Sources Sought Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Dual Optical Frequency Comb System

NIST-SS26-06 

6640 / 334516

Primary POC: Liz Timberlake (Elizabeth.timberlake@nist.gov)  

Secondary POC: Donald Collie (Donald.collie@nist.gov)    

Title:  Dual Optical Frequency Comb System 

BACKGROUND 

***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE*** 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a dual optical frequency comb system. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to X3 Optics LLC (1880 S Flatiron Ct, Suite F, Boulder, CO 80301) under the authority of FAR 12.102(a) only one reasonably found source. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516.   

NIST has a need for a dual optical frequency comb system that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications: 

The Contractor shall provide one (1) array spectroradiometer that meet the following minimum specifications: 

1.Comb Architecture: The system should have two optical frequency combs with 50 MHz repetition rate (or less) each and a controllable difference in repetition rates (from 0 to 10 kHz tuning). 

2.Spectral Coverage and Power: The system should have a center wavelength at 1550 nm and >30 nm of bandwidth. Average optical power should be 10 mW (or more). 

3.Carrier offset frequency:  The system should have an integrated carrier offset frequency detection with high signal to noise ratio of (> 30 dB). The system should have a locked carrier envelope offset frequency with < 350 mrad integrated phase noise.  

4. Repetition rate feedback: The system should have both fast repetition rate feedback (100 kHz, or more) and slow feedback (> 10 Hz). 

5. Optical or RF lock: The system should have an option to lock a comb line to an optical reference CW laser at 1550 nm. In addition, the system should have an outputting repetition rate beat note for directly locking the repletion rates of each comb to a RF reference. 

6. Interface: The system should have a digital control interface for phase locking the two degrees of freedom of each comb.  

7. Output: The system should have optical outputs terminated with polarization maintaining fiber with FC/APC connector.  

8. The system shall operate using a 100-230 VAC, 1 phase, 50-60 Hz 

9. The laser system shall have Programmability with Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C. The vendor shall supply scripts to control the systems using Python, MATLAB, and LabView 

NIST conducted market research from February through April of 2026 by attending conferences, speaking with colleagues, performing internet searches, and speaking with vendors to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements.  The results of that market research revealed that only X3 Optics LLC appears to be capable of meeting NIST’s requirements.  

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE 

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response.  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice. 

• Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI). 

• Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements. 

• Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization. 

• Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why.  Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses. 

• For the NAICS code  

• Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information. 

• If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.  

• If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information. 

• Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section. 

• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement. 

• Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.  

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE 

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 12:00pm Eastern Time on June 18,2026.  Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline. 

IMPORTANT NOTES 

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.   

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.   

This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations. 

No award will be made as a result of this notice.   

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. 

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate. 

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.