White Rabbit Precision Time Protocol Systems

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED; AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT (I.E. STANDARD FORM) WILL NOT BE ISSUED.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-06.

The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the requirement is 334111 – Electronic Computer Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 1,250 employees.

This is a BRAND-NAME ONLY 100% small business set-aside open market RFQ. Simplified acquisition procedures will be utilized.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION & BRAND-NAME JUSTIFICATION

The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) is one of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) six research laboratories that focuses on IT measurements, testing, and standards, and is a globally recognized and trusted source of high-quality, independent, and unbiased research and data. As a world-class measurement and testing laboratory encompassing a wide range of areas of computer science, mathematics, statistics, and systems engineering, ITL’s research program supports NIST’s mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and related technology.

The goal of the Applied and Computational Mathematics Division of ITL is to develop a measurement and testbed infrastructure to test and validate the performance of optical quantum components on the NIST Gaithersburg campus and over a regional DC area quantum network. To fulfill its mission, ITL utilizes a White Rabbit infrastructure on its network testbed.

A critical component of the aforementioned quantum networks is the precision timing synchronization that is required between 'nodes' on the network. To distribute and characterize quantum signals and to perform quantum experiments between at least two DC-QNet agencies over a fiber-based link, ITL needs to implement high precision (<< nS level) timing synchronization between the nodes on the network with sufficient short-term stability, which is ps-level or better cycle-to-cycle jitter for sub-second integration intervals from the clock output.

The White Rabbit system was developed at European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland to implement the required precision time protocol (PTP) synchronization. This technology is able to achieve clock synchronization in the NIST optical fiber network on the order of 100 to 200 ps and with an RMS jitter between the switches output clocks on the order of < 2.2 ps.

The required systems will be integrated with ITL’s existing White Rabbit infrastructure, which is comprised of Orolia components. In accordance with White Rabbit Calibration Procedure, White Rabbit devices must be the same in order to calibrate the devices on the network (i.e. to satisfy assumptions that hardware delays are relatively equal in devices with same hardware and firmware). As a result, Orolia products are the only products that are 100% compatible and interchangeable with ITL’s existing White Rabbit infrastructure.

NOTE: Reference attachments titled, "1333ND22QNB730419 Combined Synopsis Solicitation" and "Attachment I - Provisions and Clauses" for complete Combined Synopsis/Solicitation.