of the process. The researchers you look up to felt the same uncertainty when they started — they just decided to show up anyway. Trust that you’ll figure it out along the way and let the experience itself be what prepares you. You don’t need to be ready. You just need to start.”