The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks information on commercial vendors that are capable of providing a Continuous-wave Terahertz Spectroscopy System to support the measurement of nanophotonic and energy devices in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) user facility. The system will be sited in the CNST NanoLab as a resource for THz spectroscopy and microscopy experiments accessible to researchers in the CNST and to outside users via collaboration. After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed and specifications are developed for a Continuous-wave Terahertz Spectroscopy System that can meet NIST's minimum requirements, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a Purchase Order. If at least two qualified small businesses are identified during this market research stage, then any competitive procurement that resulted would be conducted as a small business set-aside.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)/Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) enables science and industry by providing essential measurement methods, instrumentation, and standards to support all phases of nanotechnology development, from discovery to production. The Energy Research Group within the CNST plans to conduct several time-resolved optical pump-probe spectroscopic measurements on novel materials and systems that require the acquisition of a high-resolution tunable terahertz spectroscopy system. Ultrafast optical spectroscopic measurements include numerous measurement techniques to study spectral and temporal dynamics in various optical, optoelectronic and optomechanical materials and systems. These techniques typically rely on measuring the response of a material system with high-resolution (in time or frequency domain) upon optical or electrical excitation. For example: in semiconductor systems - these responses typically arise due to electron (hole) transfer, relaxation or recombination processes; and facilitate fundamental understanding of charge transfer to allow development of optical devices with faster speeds or solar cells with higher efficiencies. The acquisition will support research in the CNST user facility and will be used as a shared resource accessible to researchers from industry, academia, NIST, and other government agencies through collaboration.

The major components and functional requirements of the new Continuous-wave Terahertz Spectroscopy System are specified as follows:

1. The terahertz spectroscopy system shall consist of a tunable laser-based, photonic transduction scheme (typically difference frequency generation) to generate and detect continuous-wave (cw) tunable narrowband terahertz (THz) signals.

2. Each tunable laser used for the generation and detection of cw THz signals in the spectroscopy system must exhibit a linewidth of <5 MHz for each laser across its tuning range.

3. Each tunable laser used for the generation and detection of cw THz signals in the spectroscopy system must be frequency locked using continuous feedback from a wavelength meter to achieve an absolute frequency accuracy of <50 MHz for each laser across its tuning range.

4. The terahertz spectroscopy system shall be tunable over a frequency range extending from a lower-limit of 0.05 THz to frequencies >2.5 THz.

5. The terahertz spectroscopy system must achieve a relative frequency accuracy of THz emission to be <5 MHz.

6. The terahertz spectroscopy system must exhibit an absolute frequency accuracy of <50 MHz with <5 MHz repeatability.

7. The terahertz spectroscopy system must exhibit a frequency stability/drift of THz emission of <10 MHz/K.

8. The terahertz spectroscopy system must exhibit a frequency tuning speed of >0.05 THz/second.

9. The terahertz spectroscopy system must consist of a fiber-coupled, connectorized (FC/APC) THz emitter with a silicon lens exhibiting a beam divergence <15 degrees.

10. The terahertz spectroscopy system must consist of a fiber-coupled, connectorized (FC/APC) THz detector with a silicon lens.

11. The terahertz spectroscopy system must produce a THz emission power of >50 µW @100 GHz, >4 µW @500 GHz and >1 µW @1000 GHz.

12. The polarization of the THz beam in the spectroscopy system must be atleast 95 % linear.

13. The dynamic range of the terahertz spectroscopy system must be >90 dB @100 GHz, >70 dB @500 GHz and >60 dB @1000 GHz for an integration time of 300 msec.

14. The terahertz spectroscopy system must include the ability to modulate the optical path length of both the emitter and the detector arm using piezo-actuated fiber stretchers for precise determination of the THz phase and frequency.

15. The terahertz spectroscopy system must allow the capability to electrically modulate the THz signal between 10 Hz and 20 kHz, including the ability to disable the modulation for continuous operation (without impacting other specifications).

16. The terahertz spectroscopy system must include a laser spectrum analyzer to cover the spectral range from 350 nm to 1750 nm for continuous monitoring of the laser spectrum.

17. The complete spectrometer system including the peripherals must be controlled through a single software interface and compatible in their operation. This control and data acquisition software must be provided by the vendor.

18. The control/acquisition software for the system must be able to interface with a computer using an ethernet or a USB connection, and must be able to acquire THz spectroscopic data, including providing the ability to continuously the sweep frequency range, or step and dwell through the frequency range.

NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large, foreign, and small businesses. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 334516, as those domestic sources having 1,000 employees or less. Please include your company's size classification in any response to this notice.

Companies that manufacture Continuous-wave Terahertz Spectroscopy System are requested to email a detailed report describing their abilities to [email protected] no later than the response date for this sources sought notice. The response should include achievable specifications and any other information relevant to your product or capabilities. Also, the following information is requested to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice: 1. Name of the company that manufactures the system components for which specifications are provided. 2. Name of company(ies) that are authorized to sell the system components, their addresses, and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, fax number and email address). 3. Indication of number of days, after receipt of order that is typical for delivery of such systems. 4. Indication of whether each instrument for which specifications are sent to [email protected] are currently on one or more GSA Federal Supply Schedule contracts and, if so, the GSA FSS contract number(s). 5. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in developing its minimum specifications and finalizing its market research.

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