Design and fabrication of a compact, high-performance interference-filter-based external-cavity diode laser for use in the China Space Station

A hertz-linewidth ultra-stable laser (USL), which will be used to detect the clock transition line, in a strontium optical clock will be launched into the China Space Station (CSS) in late 2022. As the core of the USL, an interference-filter-based externalcavity diode laser (IF-ECDL) was developed. The IF-ECDL has a compact, stable, and environmentally insensitive design. Performances of the IF-ECDL are presented. The developed IF-ECDL can pass the aerospace environmental tests, indicating that the IF-ECDL can be suitable for space missions in the CSS.