Inactive

It is the Government's intent to award a firm fixed price purchase order to provide support in experimentation with a recently reported method for generating entangled microwave photons using a superc... It is the Government's intent to award a firm fixed price purchase order to provide support in experimentation with a recently reported method for generating entangled microwave photons using a superconducting electronic circuit. The circuit includes a driven nonlinear element that converts input microwave energy into pairs of entangled microwave photons. The nonlinear element operates in the superconducting regime. So the circuit must be maintained at cryogenic temperatures. Peripheral electronics needed to supply input signals and collect output data may also require cooling. The goal of experimentation will be to investigate two quantities of practical interest in this process: operating temperature sensitivity and power conversion efficiency. This effort will include fabrication of the superconducting circuit and peripheral electronics needed for testing and experimentation. The superconducting circuit will be produced using microfabrication techniques appropriate for typical superconductors such as aluminum. The circuit will include a nonlinear element based on the Josephson junction, as well as, one or more coupled coplanar waveguide resonators, as needed. This effort will also include support for testing the resulting device at a separate facility with a cryogenic capability. The period of performance is award of contract through 12 months. Based upon market research, this requirement cannot be met by commercial items; therefore, the Government is not using the policies contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12. Authority Cited: Statutory Authority permitting other than Full and Open Competition for this requirement is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2), "When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or, for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for". This acquisition will be sole sourced to Auburn University, Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, 570 Devall Dr Ste 101, Auburn, AL 36832-6946. Auburn University is the only vendor capable of providing these services. Auburn maintains a state-of-the-art laboratory for the design and micro-fabrication of extreme temperature electronics. Auburn also has unique subject matter expertise in low temperature electronics and superconductor technology. Formal communication related to this acquisition should be directed to Miroslaw Chodaba, email: miroslaw.chodaba.civ@mail.mil. No telephone requests will be accepted. All responsible sources may submit an offer, which will be considered. In the event multiple quotes are received, the quotes will be evaluated on the basis of lowest price, technically acceptable.