Widely Tunable AR Laser

Active

Contract Opportunity

NIST-SS25-27

6695 / 334516

Title:  Widely Tunable IR Laser

BACKGROUND

The Photonics and Optomechanics Group developing cutting-edge nanophotonic and cavity optomechanical devices so signal processing, microscopy and sensing. As part of our research on photonic MEMS sensors, we require a short-wave infrared laser with tunable wavelength over a specific wide range. This laser will be used to interrogate micro- and nanophotonic waveguides and cavities for the precision measurement of displacement.

NIST has a need for widely tunable IR laser that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications:

Line Item 0001:

Description: Widely tunable IR laser.

Quantity: One (1)

Technical Specifications:

The tunable laser must have a mode-hop free range that is at least 100 nm wide. The controller must have an interactive screen for selecting operational modes, setting parameters, visualizing optical resonances of an optically interrogated cavity as the laser tunes, and selecting resonances. The controller must be fully digital with 24-bit inputs for the best control resolution. The laser must also include a single mode fiber coupled output. The laser wavelength must be tunable using a coarse motion stage and a piezoelectric motion stage. These tuning methods must be able to operate simultaneously. The laser and power and control electronics must meet or exceed the following specifications:

1. Mode-Hop Free Wavelength Range: at least 1420 nm to 1520 nm


2. Nominal power: at least 15 mW across wavelength range


3. Typical linewidth:
   
4. Beam polarization: Linear > 100:1


5. Fiber coupling efficiency: > 50%


6. Optical isolation efficiency: > 60 dB


7. Optical isolator transmission: > 70%


8. Piezo optical frequency scan range: at least 30 GHz


9. Maximum wavelength scan speed: > 8 nm/s


10. Smallest possible change in laser frequency:
    

Line Item 0002: OPTION 1

Description: Integrated lock electronics.

Quantity: One (1)

Technical Specifications:

The control electronics must include proportion-integral-derivative (PID) controllers and algorithms for locking to the top and side of an optical resonance. The controller must have an interactive screen for selecting visualizing optical resonances of an optically interrogated cavity as the laser tunes and selecting resonances for locking.

1. PID controller bandwidth: > 25 kHz


2. Modulation frequency for resonance locking: Up to 150 kHz

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 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).


• Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements.


• Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.


• Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why. Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.


• For the NAICS code

• 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.


• 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.

• If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

• Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.


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


• Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 9, 2025. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

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

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

This notice is not a request for a quotation. 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.

Attachments/Links