Astronomical and optical instruments (Нидерланды - Тендер #47290434)

Official name: Universiteit Leiden
National registration number: 27368929
Postal address: Kolffpad 1
Town: Leiden
NUTS code: NL33 Zuid-Holland
Postal code: 2333BN
Country: Netherlands
Contact person: Govert Schipperheijn
E-mail: inkoop@ufb.leidenuniv.nl
Telephone: +31 715273304
Internet address(es):
Main address: www.universiteitleiden.nl
Address of the buyer profile: https://s2c.mercell.com/buyer/19549

Body governed by public law

Other activity: Scientific research and higher education

Substates containing high-accuracy liquid-crystal patterns

38630000 Astronomical and optical instruments - FG11

Supplies

This is a publication of our intent to award the contract for Substates containing high-accuracy liquid-crystal patterns to Color Link Japan Ltd. If no representations are received within 20 days after the publication on Tenderned/TED, we intent to award the contract. For information you can use the message system or the Q&A module.

ColorLink Japan has become our single-source supplier 

for substates containing high-accuracy liquid-crystal patterns based on 

MTR broadband coatings, which constitute essential sub-components for 

our proposed project.

This contract is divided into lots: no

Value excluding VAT: 300 000.00 USD

38600000 Optical instruments - FG11

NUTS code: NL33 Zuid-Holland

Substates containing high-accuracy liquid-crystal patterns based on MTR broadband coatings, which constitute essential sub-components for our proposed project.

Price

Options: no

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

Negotiated procedure without prior publication

Explanation:

The key liquid-crystal technology that enables this proposed R&D program

was developed within the Geometric-phase Photonics Lab at North Carolina

State University (PI Dr. Michael Escuti), and its spin-off company

ImagineOptix. In particular, they have obtained patents on the

direct-write technology (EP2906974B1 / US9690026B2) that is crucial to

manufacture virtually any phase pattern with high accuracy, and on the

self-aligning multi-twist retarder approach (EP2764402A4 / US9298041B2)

that is crucial to minimize polarization leakage over large spectral

bandwidths while maintaining pattern accuracy. Over the last 10 years,

the Leiden/NOVA group, in collaboration with NCSU/ImagineOptix, have

introduced these technologies to astronomy, designing, manufacturing,

testing and commissioning coronagraphic (and other) optical components

based on broadband patterned liquid-crystals at several ground-based

telescopes.

In 2019, the NCSU GPL group was disbanded, and all activities and

patents transferred to ImagineOptix. In 2021, ImagineOptix was bought

and fully absorbed by Meta (previously known as Facebook), and all of

its public services were terminated. Recently, an exclusive license deal

was signed between Meta and ColorLink Japan that provides the latter

company with exclusive access to the aforementioned patents for

commercial use in application areas that include astronomy and remote

sensing. Hence, ColorLink Japan has become our single-source supplier

for substates containing high-accuracy liquid-crystal patterns based on

MTR broadband coatings, which constitute essential sub-components for

our proposed project.

To the best of our knowledge, two other companies sell custom optics

based on patterned retarders: BeamCo and Thorlabs. However, neither of

these companies have access to the key technologies (direct-write and

MTR) that are required to attain the pattern accuracy and polarization

leakage spectral properties that are necessary to attain the extreme

coronagraphic performance objectives that we foresee.

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes

Contract No: 1

Lot No: 1

Title:

substates containing high-accuracy liquid-crystal patterns based on MTR broadband coatings

17/10/2023

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: no

Official name: Color Link Japan Ltd
Postal address: 55 Nakadahara, Joetsu-City
Town: Niigata, Japan
NUTS code: NL Nederland
Postal code: 943-0882
Country: Netherlands

The contractor/concessionaire will be an SME: no

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: 300 000.00 USD

This is a publication of our intent to award the contract for Substates containing high-accuracy liquid-crystal patterns to Color Link Japan Ltd. If no representations are received within 20 days after the publication on Tenderned/TED, we intent to award the contract.

Official name: Rechtbank Den Haag
Town: Den Haag
Country: Netherlands

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

Within 20 days of this publication.

17/10/2023