Optical Filters
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is proposing a sole-source contract award to Indie Photonics for the procurement of specialized optical filters and related components critical to advancing quantum computing, sensing, and communications research. The requirement includes one unit of a narrowband tunable optical filter with specification OPP2031649–1.3, two units of a different narrowband tunable optical filter with specification OPP2031649–2.1, two custom-designed phase masks, and three power and control units with associated software and drivers. The agency has determined that Indie Photonics is the only supplier capable of meeting the stringent technical requirements, particularly the ultra-high isolation of 100 dB and operation at the quantum limit without PID locking, which are essential for scaling superconducting qubit systems and interfacing them with other qubit modalities. No other vendor can replicate these performance metrics, and Indie Photonics does not utilize a reseller network, solidifying its status as the sole provider. This notice serves as a presolicitation under FAR Part 12 for commercial products and services, and while it is not a request for competitive bids, responsible sources may submit capability statements by July 16, 2026, to demonstrate that competition would yield a benefit to the government. All submissions will be reviewed, but the decision to proceed with sole-source procurement remains at the government’s sole discretion. The anticipated contract award is scheduled for on or before July 30, 2026, and a formal sole-source justification will accompany the eventual notice of award. The North American Industry Classification System code is 333310, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees, and the point of contact for all inquiries is Brooke McDonald at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, New York.
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
Rome, NY, 13441, USASet-Aside
Documents
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Full Description
This is a Notice of Proposed Contract Action under RFO Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services. This notice is for information only; a solicitation will not be issued. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION. No contract will be awarded on the basis of offers received in response to this notice. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 333310 with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.
The Government requires the procurement of optical filters, and intends to negotiate a sole-source award for this requirement with Indie Photonics, 2716 Einstein Quebec G1P 4S8 Canada. Relevant Inie Photonics part numbers and product descriptions are as follows:
Item 1, qty. 1 each – Part #: OF-TFN-80K, Narrowband Tunable Optical Filter
- TFN-1550.550-U600-IL2-30-C1S-C3
- Specifications: OPP2031649 – 1.3
Item 2, qty. 2 each – Part #: OF-TFN-80K, Narrowband Tunable Optical Filter
- TFN-1351.000-U600-IL2-30-C1S-C3
- Specifications: OPP2031649 – 2.1
Item 3, qty. 2 each – Part #: PHASE MASK- IL
- Design and production of a phase mask
Item 4, qty. 3 each – Part #: TERA-PU-F
- Power and control unit for TFN T+R module. Includes all necessary cables.
- Software and PC drivers
The Government has determined that other companies' products and services do not meet or cannot be modified to meet the Government's needs. The required filters require no PID locking and approach the quantum limit with 100 dB of isolation, a metric no other company can provide. High isolation filters are necessary specifically for operating quantum transducers. Without these filters, the Government would not be able to scale superconducting qubit systems to utility scale, or connect superconducting qubits to other qubit modalities. The high isolation filters are a critical component of AFRL’s progress on research on connecting different quantum systems together in order to advance quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications. Interchanges with Indie Photonics have yielded that they are the sole manufacturer of the required items and do not maintain a network of resellers for their products. Accordingly, the Government has determined Indie Photonics to be the sole-source provider of the required optical filters as detailed above.
This is a notice of proposed contract action and not a request for competitive proposals; however, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement or proposal, which shall be considered by the agency. All inquiries should be sent by email to brooke.mcdonald@us.af.mil. Responses must be submitted by the date/time listed on the notice. Any response to this notice must show clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government in future procurements.
Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The Government anticipates an award date on or before 30 July 2026.
A Sole Source Justification will be attached to the subsequent Notice of Award in accordance with applicable regulation.