Volume holographic narrow-band optical filter

An 0.0125-nm (FWHM) bandwidth optical filter with >10% throughput, clean sidebands, f/12 speed, and a response roll-off of -40 dB/decade has been developed by using volume holography in photorefractive materials. The performance of the Accuwave holographic filter is characterized and compared with that of a Lyot filter, which is the standard for solar astronomy today. Moreover, this device represents the first commercial application of volume holography in photorefractive crystals.