1-03_-_SOW_Optical_Materials.doc

STATEMENT OF WORK

OPTICAL MATERIALS – AUGUST 2016

1. General

The focus of this effort will include tasks that support Optical Science and Optical Material Research and Development. Support for this effort requires not only technical proficiency operating NRL’s fabrication, characterization and testing equipment but also the ability to utilize existing software applications as needed to detail results, conduct assessments and provide recommendations. Personnel supporting this initiative must also be able to define and create experiments, approaches, processes, and capabilities within the Optical Science task listing. As such, support personnel must be able to function within NRL’s existing laboratory capabilities, innovate new methodologies, characterize and test those approaches and assess results. A demonstrated capability to innovate, combined with prior successful leading edge advances in the subject task areas are critical to providing an indication of likely success in this research field.

2. Functional Support Areas

2.1. Personnel support is needed to conduct research regarding the following Optical Science disciplines:

· Advanced Methods of Glass, Ceramic, and Crystal Fabrication

· Data Collection and Analysis Pertaining to Fiber Characterization

· Innovative Processes that Improve Fiber Characterization Techniques

· Optical Fiber Cable Fabrication

· Advanced Development of Fiber Optic Devices

· Environmental and Vibration Testing

· Chemical Sensing

· Refinement and Improvement of Optical Waveguide Products

· Development and Fabrication of Optical Waveguide Products

· Development of Extruded and Molded Optical Products

· Advanced Applications of Thin Film Depositions on Waveguide Products

· Advanced Infrared Transmissive Materials Design, Fabrication and Performance

· Advanced Methods of Improving Mechanical Properties of Ceramic Products

· Synthesis of Ultra High Purity Ceramic Powders

· Maintenance and Manufacturing Support for Related Research Equipment

· Thin Film Devices

· Optical Systems Algorithm Development

· Aircraft Test Platform Support

· Program Management and Government Range Coordination

2.2. Functional Support Area Expertise

Proposers should provide a description of the advanced methodology that will be provided/conducted in order to execute the tasks established for each functional support area from Para. 2.1 above. Each task area requires a summary response that demonstrates an understanding of the task, references to the capability to operate equipment needed to support the task and any other supporting information related to the task. This should be included in the proposal’s technical approach. Task support methodology understanding can be demonstrated by describing challenges and technical hurdles. Methodology suggested should be supported by company historical capability examples where possible.

3. Statement of Work (By functional support area)

3.1. Advanced Methods of Glass Fabrication

3.1.1. Investigate advanced methods for the fabrication of glass preforms. Conduct experiments to meet quantity, quality and dimensional specifications based upon engineering analysis and experimentation that leads to the fabrication of glass preforms. Must be able to properly operate and maintain the following: glove box, high vacuum sealing system with turbo pump and an oxy-methane torch. Operations include batching and loading material, mixing and melting material using single and multi-zone rocking furnaces and quenching samples while ensuring the system is operational. Must be able to handle emergencies should the system become compromised.

3.1.2. Investigate extrusion methods for forming glass parts

3.1.3. In tandem with NRL or an outside partner, design, create and utilize high-quality quartz ampoules for glass fabrication experiments.

3.1.4. Conduct analysis of the preform shape, dimension and quality.

3.1.5. Investigate methods to draw optical fibers.

3.2. Data Collection and Analysis Pertaining to Fiber Characterization

3.2.1. Establish methods for, and quantify the performance characteristics of optical fibers.

3.2.2. Conduct engineering analysis on glass experiments in order to evaluate glass. Operations for this task includes operating the following: DSC/SDT system, FTIR spectrometer and/or CARY UV-Vis spectrometer, XRD, EDS, Class II Violet Laser Confocal microscope, 1.3µm Class IIIa laser and a low speed saw to obtain polishing samples. User must operate equipment properly and periodically conduct maintenance.

3.2.3. Operate and service an Analect FTIR Spectrometer. Operations include those needed for measuring Optical Fiber Loss, ensuring the system is operating properly, conducting routine maintenance, and handling emergencies when the system becomes compromised.

3.2.4. Operate and service an Olympus Optical Microscope. Operations include those needed for measuring core and clad dimensions, ensuring the system is operating properly, conducting routine maintenance, and handling emergencies when the system becomes compromised.

3.2.5. Operate and service a Luna Optical Backscatter Reflectometer. Operations include those needed for testing the throughput of optical fiber, determining defect or break sites within the fiber, ensuring the system is operating properly, conducting routine maintenance, and handling emergencies when the system becomes compromised.

