Longwave Photonics LLC

Longwave Photonics LLC is a minority-owned small business located in Mountain View, California, specializing in advanced terahertz technologies and research. The company focuses on developing and providing sophisticated terahertz-related equipment, quantum cascade lasers, and specialized optical systems for federal research agencies. Registered in SAM.gov since 2009, Longwave Photonics is structured as a Limited Liability Company and is recognized as an Asian-Pacific American owned business, demonstrating its commitment to diversity in the high-tech research and development sector.

The company has secured multiple federal contract awards primarily from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and NASA, predominantly through purchase orders and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts. These contracts consistently involve the development and delivery of highly specialized terahertz quantum cascade laser (THz-QCL) systems, modules, and chips. The contracts range in value from $30,100 to $340,000 and are typically set aside for small businesses. Longwave Photonics has provided critical components for research purposes, including terahertz laser modules for microscopic carbon nanotube coating measurements, quantum cascade laser systems for spectro-radiometry calibration, and components supporting space-based navigation and detection technologies.

In the federal grant space, Longwave Photonics has been awarded at least one significant grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The grant, valued at approximately $125,000, focused on developing an innovative Quantum Cascade Laser Based Anisotropic THz Microscope (QCL-ATM) for allosteric drug discovery research. This grant demonstrates the company's capability to bridge advanced optical engineering with biological research, specifically targeting the development of a specialized microscopy system that can probe molecular vibrations and potentially revolutionize drug discovery techniques by providing new methods for understanding protein dynamics and identifying allosteric drug targets.