Notice of Intent to Sole Source Continuously Tunable Ultrashort Pulsed Laser

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL) has a requirement for a Continuously Tunable Ultrashort Pulsed Laser to be procured on a sole source basis from Coherent, Inc. (CAGE Code: 57128). The GRL is in need of a widely tunable, pulsed laser to be used in the experimental setup as part of the ELS3D project. The GRL must procure this laser so the team at GRL can use this laser in the photonics lab.

The laser’s performance needs to meet certain specifications provided in the table below.

Table 1. Laser Specifications Specifications Performance Requirement Tunability range 600 nm to 2600 nm Pulse width < 1 Picosecond and adjustable from 100s of femtoseconds to 300 femtoseconds Option for Wavelength Extension Packages Modifyable to allow wavelength extension from 210 nm to 16 microns using separate modules Pulse energy, typical Adjustable (40 microJoule at 500 KHz) High Peak Power Adjustable (up to 100 MegaWatt) Tuning Resolution 5 nm Pulse Repetition Frequency Adjustable( Single Shot to 1 MHz) Adjustable Spectral bandwidth Required Long Term Power stability <2% OPA conversion efficiency >10% Long Terms Pulse to pulse stability <2% The Geospatial Research Laboratory requires a cutting-edge, continuously tunable ultrashort pulsed laser source with high efficiency.

This laser must possess the ability to cover a wide wavelength range, from 600 nm to 2600 nm. In addition, the laser's initial setup capabilities must be extendable to wavelengths from 210 nm to 16 microns with the addition of future acquisitions of extra modules. It has been determined that the Coherent Inc. Monaco pump laser, in conjunction with the Coherent Inc. Opera HP, represents the sole commercial product capable of fulfilling the Government’s requirements.

These unique specifications are not obtainable from mandatory sources. Coherent is the only vendor that sells this solution. The requirements for the pump laser and the Optical Parametric Amplifier (OPA) are unique and specific. The laser needs to be continuously tunable over a wide range of wavelengths, and it is essential that it possess an ultrashort pulse duration of 400 femtoseconds or less. Additionally, the laser should be able to be tuned from 600 nm to 2600 nm with a precise 5 nm step.

It is known that achieving the full wavelength range from visible to long-wave infrared with a single crystal inside one OPA box is not feasible. Therefore, the laser must have a modular design, allowing for the addition of another OPA box alongside the existing one to extend the wavelength range. Furthermore, the laser needs to output Mega-Watt level peak power at a repetition rate of 50 kHz or higher, and the pulse energy must be adjustable up to 40 µJ at the same repetition rate.

The pulse repetition rate should also be adjustable from a single shot to 1 MHz to fine-tune the pulse energy. Coherent Inc.'s Opera HP, an OPA laser system, can meet all the requirements. The Opera HP is designed to be pumped with a femtosecond laser, such as Coherent Inc.’s Monaco laser. The Opera HP laser system is built on optical parametric amplification (OPA) technology. The complete laser system includes a femtosecond high-power Coherent Monaco 1035 pump laser used to energize the Coherent Opera HP.

The Government intends to procure from only one source under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). This notice of intent is for information purposes only. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes or proposals. A solicitation will not be issued. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency. The information submitted must be provided in sufficient detail to demonstrate the vendor’s ability to fulfill this requirement.

The contractor must also provide a description of their past experience in fulfilling requirements which are the same or similar to this requirement and references for each. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government.

Verbal communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Responses to this requirement may be submitted to Anna Crawford at Anna.Crawford@usace.army.mil. The solicitation number shall be included in the subject line of the e-mail submission. Responses must be received no later than 12:00 PM CST, Friday, September 20, 2024.