3.2.6. Operate and service the various lasers and other light sources and detectors/power meters. Operations include those needed for measuring Optical Fiber Loss, measuring lifetime, testing the high-power handling capability of the fibers, ensuring the systems are operating properly, conducting routine maintenance, and handling emergencies when the systems becomes compromised.

3.2.7. Use LabView software to control and acquire data from various pieces of equipment. Includes running, programming, updating and configuring LabView Virtual Instruments.

3.2.8. Use Zemax optical design and simulation software. Includes running, programming, updating and configuring optical parts.

3.2.9. Must be able to use RSoft photonic design software to model optics systems and fiber designs. Includes running, programming, updating and configuring models of optical systems and fibers.

3.3. Innovative Processes that Improve Fiber Characterization Techniques

3.3.1. Conduct analysis of the fiber shape, dimension, concentricity and sample quality across a variety of fiber drawing techniques using an optical microscope.

3.3.2. Conduct experiments to meet quantity, quality and dimensional specifications based upon engineering analysis and experimentation that result in production and identification of high-quality optical fiber. Must be able to operate, service and clean one custom-built 4m draw tower, one 8m fiber draw tower and associated draw equipment. Operations include drawing fiber, coating and curing with UV acrylate, maintaining a furnace, laser micrometer and drumwinder, as well as ensuring the system is operating properly, conducting routine maintenance and to handle emergencies should the system become compromised.

3.3.3. In tandem with NRL or outside partners, create, evaluate and utilize high-quality quartz crucibles for glass fiberizing experiments.

3.4. Optical Fiber Cable Fabrication

3.4.1. Develop and refine methods for cabling “specialty” fiber optics. This includes endface preparation, polishing, connector design, connector selection, jacketing, and fiber optic protection.

3.4.2. Operate and service the Ultratec Ultrapol Polisher. Operations include those needed for polishing optical fiber, ensuring the system is operating properly, conducting routine maintenance, and handling emergencies when the system becomes compromised.

3.4.3. Operate and service the Promet FiBO Fiber interferometer. Operations include those needed for measuring polished fiber endface quality, ensuring the system is operating properly, conducting routine maintenance, and handling emergencies when the system becomes compromised.

3.5. Advanced Development of Fiber Optic Devices

3.5.1. Design and fabricate fiber optic devices such as switches, couplers, combiners and variable optical attenuators.

3.5.2. Develop a 2- micron mode-locked fiber laser. Must be able to operate the PM fusion splicer and fiber recoater.

3.5.3. Identify problems, test alternatives and demonstrate the ability to provide a fiber amplifier that can achieve a performance level for a 2 micron mode-locked fiber laser.

3.5.4. Must be able to operate and service Fiber Optic Splicers. Operations include those needed for splicing fiber, tapering fiber, ensuring the system is operating properly, conduct routine maintenance, and handling emergencies should the system become compromised

3.6. Environmental and Vibration Testing

3.6.1. Conduct testing of infrared countermeasure components based on MIL-SPEC standards for temperature, humidity and vibration profiles.

3.6.2. Must be able to operate and service the Thermotron F-40-CHMV Environmental and Vibration Testing Chamber. Operations include those needed for programming and operating the Chamber, ensuring the system is operating properly, conduct routine maintenance, and handling emergencies should the system becomes compromised.

3.7. Chemical Sensing

3.7.1. Develop methods, investigate and assess capabilities utilizing fiber optics, waveguides and infrared materials for detection, classification and related atmospheric chemical sensing applications.

3.8. Refinement and improvement of Optical Waveguide Products

3.8.1. Advance the state of the art capability for the performance of traveling wave guide modulators when operating above 20 GHz. This includes identifying technical issues, conducting modeling, analysis and test activities in order to yield design applications.

3.9. Development and Fabrication of Optical Waveguide Products

3.9.1. Fabricate electro-optic devices with an emphasis on Lithium Niobate modulators.

3.10. Development of Extruded and Molded Optical Products

3.10.1. Establish methods for, and quantify the performance characteristics of, extruded and molded samples.

3.10.2. Conduct engineering experiments utilizing extruding and molding methods to create unique samples including graded-index, laminated structures and more complex architecture and shapes. Operations include the use of a furnace, motorized punch and die needed for extrusion and molding. Must be able to ensure systems are operating properly, conduct routine maintenance and to handle emergencies should the system become compromised.

3.11. Advanced Applications of Thin Film Depositions on Waveguide Products

3.11.1. Design, control and apply thin film depositions for electro optical waveguide devices.

3.12. Create advanced Infrared Transmissive Materials, Design/Fabrication processes and improve IR performance capabilities

3.12.1. Conduct research, fabrication, characterization and assessment of low loss IR glass, ceramic and crystal materials with the objective of eliminating or mitigating impurities that create these losses.

