Expected performance of exoplanet and disk observations with MICADO high-contrast mode

MICADO, the first-light near infrared imager for the European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), will be equipped with a dedicated high-contrast imaging mode optimized for the observation and characterization of exoplanets and circumstellar disks. With significantly enhanced sensitivity and angular resolution compared to existing instruments like SPHERE or GPI, MICADO will greatly advance our understanding of these planetary systems. The instrument includes a suite of coronagraphic tools with three classical Lyot coronagraphs, one vector-apodizing phase plate (vAPP), and two sparse aperture masks. Detailed numerical simulations have been carried out to estimate the performance showing that MICADO will extend SPHERE's effective search area for very young giant and massive planets to shorter orbital separations (a few AU) from nearby stars and around more distant stellar associations (100-150 pc), enabling better synergy with GAIA and radial velocity study capabilities. The gain in angular resolution and sensitivity should also allow MICADO to characterize more distant debris disks than SPHERE, and provide more detailed images of the nearest disks. MICADO will also be equipped with a long slit spectroscopic mode allowing high-resolution study of exoplanetary atmospheres (R = 20 000). In this contribution, we will present the expected performance of the high-contrast mode, show application examples of exoplanet and disk observations with MICADO, and quantify the detection level.