# Upgrade of the Cold Neutron Imaging Instrument, Phase Grating Roll Alignment System

Canonical: https://abierto.us/opportunities/1333nd26qnb680282

- Solicitation number: 1333ND26QNB680282
- Notice type: Award notice (first published as solicitation)
- Status: Awarded to Smaract Inc. for $28,690.00
- Department: Department of Commerce
- Agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Contracting office: Department of Commerce NIST (1333ND)
- NAICS: 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Product or service code: 6695 Combination and Miscellaneous Instruments
- Place of performance: Gaithersburg, Maryland
- County: Montgomery County (FIPS 24031). https://abierto.us/counties/montgomery-county-md-24031
- City: Gaithersburg. https://abierto.us/cities/gaithersburg-md-2431175
- First posted: June 12, 2026
- Last posted: September 4, 2026
- SAM.gov: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/33797c49161f42c3931a2c568741065d/view

## Description

The NIST neutron imaging team, in the Radiation Physics Division of the Physical Measurement Laboratory, is developing a far-field grating neutron interferometer to measure the projection of the pair correlation function, G(Z), of a sample of interest. This interferometer geometry requires precision alignment of 3 gratings about the roll direction of the neutron beam.

Since G(Z) is a vector quantity, aligned perpendicular to the grating direction, the grating alignment stages need to be able to rotate a full 360°, with high resolution. The gratings are lines etched into silicon wafers, where the period of the lines is of order 1 micrometer and the wafers are 100 mm in diameter.

The mass of a grating, including a holder is of order 100 g. The interferometer pattern is measured by translating one of the gratings, so that that mass of the alignment system must be kept to as low as achievable. For control hardware, the separation of two of the gratings along the beam ranges from 1 mm to 300 mm.

The third grating is separated by up to 5 m. The overall grating alignment system requires translating the gratings in the vertical direction, requiring that the grating roll stages (which much also translate) be less than 1 kg in mass. This procurement is to obtain quantity three high precision rotation stages (resolution better than 0.00005 degrees) with a clear aperture to allow the beam to pass unattenuated and required cabling, control hardware, and control software.

## Award on USAspending

- Recipient: Smaract Inc. (UEI LFAVHCE9K2X3)
- Contract: 1333ND26PNB680245, purchase order
- Obligated: $28,690.00
- Competition: Competed Under SAP, 1 offers received
- Link: award number 1333ND26PNB680245 equals the contract number; same awarding office 1333ND (high confidence)
- Record: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_1333ND26PNB680245_1341_-NONE-_-NONE-/


## Publications

- June 12, 2026: Solicitation, due June 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT. Notice 674c08068719468b89835f8ab94c7b03. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/674c08068719468b89835f8ab94c7b03/view
- June 12, 2026: Solicitation, due June 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT. Notice 7149831c9e1d40bc8eff87d0dcc7311d. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/7149831c9e1d40bc8eff87d0dcc7311d/view
- September 4, 2026: Award notice. Notice 33797c49161f42c3931a2c568741065d. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/33797c49161f42c3931a2c568741065d/view

## Points of contact

- Robert Singman, robert.singman@nist.gov, 3019756388

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Source: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities bulk extract and USAspending.gov award data. Confirm deadlines on SAM.gov before responding. Cite https://abierto.us/opportunities/1333nd26qnb680282.