Ca+ PI Laser / 423 nm Laser System

The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting market research under solicitation number NB688000-26-02422 to assess the commercial availability of a 422.8 nm continuous-wave laser system for calcium ion photoionization used in optical clock development. This sources-sought notice, posted on July 23, 2026, with a response deadline of August 2, 2026, is not a formal solicitation or contract but a pre-procurement effort to gather vendor capabilities and determine whether a small business set-aside under NAICS code 334516 is appropriate. The required laser system must deliver greater than 50 mW output power, exhibit a linewidth under 500 kHz, support mode-hop-free tuning over 10 GHz, provide output isolation exceeding 35 dB, and maintain frequency drift below 100 MHz/K, with a beam diameter of 1–2 mm and beam quality (M²) less than 1.2. The system must be designed for in-house diode replacement and include electronic manuals and software. Full delivery, installation, performance verification, and vendor-supplied on-site training must be completed within 16 to 18 weeks after contract award, with final performance and acceptance occurring at NIST’s facility in Boulder, Colorado. Contractors must be capable of direct delivery to the facility, uncrating and removing all packaging materials, and ensuring U.S. citizen personnel are on-site for installation; foreign nationals require 30-day prior registration. The government will furnish stable laser sources and an electronics rack, and vendors must disclose the country of origin for all components. Responses must be submitted electronically to Lisa Stevens at lisa.stevens@nist.gov, limited to four pages, and cannot include marketing brochures. Pricing, contract value, award methodology, evaluation factors, and formal clauses have not been defined, as this is strictly a market research notice with no quotes accepted at this stage.