An Absolute Optical Frequency Reference Based on Doppler-Free Spectroscopy of Molecular Iodine Developed for Future Applications in Space

We present the development of a high performance optical frequency reference using Doppler-free spectroscopy of molecular iodine near 532 nm. For future applications in space, special emphasis is put on compactness and robustness of the spectroscopy setup using a specific custom-made design of a multi-pass gas cell in combination with a dedicated assembly-integration technology.