Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice for Providers/Suppliers of Polarization-Entangled Photon Source Notice ID: NB676020-26-01970 Contract Opportunity Type Sources Sought Response Date 7/16/2026 Product Service Code 6625 — Electrical and Electronic Properties Measuring and Testing Instruments NAICS Code 334515 – Instrument for Manufacturing and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals BACKGROUND This is a notice to request information from industry to help the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) determine the availability and capability of small businesses and other than small businesses to provide Polarization-Entangled Photon Source to NIST Gaithersburg site. This notice is strictly to request information for market research purposes to help NIST determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for this requirement. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation, or commitment by the NIST. OVERVIEW The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) require a polarization-entangled photon source based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). The source must be capable of accepting an external pump laser and generating high-quality polarization-entangled photon pairs. Critically, the system should be built using a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide, which offers efficient nonlinear conversion and compact integration. See attached draft Requirements/Specifications document. ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE NIST anticipates that delivery, installation, and training will occur within 16 weeks after receipt of the order. INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM INDUSTRY SOURCES : NIST invites industry sources to review this notice carefully and to familiarize themselves with the draft requirements/specifications document. Thereafter, by the closing date of this notice, NIST encourages those sources to submit responses to lia.arthofer@nist.gov . Do not include proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in a response to this notice. Responses should be submitted to contain the following, in Microsoft Word format or in .pdf format, use 12-point font, with a page limitation of ten pages (excluding cover page and excluding standard commercial pricing information) : Cover page, including: Sources Sought Notice number, title, and date of issuance Unique Entity ID Company name Company address Company website address Company points of contact and their phone number and email address Validation of company size status under NAICS: 334515 – Instrument for Manufacturing and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals. See table of business size standards at https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards for more information. Indicate whether your company has an active registration for procurement purposes in sam.gov. Provide any suggestions for NIST to consider for the draft requirements/specifications document, with the goal of improvin…