3.12.2. Identify, develop, fabricate and test new materials and/or material combinations that possess unique thermo-optical properties that would yield a low optical path distortion.

3.12.3. Assist in developing processing methods to shape glasses, ceramics and crystals into complex geometric shapes.

3.13. Advanced Methods of Improving Mechanical Properties of Ceramic Products

3.13.1. Assist in developing light-weight, multi-round-hit, transparent armor, domes, and windows that incorporate novel densification techniques.

3.13.2. Operate, service and be capable of executing appropriate emergency procedures whenever needed while using the following additional laboratory equipment:

3.13.2.1. MRF Refractory Metal Vacuum Furnace with Hydrogen system

3.13.2.2. Oxygen High Temperature Graphite Vacuum Furnace

3.13.2.3. Thermolyne 21100 Tube Furnace

3.13.2.4. Sentro Tech Corp 1700 deg. C Tube Furnace

3.13.2.5. Sturtevant OM2 Micronizer

3.13.2.6. Avure 42260 Cold Isostatic Press

3.13.2.7. Buehler Power Pro 500, EcoMet III and 250 Grinders

3.13.2.8. Buehler IsoMet 1000 Precision saw

3.13.2.9. Netzsch DIL 402 High Temp Dilatometer

3.13.2.10. JEOLJSM-7001F Thermal Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope

3.13.2.11. ASAP 2020 Physisorption Analyzer

3.13.2.12. Horiba LA-950 High Performance Laser Diffraction Analyzer

3.13.2.13. TA Instruments Q600 and SDT 2960 Analysis Unit

3.13.2.14. Micrometrics AccuPyc II 1340 Pycnometer

3.13.2.15. Zeiss Discovery V-20 Stereo Microscope

3.13.2.16. Keyence VK-9700 Laser Scanning Microscope

3.13.2.17. Sintage XDS 2000 X-Ray Diffraction unit

3.14. Synthesis of Ultra High Purity Ceramic Powders

3.14.1. Develop, test, and evaluate production processes that improve upon the purity of ceramic powders, such as silicon carbide, spinel and laser materials.

3.15. Maintenance and Manufacturing Support for Related Research Equipment

3.15.1. Maintain, oversee and perform preventative and repair services for clean rooms established as class 100 and 1000 as needed to keep them in service. Additional clean rooms may come online during the period of performance that will also need upkeep.

3.15.2. Provide management oversight and hands on maintenance and repair of Optical Sciences environmental control systems, compressed gasses, and liquid storage facilities and delivery systems. When needed, coordinate for acquisition, installation, operations and maintenance of additions systems.

3.15.3. Operate, service, and repair laboratory Chiller equipment in order to reduce temperature variances to less than 2 deg. C.

3.15.4. Conduct daily rounds of laboratory service equipment such as desiccant air dryers, air compressors, liquid nitrogen tanks, and exhaust fume hoods in order to ensure safe operations and serviceable conditions exist.

3.15.5. Act as the coordinating source to identify, coordinate and ensure routine maintenance personnel operating within the building understand and support critical laboratory condition requirements in the execution of their facilities maintenance tasks.

3.15.6. Supervise routine invasive maintenance and new construction in order to minimize laboratory system down-time, eliminate damage or contamination of optical science’s laboratory equipment. Review routine construction/renovation plans to mitigate laboratory condition degrades or delays during construction periods or over the life-cycle of the activity. Make expeditious repairs when needed during and after work hours. Acquire parts, tooling, and materials as needed to minimize system down times for all repairs and upgrade initiatives.

3.15.7. Conduct revolving inventory, inspection, documentation and safety compliance for additional “non-complex”, equipage such as ventilation systems, temperature controls, entry and exit environmental seals, and isolation systems from main work spaces.

3.16. Thin Film Devices

3.16.1. Use NRL physical vapor deposition systems, such as sputtering, atomic layer deposition, CVD and evaporation, to deposit thin films required to produce electro-optic devices. Perform a characterization of both the thin film materials and the fabricated devices.

3.16.2. Experiment and evolve techniques, compounds and characterization methods in order to synthesize large area devices for capability demonstrations.

3.17. Optical Systems Algorithm Development

3.17.1. Assist in the development of algorithms that filter large volumes of data in real time to identify targeted information by assessing, spatial, temporal, spectral, waveform, and other specific data property characteristics. Algorithm development target areas include: Laser-based sensor implementations, chemical or biological threat detection, threat weapon system, IR countermeasures, detection, alerting, locating, and classification from ground sea-based, ground land-based and airborne platforms. Provide algorithm development for countermeasures and countermeasure effectiveness evaluation for real-time responses. Support efforts for the investigation and assessment of related foreign technical material acquisition and exploitation.

