Mid Infrared Supercontinuum Source for Fibre Characterisation

Concepts

• southampton
• precision equipment
• university of southampton
• infrared supercontinuum source
• hollow core fibre group
• fibre characterisation
• light source
• applications of hollow core fibres
• advantages of hollow core fibres
• new optical sources

Location

Description

The University of Southampton is one of the UK's leading research institutions and is in the top 1 per cent of universities worldwide. There are currently in excess of 22,000 students on campus in the UK. Using conventional business metrics, the University is a large enterprise with an annual turnover of £500m and a staff establishment in excess of 5,000 FTE. Through world-leading research and enterprise activities, the University of Southampton connects with businesses to create real-world solutions to global issues. Through its educational offering, it works with partners around the globe to offer a world-class education. This connectivity is key to Southampton's offering and market presence. Further information can be found at http://www.southampton.ac.uk/ The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) is one of the world's leading institutes for photonics research, based in the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics, at the University of Southampton. This procurement is for the hollow core fibre group, which works within the ORC. Our research focusses on the fabrication, characterisation and applications of hollow core fibres; these are a relatively recent development in specialty optical fibres and we have several large research programmes dedicated to this work. One of the advantages of hollow core fibres is that they can be designed to operate beyond the spectral transmission window of more conventional, all-silica fibres. This includes transmission into the mid-infrared. Over recent years, we have made many mid-infrared guiding hollow core fibres but we struggle to characterise them as we have much more limited characterisation equipment for this spectral range. However, the mid-infrared is a growing research area and new optical sources and detectors are becoming available which would help us with characterisation. Recently, we secured funding to purchase some of this equipment, including a mid-infrared supercontinuum source (the focus of this procurement). This would be used as a light source to characterise our hollow core fibres. The project is for the supply of a Mid-Infrared Supercontinuum. As mentioned above, this is a light source and we would use the output light and couple it into our hollow core fibres and use it to measure the optical properties of our fibres, such as attenuation and bend loss. We do not have any commercial mid-infrared supercontinuum sources within the ORC but have experience of using similar sources at near-infrared wavelengths. The key advantages for us in purchasing a mid-infrared supercontinuum would be: broad spectral range, high power spectral density, good output power stability and turn-key operation. All proposals should include delivery of the system, training, operating manuals, commissioning, successful user acceptance testing and at least a 12-month warranty with an option to extend the warranty subject to agreement by the University.

CPV Codes

• 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Indicators

• Contract is suitable for SMEs.
• Contract is suitable for VCOs.

Other Information

The University is utilising an electronic tendering tool, In-Tend (https://intendhost.co.uk/ universityofsouthampton) to manage this procurement and to communicate with tenderers (as appropriate). All documentation in relation to this tender can be downloaded from In-Tend. Tenderers are advised that there will be no hard copy documents issued and all communications with the University, including the submission of Selection Stage and/or Invitation to Tender responses will be conducted via In- Show less additional text Tend. Regular monitoring of the portal is the responsibility of the tenderer. If you are not already registered as a supplier with the University of Southampton, you will need to register in In-Tend in order to access the procurement documentation. Once you have logged in as a supplier: click on 'Tenders'; locate the relevant project; and click 'View Details'. Once you are in the project screen, you will be able to register your organisation against the project and access all documentation by clicking 'Express Interest'. Tenderers are advised that formal expressions of interest in the project must be by way of completion and return of the relevant documents via In-Tend. Further instructions for the submission of responses are below: To submit your return: 1. Log in 2. Click 'Tenders' 3. Locate the relevant project 4. View details 5. Click on the tab relating to the relevant project stage (e.g. 'Invitation to Tender') 6. Click on the 'Attach Documents' button and upload your return. 7. Check ALL your response documents are uploaded and displayed in the 'My Tender Return' panel. The system will only permit your organisation to make one return. 8. Click the red 'Submit Return' button. Please note, to preserve the integrity of the procurement, all communications with the University must be made via the correspondence function within In-Tend. Publication of Award Details: In accordance with Regulation 50, paragraph (2) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and subject to Article 5 and Annex 5, Part D (13) of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (if applicable), the University intends to publish the value of any resulting contract at the award stage, and reserves the right to do so. By submitting a response, tenderers are consenting to publication of this information unless otherwise agreed in advance with the University. Tenderers are solely responsible for their costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of responses and participation in this and all future stages of this procurement. Under no circumstances will the University be liable for any costs or expenses borne by potential suppliers/tenderers or any of their supply chain, partners or advisers in this procurement