Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Contracting & Materiel Management Department, L-650, P. O. Box 5012, Livermore, CA 94551

A -- ARBITRARY ELECTRICAL WAVEFORM GENERATOR SOL .N/A DUE 040795 POC Greg Rogowski, Principal Buyer, (510) 422-8148 The University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, seeks sources for a arbitrary electrical waveform generator. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the University of California under contract with the U. S. Department of Energy, is seeking information about companies which have the capabilities to provide components and sub-assemblies for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Optical Pulse Generation (OPG) system. NIF will be a major project acquisition (proposed budget $1.1 B) designed to achieve thermonuclear ignition by laser driven Inertial Confinement Fusion. Facility construction is scheduled to start in October 1996 and to be completed in the year 2002. The NIF is to generate nearly 2 megajoules of optical energy at the third harmonic of Neodymium doped glass (351 nanometers) and deliver this energy in a few nanoseconds to a fusion target approximately 1 mm in diameter. An array of 192 individual laser beams (beamlets) are to be generated simultaneously. The role of the OPG is to create 192 initial pulses, each having about 10 joules of energy, in a precisely formatted (both spatially and temporally) beam. Subsequent amplification by 192 solid state laser amplifiers generates the required system energy. Under the sponsorship of the Department of Energy's Defense Programs, LLNL has initiated the development of the prototype pulse generation system for the National Ignition Facility. The purpose of this announcement is to obtain information on potential partners and participants for the electrical Arbitrary Waveform Generator. In the NIF conceptual design, the laser beams originate from four separate oscillators, from which 192 individual fiber optic laser pulses are derived. Each of those 192 fiber optic beams is a 30 ns wide temporally flat pulse which must be shaped to compensate for the main laser system saturation effects, and shaped for the target requirements. The conceptual design for modulating the intensity in each beam is an integrated optical Mach-Zehnder interferometer driven by an Arbitrary Waveform Generator. Requirements on the Arbitrary Waveform Generator are basically determined by the drive voltage of the Mach#030#Zehnder interferometer, the temporal resolution, and by the required contrast ratio and accuracy at the target. The half#030#wave voltage for Mach#030#Zehnder interferometers designed for 1.053 um light is about 10 V, therefore the peak voltage required from the electrical Arbitrary Waveform Generator must be at least 6 volts into 50 ohms, with 8 volts being preferable. The temporal resolution required by NIF is at least 4 GS/second, with a 3 dB bandwidth of at least 1 GHz. The electrical contrast ratio required is 30:1, with a setpoint accuracy at the foot of the pulse of #177#1%. The setpoint accuracy implies the use of at least 11 bits for a linear digital to analog converter design. Additional requirements include a 1 kHz repetition rate, capability for rapid reprogramming under computer control, and high reliability. Industrial participation is being considered for this subassembly and all other NIF components and subassemblies including manufacture, installation and activation. Participation will be by purchase acquisition of equipment or systems, engineering subcontracts, as an advisory role, or a combination of participation roles leading to a prototype-scale demonstration. Subsequent industrial involvement is anticipated leading to the manufacture and installation of about 200 individual pulse generation modules. It is anticipated that the first development or engineering contracts could be let near the end of FY-95 or early FY-96 for the electrical Arbitrary Waveform Generator. For further information this announcement, contact the Scott Burkhart at (510) 423-2061, or send email to: burkhart1@llnl.gov. Interested firms should respond with a description of qualifications with respect to the foregoing or related fields. The small business size standard applicable to the proposed acquisition is 500 employees. Firms qualifying as a small business with respect to this standard should so state. Responses are required on or before April 07, 1995. Firms responding to this announcement which fail to provide the required information will not be considered for inclusion into any resulting source list. Facsimile and telephone responses will not be accepted. This notice is to assist the University in determining the potential for competition; no solicitation is currently available. (0061)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0012 19950303\A-0012.SOL)