  Direct detection is a very promising field in exoplanet science. It allows
the detection of companions with large separation and allows their spectral
analysis. A few planets have already been detected and are under spectral
analysis. But the full spectral characterization of smaller and colder planets
requires higher contrast levels over large spectral bandwidths. Coronagraphs
can be used to reach these contrasts, but their efficiency is limited by
wavefront aberrations. These deformations induce speckles, star lights leaks,
in the focal plane after the coronagraph. The wavefront aberrations should be
estimated directly in the science image to avoid usual limitations by
differential aberrations in classical adaptive optics. In this context, we
introduce the Self- Coherent Camera (SCC). The SCC uses the coherence of the
star light to produce a spatial modulation of the speckles in the focal plane
and estimate the associated electric complex field. Controlling the wavefront
with a deformable mirror, high contrasts have already been reached in
monochromatic light with this technique. The performance of the current version
of the SCC is limited when widening the spectral bandwidth. We will present a
theoretical analysis of these issues and their possible solution. Finally, we
will present test bench performance in polychromatic light.
