SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser Systems (ADHELS)
- Notice Date
- 12/10/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714
- ZIP Code
- 22203-1714
- Solicitation Number
- BAA05-09
- Response Due
- 4/26/2005
- Archive Date
- 12/10/2005
- Description
- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting research proposals in the area of diode high-energy laser system architectures. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices or systems. Specifically excluded is research which primarily results in evolutionary improvement to the existing state of practice. DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of diode high-energy laser system architectures. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, materials, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. The Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser Systems (ADHELS) program aims to generate high power, high brightness laser beams of military interest by combining the beams of high power, high efficiency laser diodes/arrays/stacks. Such laser system architectures may lead to 100-kilowatt-class laser beam power with near-diffraction-limited beam propagation characteristics at laser wavelengths corresponding to efficient atmospheric transmission. The combined, high power beam could then be projected to a distant target with a suitable beam director to meet mission objectives. AREAS OF INTEREST Technical Area One: Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser Systems. A Laser Performance Metric, LPM, has been developed to characterize the performance of these beam-combined laser diode systems. This Laser Performance Metric is defined as being equal to the product of the diode electrical-to-optical efficiency, DE, times the beam combining efficiency, BCE, times the beam propagation factor, BPF. The Diode Efficiency is defined as the total laser optical output power from all the diodes divided by the electrical power used to drive the diodes. The Beam Combining Efficiency is defined as the combined laser beam optical power radiated from the defining near-field exit aperture of the laser system divided by the total laser optical output power from all the diodes. The Beam Propagation Factor is a measure of the beam quality and is defined as the laser optical output power in a specified far-field bucket divided by the total optical output power radiating from the defining near-field exit aperture of the combined laser beam. The far field bucket is defined for the ADHELS program as 1.44 times the diffraction-limited spot area. The diffraction-limited spot area is equal to (pi / 4) times the square of (the diffraction-limited angle times f), where the diffraction limited angle equals 2.44 times the laser center wavelength divided by the defining exit aperture of the combined laser beam. f is the focal length of the optic used to form the far field spot. A desirable set of individual parameter values might be: Diode Efficiency = 60%, Beam Combining Efficiency = 80% and Beam Propagation Factor = 50%, resulting in an LPM of 0.24. Additional information on these technology areas is provided in the Areas of Interest section of the BAA 05-09 Proposer Information Pamphlet referenced below. PROGRAM SCOPE The Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser Systems program will consist of a Phase I (approximately 18 months) followed by a Phase II (approximately 18 months) for those efforts that appear to have the greatest potential for production, insertion, transition or overall benefit to DoD. Awards are expected to be made during the second half of calendar year 2005. Organizations wishing to participate in Phase II should include it as an option in their proposal. Multiple awards are anticipated. Collaborative efforts/teaming are encouraged. A web site (http://www.davincinetbook.com/teams) has been established to facilitate formation of teaming arrangements between interested parties. Specific content, communications, networking, and team formation are the sole responsibility of the participants. Neither DARPA nor the Department of Defense (DoD) endorses the destination web site or the information and organizations contained therein, nor does DARPA or the DoD exercise any responsibility at the destination. This web site is provided consistent with the stated purpose of this BAA. Cost sharing is not required and is not an evaluation criterion but is encouraged where there is a reasonable probability of a potential commercial application related to the proposed research and development effort. The technical POCs for this effort are C. Martin Stickley, fax: (703) 696-2206, electronic mail: BAA05-09@darpa.mil, and Joe Mangano, fax: (703) 696-2206, electronic mail: BAA05-09@darpa.mil. GENERAL INFORMATION Proposers must obtain a pamphlet entitled ?BAA 05-09, Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser Systems, Proposer Information Pamphlet? which provides further information on technical requirements for architecture for diode high energy laser systems, the submission, evaluation, and funding processes, proposal abstract formats, proposal formats, and other general information. This pamphlet may be obtained from the FedBizOpps website: http://www.fedbizopps.gov/. World Wide Web (WWW) at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ or by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. In order to minimize unnecessary effort in proposal preparation and review, proposers are strongly encouraged to submit proposal abstracts in advance of full proposals. An original and nine (9) copies of the proposal abstract and two (2) electronic copies (i.e., 2 separate disks) of the abstract [in PDF (preferred), or MS-Word readable, each on a single 3.5 inch High Density MS-DOS formatted 1.44 Megabyte (MB) diskette, a single 100 MB Iomega Zip (registered) disk, or a CD-ROM] should be submitted. Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 05-09, offeror organization, proposal title (short title recommended), and Copy __ of 2. The proposal abstract (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) must be submitted to DARPA/MTO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 05-09) on or before 4:00 p.m., local time, Tuesday, February 15, 2005. Proposal abstracts received after this time and date may not be reviewed. Upon review, DARPA will provide written feedback on the likelihood of a full proposal being selected and the time and date for submission of a full proposal. Proposers not submitting proposal abstracts must submit an original and nine (9) copies of the full proposal and two (2) electronic copies (i.e., 2 separate disks) of the full proposal [in PDF (preferred), or MS-Word readable, each on a single 3.5 inch High Density MS-DOS formatted 1.44 Megabyte (MB) diskette, a single 100 MB Iomega Zip (registered) disk, or a CD-ROM]. Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 05-09, offeror organization, proposal title (short title recommended), and Copy __ of 2. The full proposal (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) must be submitted to DARPA/MTO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 05-09) and received by DARPA on or before 4:00 p.m., local time, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in order to be considered during the initial round of selections; however, proposals received after this deadline may be received and evaluated up to one year from date of posting on FedBizOpps. Full proposals submitted after the due date specified in the BAA or due date otherwise specified by DARPA after review of proposal abstracts may be selected contingent upon the availability of funds. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA 05-09 Proposer Information Pamphlet, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received and to make awards without discussions. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal which shall be considered by DARPA. Input on technical aspects of the proposals may be solicited by DARPA from non-Government consultants /experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Non-Government technical consultants/experts will not have access to proposals that are labeled by their offerors as ?Government Only?. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of research in architecture for diode high energy laser systems. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal abstract or full proposal to this BAA, should be directed to one of the administrative addresses below; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 05-09. Proposals and proposal abstracts may not be submitted by fax or e-mail; any so sent will be disregarded. DARPA encourages use of the WWW for retrieving the Proposer Information Pamphlet and any other related information that may subsequently be provided. EVALUATION CRITERIA Evaluation of proposal abstracts and full proposals will be accomplished through a technical review of each proposal using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance: (l) overall scientific and technical merit, (2) potential contribution and relevance to DARPA mission, (3) plans and capability to accomplish technology transition, (4) offeror's capabilities and related experience, and (5) cost realism. Note: cost realism will only be significant in proposals which have significantly under or over-estimated the cost to complete their effort. The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Fax: (703) 696-2206 (Addressed to: DARPA/MTO, BAA 05-09), Electronic Mail: BAA05-09@darpa.mil Mail: DARPA/MTO, ATTN: BAA 05-09 3701 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203-1714 This announcement and the Proposer Information Pamphlet may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ in the solicitations area.
- Record
- SN00720069-W 20041212/041210212210 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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