The game-changing promises of ELT/METIS for exoplanet imaging

METIS, the mid-infrared ELT imager and spectrograph, is one of the three first-generation instruments of the Extremely Large Telescope. It recently passed its preliminary design review, and is expected to see first light in 2027. Specifically designed to deliver high-contrast imaging capabilities, METIS features advanced coronagraphic concepts such as a ring-apodized vortex coronagraph and an apodizing phase plate. It also comprises a high-resolution (R=100,000) integral field spectrograph covering wavelengths from 3 to 5 µm, which can be combined with the coronagraphic observing modes. Using the full resolving power of the ELT thanks to a high-performance adaptive optics module, METIS promises to reach game-changing performance in the field of exoplanet imaging. In this talk, I will review the design and expected performance of METIS high-contrast imaging modes. I will then describe some of the most appealing science cases that will be addressed by METIS in the field of exoplanet imaging, including the possible discovery of temperate rocky planets in the alpha Centauri system, the high-spectral resolution study of Proxima b, or the spectral characterization of exoplanets discovered by radial velocities or astrometry (Gaia follow-up). I will conclude this talk by decribing our plans to deploy machine learning techniques in the operation and data analysis of the METIS high contrast imaging modes.