Off-Axis Parabolic Mirrors

10/20/2026: Updated List of Minimun Requirements.

Notice from the United States Air Force, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Installation Contracting Division, Base Support Contracting Branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Ohio:

INTRODUCTION:  AFLCMC Operational Contracting Branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, on behalf of the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), is conducting market research through a Sources Sought Notice to identify potential sources, including small businesses, capable of manufacturing and delivering customized off-axis parabolic (OAP) mirrors and associated protected-gold coating services. These precision optical components will support AFIT’s Extreme Light Laboratory and its ultra-intense laser experiments involving advanced laser-matter interactions.

This notice is issued solely to determine the availability and capability of qualified sources to meet the Government’s requirements. This notice is not a solicitation, request for quotation, or commitment by the Government to award a contract. A small business set-aside determination has not yet been made for this acquisition.

REQUIREMENTS: The Government requires a contractor to provide all labor, materials, equipment, manufacturing capability, quality assurance, testing, inspection documentation, packaging, transportation, and other resources necessary to produce and deliver customized off-axis parabolic (OAP) mirrors and associated protected-gold coating services to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The required items and services include, but are not limited to:

1. System and Compatibility Requirements:
   a. The contractor shall provide 66 customized off-axis parabolic (OAP) mirrors for use in AFIT’s Extreme Light Laboratory.
   b. Each mirror shall use a fused-silica substrate.
   c. Each mirror shall have a diameter of 30 mm.
   d. Each mirror shall have a parabolic focus at 45 degrees.
   e. The mirrors shall be compatible with the Government’s ultra-intense laser research application and shall provide the precision focal spot required for the Extreme Light Laboratory.
2. Performance and Operational Specifications:
   a. The optical surface roughness shall be less than 1 nm root mean square (RMS).
   b. The scratch/dig specification shall be 20-10.
   c. The backside of each mirror substrate shall be polished.
   d. The contractor shall perform quality testing and inspection sufficiently to verify compliance with all required optical and surface-quality characteristics.
   e. The contractor shall provide applicable test data and inspection documentation with the delivered mirrors.
3. Reagents and Consumables:
   a. The contractor shall provide protected-gold coating services for the required OAP mirrors.
   b. The protected gold coating shall be applied to the fused-silica substrate.
   c. The coating shall provide an average reflectivity of not less than 97 percent.
   d. The required reflectivity wavelength shall be 780 ± 40 nm.
   e. The required angle of incidence shall be 45 degrees.

f.  The contractor shall provide all materials, coating consumables, and related manufacturing resources necessary to meet the stated coating requirements.

1. Physical and Safety Specifications:
   a. The contractor shall package and protect the mirrors to prevent damage during handling, shipment, and delivery.
   b. The contractor shall provide all required quality, inspection, and test documentation with delivery, including available certificate of conformance, material certification, surface-measurement data, and coating-performance data, as applicable.
   c. The contractor shall ship all required mirrors and associated documentation to the Government-designated delivery location at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
   d. Delivery shall be completed within 98 calendar days after receipt of order (ARO).
   e. The mirrors delivered shall be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal and proper use for a minimum period of two years after Government receipt.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Interested parties are requested to submit a capability package that provides clear and convincing evidence of their ability to provide the services outlined above. In addition, interested parties must provide the following information:

• Company Name, Address, CAGE Code, and Unique Entity ID (UEI).
• Point of Contact (Name, Phone Number, and Email Address).
• Company business size status under a relevant NAICS code 334516. Prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at https://www.sam.gov to be eligible for a Department of Defense contract award.

CLOSING: Responses to this Sources Sought notice must be submitted via email no later than October 23, 2026, at 11:00am Eastern Time. All correspondence sent via email must contain the subject line: “FA860127Q0003, Sources Sought: Off-Axis Parabolic Mirrors.” Be advised that due to network filters, attachments ending in .zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted.

Please submit all response packages directly to the following Points of Contact (POCs):

• Contract Specialist:
  • Name: Alejandro Quiles
  • Email: alejandro.quiles_sanchez.1@us.af.mil
• Contracting Officer:
  • Name: Jessica Stamper
  • Email: jessica.stamper.2@us.af.mil

This is a Sources Sought notice for market research purposes only. In accordance with Revolutionary FAR Overall (RFO) 15.201, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Any information submitted by respondents to this notice is strictly voluntary and will not be reimbursed by the Government. The Government’s assessment of the capability statements received will factor in whether any forthcoming solicitation will be conducted as a full and open competition or as a set-aside.

Attachments:

1. Statement of Work
2. List of Minimun Requirements