KAFB Optical Detection System

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to identify potential sources capable of performing the effort described herein pursuant to FAR part 10, Market Research and FAR part 19, Small Business Programs. This is for planning purposes only. Any information submitted by respondents to this Source Sought Notice is voluntary. The Air Force does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. Respondents should not construe this notice as a commitment by the Air Force for any purpose, and should refrain from providing proprietary information in the response. 1. INTRODUCTION: This is the initial step in the planning process for initial set-up/education of Optical Detection Systems for Visible and Short Wave Infrared Spectroscopy (specifications attached). The 377 MSG/PKB at Kirtland Air Force Base seeks sources for the following specifications: ----- Optical Detection Systems for Visible and Short Wave Infrared Spectroscopy Two separate detection systems are required for upcoming scientific experiments. The two respective systems cover separate parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and should be scientific grade detectors (sometimes referred to as "scientific cameras") suitable for low-light level operations. Both detectors should be coupled to spectrometers capable of dispersing input light into its constituent wavelengths. Detailed specifications follow: Visible-near-infrared (NIR) detection system: The spectrometer system must: - have a 100-200 mm focal length. - Have a single entrance aperture and single exit aperture capable of mounting the associated scientific detector (specs below) - Reflective and refractive surfaces should be silver or protected silver - Silver grating should be of sufficient lines per mm so as to provide greater than 500 nm of bandpass and resolution of better than 0.85 nm o Grating should be blazed in the 700 - 800 nm range - Spectrometer should have a manually adjustable entrance slit from smaller than 20 ?m when closed to greater than 2 mm when fully open. Slit should be 3 mm high - Spectrometer should be equipped with a fiber adapter suitable with use of the adjustable slit - have any corrective lenses or offset plates necessary to operate the combined detector spectrometer system The visible-near infrared detector must: - be a scientific grade camera - have greater than 1500 x 200 active pixels - pixel size should be 15-20 micrometers x 15-20 micrometers - allow full vertical binning and imaging mode functionality - have dark currents at max cooling lower than 0.001 electrons per pixel per second - read noise at slowest readout should be lower than 5 electrons - sensor response within well depth capacity should have linearity better than 99% - be suitable for detection of photons from 300 -1000 nm (QE > 10%) - have peak quantum efficiency greater than 80% in the 300-1000 nm region - CCD should be a back-illuminated, deep-depletion CCD, and should have fringe suppression technology - be equipped with thermoelectric cooler allowing cooling down to temperatures below -85 degrees Celsius with cooling - have water connections suitable for cooling detector to lower temperatures - have 16 bit digitization - have better than 80 kHz maximum pixel readout rate - have, at minimum, a USB 2.0 interface - be controllable with LabView software; acceptable approaches are standalone virtual instruments or software development kits (SDKs) capable of accessing all settings on the scientific detector. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) detector with spectrometer system The spectrometer system must: - have a 100-200 mm focal length. - Have a single entrance aperture and single exit aperture capable of mounting the associated scientific detector (specs below) - Reflective and refractive surfaces should be silver or protected silver - Silver grating should be of sufficient lines per mm so as to provide greater than 1100 nm of bandpass and resolution of better than 3.0 nm o Grating should be blazed in the 1300 - 1400 nm range - Additional silver grating should be of sufficient lines per mm so as to provide greater than 500 nm or bandpass with better than 1 nm resolution o Grating should be blazed as near to 1200 nm as possible - Spectrometer should have a manually adjustable entrance slit from smaller than 20 ?m when closed to greater than 2 mm when fully open. Slit should be 3 mm high - Spectrometer should be equipped with a SMA style adapter for use with SMA fiber optics - have any corrective lenses or offset plates necessary to operate the combined detector spectrometer system The detector system must: - be of the InGaAs type, scientific grade - be suitable for the detection of photons in the 600 to 1700 nm range - have greater than 500 horizontal pixels - have pixel sizes smaller than 32 micrometers per pixel along the horizontal direction - have dark currents at max cooling lower than 15 kiloelectrons per pixel per second - read noise at slowest readout should be lower than 580 electrons - sensor response within well depth capacity should have linearity better than 99% - have peak quantum efficiency greater than 80% in the 1000-1500 nm region - be equipped with thermoelectric cooler allowing cooling down to temperatures below -85 degrees Celsius with water cooling - have water connections suitable for cooling detector to lower temperatures - have 16 bit digitization - have better than 80 kHz maximum pixel readout rate - have, at minimum, a USB 2.0 interface - be controllable with LabView software; acceptable approaches are standalone virtual instruments or software development kits (SDKs) capable of accessing all settings on the scientific detector. Other requirements: - A recirculating chiller or recirculator system capable of enabling thermoelectric cooler operation near its lowest possible temperatures is required - Shipping to zip code 87117, insurance and any other related costs should be included in submitted quotes. - Any associated power supplies necessary to operate either the spectrometers or scientific detectors should be included. - Any associated power cords, cables, or other components necessary for the proper operation of the equipment should be included. ----- 377 MSG/XXX anticipates conducting a competitive acquisition for this effort. The effort is expected to result in a Firm-Fixed-Price contract. NAICS code is anticipated to be 333314, size standard 500 employees. 2. INSTRUCTIONS: All businesses capable of providing Optical Detection Systems for Visible and Short Wave Infrared Spectroscopy (see attached specifications). Responses shall include company name, address, DUNS number, CAGE code, point of contact with email address and telephone number, and indicate business size (small business, small disadvantaged business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business, woman-owned small business, or HUBZone) using NAICS 333314, size standard 500 employees. The Air Force reserves the right to consider a small business set-aside for any subsequent acquisition based upon responses to this notice. Small business respondents should provide a statement of capabilities to assist the Air Force in making a set-aside decision. Statement of Capabilities are limited to 2 pages, and should demonstrate capability to provide brand name or equal to Sparta Corp for initial set-up/education of Optical Detection Systems for Visible and Short Wave Infrared Spectroscopy (specifications attached). Responses must be received no later than 1700 MST 17 Sep 2019, and addressed to Michael Monte, Contract Specialist michael.monte.4@us.af.mil and Elizabeth Sanchez, Contracting Officer elizabeth.sanchez@us.af.mil.