The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking to noncompetitively acquire a 266-nm ultraviolet pulsed laser head, specifically the model LDH-P-FA-266 by PicoQuant, to enhance its existing time-resolved photoluminescence system. This procurement aims to replace visible laser heads with a UV laser compatible with the current modular system, which is crucial for research on wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as GaN and SiC. Interested vendors must respond by March 3, 2026, with relevant company information and capabilities, and may direct inquiries to Cielo Ibarra at cielo.ibarra@nist.gov.

**Notice ID Number: NIST-SS26-CHIPS-37**

Title: Sources Sought Notice for an Ultraviolet Pulsed Laser Head

The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs.

**BACKGROUND**

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Engineering Laboratory is seeking to procure an ultraviolet 266-nm pulsed laser head that will be compatible with an existing time-resolved photoluminescence system. The existing system is modular and consists of a laser driver that can run a given laser head and has a detector and a time-correlated single photon counting module. We are seeking to replace our visible laser heads with a 266 nm pulsed laser for work related to characterization of wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as GaN or SiC. The UV pulsed laser head we are seeking should be compatible with the laser driver model number PDL 800 by PicoQuant and should provide picosecond pulses and an average power of at least 1 mW at a repetition frequency of 80 MHz.

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above, in addition to the following essential requirements:

**HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE**

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response:  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.  Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.

* Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).
* Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice.  For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
  + Manufacturer name
  + Model number
  + Technical specifications
  + If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)
* Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements.  Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
  + Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.
* Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why.  Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.
* State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.
* Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.
* For the NAICS code listed in this notice:
* + Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
* + If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.
* Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.
* Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services.  Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.
* State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services.  Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company.  Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.
* State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services.
* If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.
* Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment.  Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.
* Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.
* State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.

**QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE**

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 days prior to the response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.

**IMPORTANT NOTES**

This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.  There is no solicitation available at this time.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.

Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capability.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).

The responses shall not exceed 5 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!

Ultraviolet Pulsed Laser Head

**THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE**

**Announcement Number:** NIST-SS26-CHIPS-37

**Subject:** Notice of Intent to Noncompetitively Acquire UV Pulsed Laser Head

This notice is not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested.

This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b) via FAR 13.106-1(b). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 811210, Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance.

**BACKGROUND**

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Engineering Laboratory is seeking to procure an ultraviolet 266-nm pulsed laser head that will be compatible with an existing time-resolved photoluminescence system. The existing system is modular and consists of a laser driver that can run a given laser head and has a detector and a time-correlated single photon counting module. We are seeking to replace our visible laser heads with a 266 nm pulsed laser for work related to characterization of wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as GaN or SiC. The UV pulsed laser head we are seeking should be compatible with the laser driver model number PDL 800 by PicoQuant and should provide picosecond pulses and an average power of at least 1 mW at a repetition frequency of 80 MHz.

NIST intends to procure an ultraviolet 266-nm pulsed laser head that will be compatible with an existing time-resolved photoluminescence system. The existing system is modular, and the laser heads are interchangeable.  The present in-house laser driver is model# PDL 800 by PicoQuant and only a laser head made by PicoQuant will be compatible with this laser driver and the system built around it. We need the 266 nm laser head for CHIPS related research on defect metrology for wide band gap semiconductor materials. Major components of our current time resolved photoluminescence system are made by PicoQuant Photonics and the needed laser head should also be a PicoQuant product so that it will be compatible with the laser driver that we currently have. If NIST proceeded with any other UV pulsed laser head, it will not function properly within this modular system. There are proprietary components used in the Vector-Network-Analyzer and there are proprietary repair procedures.

The minimum specifications are listed below:

**Line Item 0001:**

**Description:  266-nm UV laser head for picosecond pulses, model#LDH-P-FA-266 by PicoQuant**

**Quantity:  one (1)**

1. **Technical Specifications**

1. The requested laser head shall have an emission wavelength of 266 nm.
2. The laser is a pulsed laser with the full-width-half-max (FWHM) pulse width value of 100 picoseconds or less.
3. The laser shall be equipped with a collimator to allow for beam collimation.
4. The laser head shall be compatible with the Picosecond Diode Laser Driver **model PDL 800-D** by **PicoQuant**.
5. At a repetition frequency of 80 MHz, the average optical power of the laser shall be 1 mW or larger.

* NIST conducted market research from December 2025 – February 2026 by conducting online searches, discussions with sources, and discussions with colleagues to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements.  The results of that market research revealed that only PICOQUANT PHOTONICS NORTH AMERICA INC, 54 Kane St., Springfield, Massachusetts 01119USA, UEI: V23CHJYP3J55 appears to be capable of meeting NIST’s requirements.

**HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE**

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Include only the following information provided below.  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact no later than 3/3/26, 8:00am ET.

1. Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).
2. Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements (Capability Statement).
3. Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.
4. Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your company’s ability to provide a technically acceptable product.    Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.
5. For the NAICS code
   1. Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
   2. If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.
6. your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.
7. Describe your company’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.
8. Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.
9. Contact the primary and/or secondary point of contact (provided below) if you would like to engage in discussions to gain a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section (provided above).

**QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE**

Questions regarding this notice must be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact. Questions must be submitted so that they are received by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 2/13/25 to receive a government response prior to the close of this notice. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

**IMPORTANT NOTES**

1. The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.
2. This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.
3. This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.
4. No award will be made as a result of this notice.
5. NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.
6. NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

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