The Vitara ti-sapphire laser system will be used to upgrade NIST's existing RegA 900 system to form a short pulse high rep-rate, high power, broad bandwidth, ultra-fast, laser source, for use in a microscopy research program at the Materials Measurement Laboratory. The laser source requirement, like the existing source, when coupled with the RegA 900 system will be based on a chirped-pulse amplified laser capable of generating 50 fs pulses with a repetition rates variable between 100 and 300kHz and at an energy of greater than five uJ at 250kHz per pulse. The purpose of the upgrade is to enable broadband, short-pulse spectral analysis of particles and surfaces such as semiconductor devices and substrates.

The existing equipment and the required upgrade are commercial items that were both manufactured by Coherent, Inc. Coherent has proprietary rights to the existing equipment and the required Vitara ti-sapphire laser system and is the sole manufacturer and distributor of the sample changer. Coherent has no authorized resellers.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, and the size standard is 500 employees.

No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, responses received by September 8, 2013, will be considered by the Government.

A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.