3.18. Aircraft test platform support

3.18.1. Provide a fixed wing flight platform capable of being task configured with alternative optical components, sensors, systems for flight testing, flight data collection, flight demonstration with both real time experiment feedback. The platform should be capable of flight in instrumented flight rules during administration transit to test locations and visual flight rules during operational testing. An additional task benefit would include operational testing during instrument flight conditions while in the test area.

3.18.2. Provide or obtain all required FAA certifications as needed to allow Normal, Prohibited and Experimental category flights throughout the continental US in order to capture performance capabilities over various surface features, environmental conditions and flight vehicle scenarios. Aircraft may be certified as normal, prohibited or experimental but the objective task is to retain a normal category while allowing NRL employees to operate, observe and control in flight experimental and data collection equipage.

3.18.3. Provide an information and image link when within visual range between the airborne platform and the ground facility. The system should be capable of relaying critical test information between the aircraft and ground station.

3.18.4. On occasion provide two flight vehicles in order to evaluate, demonstrate or operate equipment that must perform missions requiring a target air vehicle and a sensor platform vehicle. (Aircraft do not require speeds in excess of FAA maximum speeds allowed for the operating areas. Aircraft experimentation speeds are anticipated to be between 110 and 250 knots with flights below 20,000 feet and without aerobatic maneuvering.)

3.18.5. Provide a flight crew (at least one but not greater than two) and equipment support personnel (up to two as needed) capable of operating for up to one month at continental US deployment sites.

Note: Proposers should provide equipment and personnel support costs as an individually captured cost using the following sample parameters:

Flights conducted are 1.5-2.0 hours with testing flown within visual range of NRL’s Chesapeake Beach Detachment facilities. Cost should capture a yearly flight hour program of 120 hours, with no more than three fly days per week, over one month for a total of five such efforts per year. NRL will need access to the aircraft equipage each day in order to adjust or calibrate systems. Cost should identify rates for flight hours by aircraft type, crew hours/ pilot (assume only one pilot is needed unless the aircraft being proposed requires a crew of two) Identify both flying and ground time aircraft and labor cost). Do not include any engineering costs for the installation and certification of the equipage. Routine maintenance and aircraft repairs will not be covered by the government. Anticipate a contract “Option” will be initiated for each flight project that details overall cost allowance and reimbursement, such as transit costs, lodging, per diem, FAA engineering approvals, system installation, data collection, storage and transmission tailoring.

3.19. Program Management and Government Range Coordination

3.19.1. Provide personnel management and oversight of contractor employees’ efforts to ensure the government research objectives will be satisfied.

3.19.2. Provide management support by submitting monthly labor hours, financial summaries, and activity reports.

3.19.3. Monitor non-routine emergent facility maintenance requirements such as overtime labor authorization, replacement parts authorization, and expedite repairs to minimize laboratory down-time.

3.19.4. Assist in the coordination of range testing to include scheduling, safety certification requirements, communication administration, test briefings/reviews, and asset employment (such as weapons, platforms, emulations, and maneuvers)

3.20 Contract Data Requirements List

3.20.1. Provide monthly financial status Report/Cost Report on a monthly basis reporting all labor expenditures (person, hours worked, cost);

materials (description, cost, use); and travel (traveller’s name, date, purpose and cost) on the 15th of each month.

3.20.2 Provide monthly labor hour report (people and number of hours worked for the prior month) by the 10th of each month.

3.20.3 Provide quarterly progress report every 90 days.

3.20.4 Provide task technical reports as required.

4. Security Requirements All Contractor personnel who require NRL base access or access to NRL unclassified material and/or unclassified systems shall possess a favorably completed DoD Tier 3 investigation. Contractors who require access to Secret material must have, at a minimum, a favorably completed DoD Tier 3 investigation and final DoD granted Secret security clearance the time of proposal submission. Contractor personnel requiring Top Secret/SCI access must have, at a minimum a favorably completed DoD Tier 5 investigation with eligibility of SCI at the time of proposal submission.

All contractors (including subcontractors) identified in the Statement of Work shall supplement their current security practices by requiring any personnel involved in executing the contract to complete. Government-sponsored and administered Operations Security (OPSEC) training, OPSE-1301 and any OPSEC guidance that may pertain to the project.

Contractor personnel who possess a DoD Interim Secret security clearance may only work on unclassified tasks, specifically tasks 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.10, 3.13, 3.14, and 3.15 outlined in this SOW until their final Secret DoD granted personnel security clearance is granted.

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