66 -- Tunable Littrow Laser

The US Air Force Academy plans to award a sole source purchase order to Sacher Lasertechnik LLC for a highly specialized 20 mW 405 nm tunable Littrow laser, model TEC-100-405-20, along with its associated drive electronics. This laser features continuous wave output, a center wavelength of 405 nm, coarse tuning of 3 nm, fine modehop-free tuning of 4-8 GHz, and a linewidth under 2 MHz at 50 ms. It offers linearly polarized output with a polarization ratio greater than 100:1, modular laser driver units with precise current supplies, beam correction optics to minimize elliptical output, side mode suppression to 30 dB, and long term frequency drift of approximately 300 MHz over 24 hours. The package includes a power supply compatible with standard 110VAC and an integrated temperature controller. The procurement is conducted through simplified acquisition procedures and is justified as a sole source purchase because Sacher Lasertechnik LLC is identified as the only responsible supplier capable of meeting the precise technical requirements and performance standards of this laser system. No other comparable products or services are available to fulfill the agency’s needs, and potential interested parties were invited to demonstrate their capability by February 2, 2007. In the absence of alternative sources meeting these criteria, the contract will be awarded directly to Sacher Lasertechnik LLC, ensuring the acquisition of this specialized technology essential to the Air Force Academy’s operational objectives.