(i) This solicitation, NB688000-14-04390 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ).

(ii) This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-76.

(iii) This solicitation is a Small Business Set-Aside. NAICS Code is 333314, Small business size standard is 500 employees.

(iv) This combined synopsis/solicitation is for the following commercial item(s):

0001: Sapphire Mirror Substrates: QTY 4 each.

(v) Description of requirements for the items to be acquired: See attached Statement of Work for Specifications.

The Ion Storage Group at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is developing aluminum ion optical clocks, which require extremely stable laser local oscillators. The reference for these ultrastable lasers is a Fabry-Perot optical cavity with high mechanical stability and thus stable resonance frequencies. NIST has designed a cavity assembly based on cryogenically cooled sapphire as the spacer and substrate material, with state-of-the-art crystalline dielectric coatings to serve as the high-finesse mirrors.

The Ion Storage Group requires single-crystal sapphire substrates for the mirrors of a Fabry-Perot optical cavity. The mirror substrates will be custom made to the specifications below to achieve the mechanical and optical quality necessary for this project.
The Contractor shall provide four (4) Sapphire Mirror Substrates that meet the following minimum technical requirements:

Technical Requirements

1. Sapphire Mirror Substrates specifications:
NIST needs the substrates to meet all of the following specifications (all geometrical tolerances are 0.1 mm unless otherwise stated):
• Substrate material: optical quality, c-axis oriented, single-crystal sapphire
• Diameter: 2 inch
• Thickness: 3/8 inch
• Radius of curvature (ROC): 100 cm. ROC centered in the substrate to 0.1 mm
• Flat annulus surrounding curved surface with inner diameter ID < 3.8 cm to accommodate optical contacting (exact specification flexible depending on machining considerations)
• Area of ROC: diameter of curved surface > 1 cm to accommodate mirror coating and < 3.8 cm to accommodate optical contacting (exact specification flexible depending on machining considerations)
• ROC roughness: < 1 Å RMS roughness
• ROC surface figure: /10 @ 633
• ROC surface quality: 10-5 Scratch-dig
• Annulus polish suitable for optical contacting
• Back side antireflection (AR) coating <0.1% reflectivity at 0.5 and 1069 nm
• Back side wedge 0.5 - orientation clearly marked

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The most important considerations are the optical specifications that ensure the substrates are suitable for supporting ultra-high finesse mirror coatings. The geometrical tolerances help center the optical mode in the cavity giving the cavity low sensitivity to vibrations.

Due to the stringent reliability requirements of the project the supplier must have successfully produced sapphire substrates for high-finesse optical cavities.

(vi) The requested delivery is 20 weeks ARO. FOB Destination for delivery to NIST, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305. Delivery point of contact will be provided upon award.

(vii) Inspection and Acceptance

Substrates will be inspected to ensure they meet optical quality and geometrical tolerances specified. An optical cavity will be constructed using the substrates delivered. Laser light at 1069 nm will be mode-matched into the cavity and the cavity finesse will be measured both at room temperature and at the 4 K - 10 K operating temperature.

(viii) The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial, applies to this acquisition. Offerors shall submit three examples of orders or contracts performed that are similar in scope including contract numbers and customer point of contacts to establish satisfactory past experience/performance. All offers must include shipping FOB Destination.

(ix) FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The Government will award a fixed price contract based on the following factors: Technical capability (capability of the item offered to meet the agency need), price and past experience/performance. Technical capability will be evaluated by how well the proposed products meet the Government requirement as stated in Paragraph (vi). Technical and past experience/performance are equal to price. The Government reserves the right to make an award to other than the lowest-priced offeror if the superior technical submission or the submission indicating a reduced performance risk, warrants paying a premium.

A FIRM FIXED PRICE PURCHASE ORDER WILL BE ISSUED TO THE RESPONSIBLE AUTHORIZED OFFER WHOSE TECHNICALLY ACCEPTABLE QUAOTION IS DEEMED TO REPRESENT THE BEST VALUE TO THE GOVERNMENT.

(x) The offeror must have completed the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items. Reps and certs must be uploaded to the System for Award Management at www.sam.gov.

(xi) FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

(xii) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes Or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. Commercial Items including subparagraphs:

52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Re-representation;
52.222-3, Convict Labor;
52.222-19, Child Labor - Cooperation With Authorities And Remedies;
52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities;
52.222-26, Equal Opportunity;
52.223-18, Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving;
52.225-1, Buy American Act - Supplies;
52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases;
52.225-25, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Sanctioned Activities Relating to Iran;
52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer
52.247-34, FOB Destination

1352.201-70, Contracting Officer's Authority
1352.201-72. Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

1352.246-70, Place of Acceptance (APR 2010)
(a) The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will accept supplies and services to be provided under this contract.
(b) The place of acceptance will be: NIST, 325 Broadway - Shipping and Receiving, Boulder, CO 80305

(xiii) FAR 52.232-40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors.

(xv) The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html

(xvi) The Contractor shall submit a Quote, to be received no later than 5 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday, September 1, 2014, and must include the following: Company name, address phone numbers, DUNS number, itemized quote including all minimum specifications and past experience/performance information. Quotes shall be delivered via email to [email protected].

(xvii) Please direct any questions regarding this solicitation to Angela Hitt at [email protected] no later than 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time, Thursday, August 28, 2014.