The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) proposes to negotiate on a sole source basis under the authority of 41 U.S.C.253(c) with Menlo Systems GmbH, Martinsried, Germany for a tunable laser. The NIST Ion Storage Group is conducting research toward the development of the next generation time and frequency standards. For the past five years, NIST has concentrated its research efforts toward determining the feasibility of frequency and time standards that are based on narrow optical transitions in single, laser-cooled ions. A primary goal of the research is the development, operation and evaluation of an optical clock. Since a frequency standard must run continuously in order to function as a clock, all components of the system, including the lasers for cooling, state preparation, and state detection, must also run continuously. Critical specifications are as follows: These lasers must either be solid-state devices or derived from solid-state devices. The Optical clock shall be based on a single laser-cooled mercury ion, which requires stable radiation at two colors near 194 nm that are separated by 47 GHz. NIST intends to generate these two deep-UV colors by sum-frequency-mixing radiation at 717 nm with two sources near 266 nm that are separated by the same 47 GHz. In order to maintain the 47 GHz frequency difference, one of the radiation sources at 266 nm will be frequency offset-locked to the other. The stronger radiation source does the primary cooling of the Hg+ ion. The second source is much weaker and does the repumping, state preparation and helps in the state detection. Absent any laser at 266 nm, NIST can generate light at this color by frequency-doubling the radiation from lasers at 532 nm. Both the primary and secondary sources of radiation near 532 nm must be narrowband and tunable. The power output of the second source shall exceed 100 mW. Very importantly, this second source shall have a high-bandwidth transducer whose response will permit us to phase-lock it to the primary source. The minimum bandwidth shall be greater than 10 kHz and the transducer shall be externally accessible. The only known source, MenloSystems, offers the combination of high power (greater than 100 mW), fast response (greater than 10 kHz with an amplitude swing of 100 MHz), and external accessibility to the frequency transducer. This procurement is being conducted per FAR Part 13.1, Simplified Acquisition Procedures (under $100K). This notice is for information purposes only. Information submitted in response to this notice will be used solely to determine whether or not use of competitive procedures to fulfill this requirement would be in the Government’s best interest and must address qualifications pertinent to this requirement. Terms and conditions can be found at http://www.arnet.gov/far and agency level protest procedures can be found on web site http://oamweb.osec.doc.gov/CONOPS/reflib/alp1296.htm. Anticipated award date is May 6, 2005.

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