Published date: 20 November 2023

Last edited date: 4 December 2023

This notice was replaced on 4 April 2024

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Awarded contract (published 4 April 2024)

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Contract summary

Industry

  • Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses) - 38000000

Location of contract

TW11 0LW

Value of contract

£0

Procurement reference

tender_399537/1284313

Published date

20 November 2023

Closing date

5 January 2024

Closing time

5pm

Contract start date

21 February 2024

Contract end date

29 August 2025

Contract type

Supply contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (above threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements above the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

The National Physical Laboratory requirement is for the supply of a laser source continuously tunable over the 350-1000 nm wavelength range. The source is to be used to calibrate single-photon detectors (SPDs) in NPL's new traceable calibration facility.

The source is required to be pulsed at a variable repetition rate.

The pulse jitter must be short enough to allow timing jitter measurements of SPDs.

The pulse width must be short enough to enable measurement of the detection profiles of gated detectors.

The pulse-to-pulse energy variability must be low enough so that the intensity of individual pulses do not need to be measured, and the mean value represents a very good approximation to the energy of any individual pulse.

The technologies likely to fulfil these requirements are Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs) with a Second Harmonic Generator (SHG) module and a stable pump laser to allow a low pulse-to-pulse amplitude uncertainty, or an Optical Parametric Amplifier (OPA) with similar SHG and stable pump laser requirement.

The 350-1000 nm wavelength tuning range is required to be achieved without change of optics or re-alignment. A pulse repetition rate between 1 MHz and 100 kHz is required (10 MHz-100 kHz is desirable). The operational temperature range is at least from 15 C to 30 C.

More information

Links

Additional text

The Authority is using the LUPC Bravo e-Procurement portal to conduct the procurement process. All Suppliers must register their company via the LUPC Bravo Portal.

About the buyer

Contact name

Nina Heath

Address

Hampton road
Teddington
TW11 0LW
England

Email

nina.heath@npl.co.uk