NOTICE OF INTENT: Entangled Photon Source

Notice of Intent to Sole Source

Contracting Opportunities Announcement Type: Special Notice
Announcement Number: NIST-NOI-25-01840

Subject: Procurement of Entangled Photon Source

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate, on a Sole Source basis, under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 with Qunnect Inc. located at 141 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11205-1338 USA, for the procurement of a Entangled Photon Source. This equipment will be utilized by the Communication Technology Laboratory (CTL), Smart Connected System Division (SCSD) at NIST Gaithersburg MD campus.

Sole source determination is based on the need to obtain a system that meets all technical requirements, as specified below, to permit expanded printing capabilities at an increased rate and accuracy.  

Requirements:

Rubidium Vapor Cell Based Entangled Photon Source

Description:  The contractor must provide a fully operational‘Rubidium Vapor Cell Based Entangled Photon Source’ that meets the following technical specifications.

Quantity:  1

Minimum Specifications:

1.1        Warm rubidium vapor, spontaneous four-wave mixing polarization entangled photon source

1.2        Biochromatic photons pairs are at 1324 nm and 795 nm

1.3        Sub-GHz photonic spectral linewidth

1.4        More than 5 million photon pairs/sec with a gSI >= 50

1.5        Heralding efficiency more than 30%

1.6        State fidelity more than 95%

1.7        S parameter greater than 2.7

1.8        Rack mountable

1.9        Continuous Operation: Designed for reliable 24/7 operation

1.10      Power Requirements: 110 V, 15 A

Based on market research, Qunnect Inc. has been identified as the only source capable of meeting all of NIST’s minimum requirement.

*****The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1000 Employees.

*****A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

*****Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing on or before the response due date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation.

*****Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Marvin Jean at marvin.jean@nist.gov . All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted so that they are received at marvin.jean@nist.gov  no later than July 18, 2025 at 12PM Eastern Standard Time.

Each response should include the following Business Information:

1. Contractor Name, Address
2. Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email address
3. Contractor CAGE Code or UEI
4. Contractor Business Classification (i.e, small business, 8(a), woman owned, HUBZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System of Award Management (SAM). All offerors must register in SAM located at https://sam.gov/content/home
5. Capability Statement