SAM #NB6750202602317

NIST Seeks Low-Power Dual-Comb Laser System for Precision Ranging and Timing

NIST's Communications Technology Laboratory is seeking industry input on a low-power dual-comb laser system for precision ranging and timing applications in Boulder, CO. - Government Buyer: - National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - Communications Technology Laboratory, Spectrum Technology and Research Division, Fiber Sources and Applications Group - Product Requested: - Low-Power Dual-Comb Laser System - Dual fully self-referenceable fiber frequency comb - Integrated pump laser diodes, phase-locking actuators, photoreceivers - USB control interface - Output power: 15 mW - Size: less than 10 liters - Power consumption: less than 20 W - Operating temperature: 20-40°C - Quantity: 1 unit - Unique/Notable Requirements: - System must be capable of high-precision noise characterization for amplifiers and transistors - Low size, weight, and power (SWAP) for potential future space operation - Vendor must have ECCN and active UEI registration - Delivery required within 16 weeks after order - No specific OEMs or vendors are named in the notice - NIST is conducting market research and invites industry feedback on specifications and commercial pricing

Description

Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice for Providers/Suppliers for Low-Power Dual-Comb Laser

Notice ID: NB675020-26-02317

Contract Opportunity Type

Sources Sought

Response Date: 7/23/2026

Product Service Code

   6625—Electrical and Electronic Properties Measuring and Testing

NAICS Code

   334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing

BACKGROUND

This is a notice to request information from industry to help the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) determine the availability and capability of small businesses and other than small businesses to provide a low-power dual-comb laser for the Boulder, CO NIST site.

This notice is strictly to request information for market research purposes to help NIST determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for this requirement. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation, or commitment by the NIST.

OVERVIEW

The NIST, Fiber Sources and Applications group; the critical technology for future fielded systems will be high performance, dual-frequency comb systems. In addition to achieving low relative phase noise by phase-locking to a common continuous wave laser, this dual comb system must also have low size-weight-and-power (SWAP) and the potential for future space operation. require a low-power dual-comb laser with an accurate noise characterization is critical for amplifiers and transistors. See attached draft specifications document.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

NIST anticipates that it will require delivery for a low-power dual-comb laser that is similar to that in the draft specifications, 16 weeks after receipt of order.  

INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM INDUSTRY SOURCES:

NIST invites industry sources to review this notice carefully and to familiarize themselves with the draft specifications document. Thereafter, by the closing date of this notice, NIST encourages those sources to submit responses to lia.arthofer@nist.gov. Do not include proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in a response to this notice.

Responses should be submitted to contain the following, in Microsoft Word format or in .pdf format, use 12-point font, with a page limitation of ten pages (excluding cover page and excluding standard commercial pricing information):

Cover page, including:

Sources Sought Notice number, title, and date of issuance Unique Entity ID Company name Company address Company website address Company points of contact and their phone number and email address Validation of company size status under NAICS: 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. See table of business size standards at https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards for more information. Indicate whether your company has an active registration for procurement purposes in sam.gov.

Provide any suggestions for NIST to consider for the draft specifications, with the goal of improving the draft specifications in a way that makes it clearer and as competitive as possible.

Provide any suggested evaluation factors for award that your company believes would be meaningful for NIST to consider using for the forthcoming competitive acquisition.

If your company has standard commercial pricing information (e.g., “catalog pricing”) for its standard commercial products/services, please provide a copy of it and explain what it includes. NIST will consider standard commercial pricing information to help it estimate a fair market price for the upcoming acquisition.

Your company may also provide an estimate for the draft specification requirements if you would like to do so; however, do not include a quotation for the draft specifications requirements; a quotation submitted in response to this notice will not be considered.

If your company is a small business for the NAICS code included in this notice, indicate whether your company can comply with FAR clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (OCT 2022), if this acquisition were to be conducted as a total small business set-aside and provide supporting explanation. See https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_219_14 for the full text of this clause.

Indicate whether your company has a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract or other federal contract under which NIST would be authorized to place an order and, if so, provide a copy of that contract (including contract number, name and contact information for contracting officer, contract SOW, contract terms and conditions and contract prices).

The NIST reserves the right to follow up on a one-on-one basis with respondents to request additional information or clarifications about information submitted.

Teaming Arrangements

Firms seeking to respond to this notice as part of a team must include the above-requested information for each entity.

Disclaimer

Industry sources must provide information in response to this notice voluntarily, and for fully authorized use without limitation by NIST. This notice does not obligate NIST to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to help NIST assess alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that NIST is under no obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received and other market research, NIST may publish a solicitation on SAM.gov or on GSA eBuy, depending on the approved acquisition strategy. Responses received after the closing date for this notice may not be considered for market research purposes.

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