Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF AUGUST 14, 2002 FBO #0255
SOLICITATION NOTICE

66 -- Liquid Helium Cooled Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator

Notice Date

8/12/2002
 

Notice Type

Solicitation Notice
 

Contracting Office

Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Mountain Administrative Support Center, 325 Broadway - MC3, Boulder, CO, 80305-3328
 

ZIP Code

80305-3328
 

Solicitation Number

Reference-Number-NB814000204125
 

Response Due

8/27/2002
 

Point of Contact

Susan Labovitz, Contract Specialist, Phone (303) 497-7943, Fax (303) 497-3163, - Brenda Summers, Contract Technician, Phone (303) 497-5588, Fax (303) 497-3163,
 

E-Mail Address

susan.labovitz@noaa.gov, brenda.s.summers@noaa.gov
 

Description

In the absence of other qualified sources, it is the intent of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the Department of Commerce to acquire a Liquid Helium Cooled Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR) from Janis Research Company, Inc., Cryogenic Equipment, Two Jewel Drive, PO Box 696, Wilmington, MA 01877-0696. NIST currently has a research effort to develop a new standard for capacitance calibration based on counting individual electrons. The goal is to produce a new quantum-based standard for this key electronic quantity. If successful, this work will allow multiple identical copies of the standard to be distributed and used throughout the world. At the heart of the new standard are Single Electron Tunneling (SET) devices that manipulate individual electrons. These nanoscale electronic devices only operate at very low temperatures: below 0.1 K (100 mK). The operation of these SET devices therefore requires a fairly unique refrigeration system to achieve this very low temperature. To become a practical quantum standard, the unit must be easy to transport. This requires a simple, compact, rugged and self-contained (not requiring significant support infrastructure) refrigerator. The only type of refrigerator that cools below 100mK and meets the above needs is the Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR). Approximately 5 years ago, NIST designed a new generation of ADRs to create a transportable refrigerator capable of 50 mK operation. NIST scientists have built and assembled 5 ADR systems based on this technology, since ADRs were not commercially available. NIST offered the technology to industry through a licensing process. Only Janis Research Company currently holds a non-exclusive license to the NIST ADR design. The Nanoscale Cryoelectronics Project needs to purchase one ADR systems for the capacitance standard. Janis Research Company is the only source that meets the following unique requirements: (1) The ADR refrigeration unit must be interchangeable with existing NIST assembled ADR units; (2) The unit must be capable of obtaining a base temperature < 100mK and maintaining this temperature in excess of 36 hours per cooling cycle; (3) The unit must be portable, that is, can be easily boxed and shipped to different locations. This requires that the ADR be compact and "self-contained", not requiring external dewars, pumps, or other non-portable infrastructure to achieve the required temperatures. (4) The unit must have sufficient experimental space to contain the SET capacitance standard experiment: this requires a minimum cold space large enough to contain a box 15 cm x 15 cm x 20 cm. This acquisition is for a commercial item for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302. Interested concerns must submit a written qualification statement that clearly establishes the firm's capability to meet the above requirements. This qualification statement shall be submitted to the individual and office cited above within 15 days from the date this synopsis is posted on the Internet. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, the government will consider all proposals received within 15 days after the date of publication of this synopsis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.
 

Place of Performance

Address: Janis Research Co., Two Jewel Drive, P.O. Box 696, Wilmington, MA

Zip Code: 01887-0696

Country: United States
 

Record

SN00138347-W 20020814/020812213205 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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