A Tunable Optical Frequency Reference Module Based on a Volume Holographic Bragg Grating

J. Hirsch, S. Kubitza, M. Schiemangk, M. Schilling, and A. Wicht

Published in:

IEEE Photonics J., vol. 18, no. 1, art. 5100107, doi:10.1109/JPHOT.2026.3654409 (2026).

Abstract:

We present a robust and compact micro-integrated, frequency-tunable, optical frequency reference module developed to improve the long-term frequency stability of lasers in quantum technology and satellite laser communication applications. The module is based on a volume holographic Bragg grating (VHBG) and features a multi-level temperature stabilization concept, packaged into a sealed housing with dimensions of 96 × 96 × 35 mm³. The module has a frequency tuning range of more than 65 GHz with a near-linear behavior. We demonstrate short-term frequency stabilities between 2 × 10⁵ Hz²/Hz and 4 × 10⁷ Hz²/Hz in the Fourier frequency range from 20 Hz to 200 kHz, and a minimum overlapping Allan deviation of σ(τ = 1000 s)=1.7 × 10⁻¹⁰, and 1.5 × 10⁻⁹ over 24 h. The module can also be operated as a wavemeter and spectrometer, yielding residuals below 0.33 GHz with second-order polynomial regression calibration, and reliably measuring frequency noise PSDs of lasers whose noise exceeds that of the reference module.

Index Terms:

Optical frequency reference, micro-integrated, frequency-tunable, Bragg grating.

© 2026 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License. For more information, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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