23-01573 Sources Sought 3-31-2023.pdf

NB6840302301573

6640 / 334516

Primary POC: Ian Robinson (ian.robinson@nist.gov)

Title: Ultra-Stable Telecom Laser

BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) seeks information on vendors that can provide a commercial ultra-stable telecom laser to serve as a source of coherent light with long coherence length.

The ultra-stable laser is required to probe and stabilize the phase instabilities in long optical quantum communication links on the one hand and to generate coherent states with long coherence length to use as data carrier on the other. It is important that the laser light has a superb frequency stability and, as a consequence, long coherence length, so that the light that traveled over a long fiber link is still coherent with the light from the same source that did not. The NIST Quantum Measurement Division will use the laser to probe phase stability in different types of optical fiber links, to interferometrically stabilize such links and to create light states with long coherence lengths for quantum-assisted data distribution. The applications of the technology under development range from advancing classical and quantum telecommunication networks to research in distributed classical and quantum sensors.

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a commercial item solution that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications:

General Description:

Ultra-Stable Telecom Laser

Specifications:

1) If an outside electrical power source is needed, the laser or its controller should be compatible with 100-120V/60Hz, 1-phase input.

2) Operating Ambient Temperature: from 18C to 30C, maintaining all performance specs in this entire range

3) Operating Wavelength: single-frequency, 1550.12nm with the accuracy of 0.1nm

4) During the operation, the laser must be frequency-locked to an optical cavity.

5) The laser should be able to be locked to a frequency that is offset from the cavity resonance by a user-selectable offset frequency. The offset frequency range should be -1.5 GHz to +1.5 GHz, but may exclude the narrow frequency band around the cavity mode, not to exceed a range of -50 to +50 MHz.

6) If frequency lock to a cavity is lost, the system should relock automatically, and the user should be able to log unlock events.

7) Optical output power: 10mW or more when frequency stabilized

8) Output frequency stability:

a. Allan deviation at 1s: 4 x 10-15 or less, no adjustment for a long-term drift, if any

b. Allan deviation at 10s: 1 x 10-14 or less, no adjustment for a long-term drift, if any

9) Output frequency long-term drift: 25 kHz or less per 24 hours

10) Fully automated system with all user controls accessible through the front panel and the GUI via

USB on a user-provided laptop. The user should be able to select front panel or GUI operation, as required.

11) Remote control (via get and set commands) using the http interface through the network connection.

12) If the system requires vacuum, the vacuum pump should be included

13) All auxiliary equipment required for meeting specs should be provided. This includes vibration isolation hardware, temperature controller(s), FPGA electronics.

14) Optical cavity should be included, and

a. Cavity length: 90mm – 110mm

b. Surface quality (scratch/dig) of its mirrors: 20-10 or better

c. Finesse at 1550 nm: 550000 or higher

d. Cavity’s zero-crossing temperature should be determined by measurement

e. Must be housed in a temperature-controlled environment that can be tuned to the zero-crossing of the cavity

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response: Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact specialist listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

• Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).

• Identify commercial equipment that your company sells that is of the nature addressed in the

BACKGROUND section of this notice. Include brand name, make, model, and/or other distinguishing information.

• State if your company is the manufacturer of the identified equipment or is a retailer or wholesaler that normally sells the identified equipment. If the latter, indicate whether the manufacturer authorized in writing for your company to sell the identified equipment on behalf of the manufacturer.

• Describe performance capabilities and relevant or beneficial physical and functional features for any equipment you identified to satisfy the NIST-identified minimum specifications described in this notice.

• Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or contain unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your ability to fully participate and indicate why. In such a scenario, please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more inclusive and competitive.

• Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.

• For the NAICS code listed in this notice:

o Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.

See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.

o If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.

• Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.

• Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the aforementioned equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms:

manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services. Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.

• State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the aforementioned equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of services. Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company. Indicate if your company would be interested inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.

• State published price, discount or rebate arrangements for aforementioned equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services.

• State whether the aforementioned equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.

• Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details.

• If the aforementioned equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing

Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

• Identify any customers in the public or private sectors in which you provided the aforementioned or similar equipment. Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.

• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

• State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.

This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.

Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice.

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!