23-58070 High-Resolution Wavelength Meter for Optical Clock

Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

23-58070 High-Resolution Wavelength Meter for Optical Clock
1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.
2. Definition of the requirement
Background
The National Research Council Canada’s (NRC) Metrology Research Centre (METRO) is Canada’s National Measurement Institute (NMI). NRC is mandated by the Government of Canada to manage and maintain the atomic clocks that keep time for Canada. The NRC METRO Frequency and Time team takes pride in advancing their research to achieve measurement capabilities for time at all levels of precision and requires a wavelength meter for the NRC optical clock (hereby known as “system”). The system, based on a single strontium ion, requires several lasers for its operation. These lasers are used to cool the ion to near absolute zero temperatures, to prepare its initial quantum state, to interrogate its clock transition, and to detect its final quantum state. The ion transitions are extremely narrow compared to the tuning ranges of the lasers and it is necessary to have a wavelength measuring instrument, specifically a wavelength meter, to tune very accurately the laser wavelengths for interaction with the ion transitions of interest. Automation of the system requires stringent requirements for accuracy to simplify development and to maximize the speed of operation.

Requirement
The Frequency and Time team has a requirement for the supply of one high-resolution and high-accuracy wavelength meter. This is required for the operation and automation of a transportable system used as frequency standard for Canada. The wavelength meter must have high-accuracy and high-resolution as described in Section 3, must be able to measure and stabilize up to eight lasers simultaneously, must use an interferometer with no moving parts for measuring wavelengths, must be designed for direct integration into a 19” rack form factor, must be compatible with our existing DLC PRO laser systems used with the transportable system.
3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements):
Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a Statement of Capabilities that its product meets the following requirements:
The wavelength meter must:
-have a 2 MHz absolute accuracy within a +/- 2 nm range around the wavelength of the calibration source,
-have a 10 MHz absolute accuracy within +/- 200 nm range around the wavelength of the calibration source,
-have a 30 MHz absolute accuracy between 400 nm and 1100 nm which is the full wavelength range of interest,
-have a resolution of 200 kHz or better,
-use an interferometer with no moving parts to determine the wavelengths,
-include proportional-integrator-differentiator (PID) servo electronics for active stabilization of up to 8 generic lasers,
-include compatibility with our Toptica DLC pro laser systems for active stabilization,
-be able to achieve a measurement speed of greater than 400 Hz (that is, greater than 50 Hz per channel when all eight channels are used).
-be designed to be integrated into a standard 19” laboratory equipment rack form factor.
-include a photonic crystal fiber (endlessly single mode fiber) switch with 8 ports (1x8 switch) for single mode operation at any wavelengths in the 400 nm to 1100 nm wavelength range.
4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement:

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s)
o Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
o Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
o Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
o Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement
o Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement
o Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement
o Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier:

Toptica Photonics, Inc is the manufacturer of the DLC pro laser system that the wavelength meter must be compatible with, for technical reasons, the Toptica Photonics, Inc wavelength meter HF-ANGS WS8-2+1x8PCS with a photonic crystal switch and PID option for stabilizing laser to any wavelength is required.

6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s):

The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work".

The goods can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute of goods exist due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons:

The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:
a. Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) – Article 513 (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
b. Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) – Article Kbis-16 (2) (c): necessary to protect intellectual property;
c. Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement – Article 1409 (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
d. Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement – Article 17.11 (2) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
e. Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement – referencing the WTO Protocol Amending the GPA, Article XIII (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
f. Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement – Article 16.10 (1) (b) (iii): because of the absence of competition for technical reasons;
g. Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) –Article 1409 (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date:

The wavelength meter must be delivered on or before March 29, 2024.

9. Estimated value of proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $180,000.00 CAD (GST/HST extra).

10. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier:

Toptica Photonics, Inc.
1120 Pittsford Victor Rd
Pittsford NY 14534 USA

11. Suppliers' right to submit a Statement of Capabilities:

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the wavelength meter described in the ACAN, may submit a Statement of Capabilities in writing, electronically, to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The Statement of Capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

12. Closing date for a submission of a Statement of Capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting Statements of Capabilities is August 17, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

13. Inquiries and submission of Statement of Capabilities:

Inquiries and Statements of Capabilities are to be directed to:

Name: Katie Homuth
Title: Senior Contracting Officer
Katie.Homuth@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca