Optical Frequency Comb

The National Institute of Standards and Technology seeks quotation for one Optical Frequency Comb system with proposals due August 7, 2026. This is an unrestricted, small business eligible procurement using Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation.

Place of performance is Boulder, Colorado (325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305). The system must support high-stability optical cavity work, optical frequency ratio measurements, and future optical timescale development at primary wavelengths of 1070 nm, 1156 nm, and 1542 nm, with extensions possible at 729 nm and 1348 nm covering a range of 500 nm to 2100 nm. Critical performance specifications include frequency stability below 5×10¹⁸ at 1 second relative noise, frequency ratio measurement accuracy achieving offsets below 1×10¹⁹ at averaging times beyond 10,000 seconds, integrated phase noise below 65 milliradians across 2 MHz bandwidth, and high bandwidth control exceeding 1 MHz of repetition rate and carrier-envelope offset. The system must deliver six comb output channels, up to eight optical input channels (600–2000 nm wavelength range) for beatnote generation, and up to eight RF output channels capable of producing beatnotes with 50 dB signal-to-noise ratio in 100 kHz resolution bandwidth. The system must be rack-mountable (3U height) with ethernet monitoring and control.

Delivery and installation must be completed within 36 weeks of award, followed by 14 business days for government acceptance testing. NIST furnishes stable laser sources, a 19-inch electronics rack, and optical table space. Quotations must include firm fixed price with all shipping costs (FOB Destination), country of origin/manufacture documentation, and technical capability documentation demonstrating specification compliance. Price quotations remain valid for 180 days from submission. Offerors must maintain active SAM registration with valid UEI. The NAICS code is 334516; PSC is 6640.