DAF SBIR DAF26BZ06-NV034: Low Noise and Low-SWaP High-Repetition Rate Mode-Locked Lasers for High-Speed Photonics
Quick Answer
DAF26BZ06-NV034 is a Department of the Air Force SBIR Phase I topic under the DAF 2026 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement, Release 6. The Air Force wants a compact, low size, weight, and power mode-locked laser operating in the near-infrared to short-wave infrared at repetition rates between 6 and 12 GHz. The reason is a specific gap in the market: the Air Force states that a commercially available stabilized low-noise laser in the 6 to 12 GHz range is currently lacking, and it needs one as a low-noise bridge between the optical and microwave domains. Awards are up to $250,000 for a period of performance up to 6 months, with a 20 page or slide technical volume limit. The topic opens September 23, 2026 and closes October 21, 2026 through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal.
Phase I is a proof-of-concept and feasibility effort at breadboard level, and the Air Force is explicit that supporting electronics can use benchtop solutions at this stage. It is also explicit about something else that shapes your cost volume: no government materials, equipment, data, or facilities will be provided. Everything you need, you bring or buy.
Topic At a Glance
Topic number: DAF26BZ06-NV034
Title: Low Noise and Low-SWaP High-Repetition Rate Mode-Locked Lasers for High-Speed Photonics
Solicitation: Department of the Air Force 2026 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), Release 6, Phase I Proposal Submission Instructions
Program type: Phase I
Award maximum value: $250,000
Award maximum duration: 6 months
Technical volume page limit: 20 pages or slides
OUSD (R&E) Critical Technology Area: Quantum and Battlefield Dominance (Q-BID)
Component Technology Priority Areas: Integrated Sensing and Cyber; Microelectronics; Advanced Materials
Projected CMMC level requirement: Level 2 (Self)
Export control status: Restricted under ITAR 22 CFR Parts 120-130 and EAR 15 CFR Parts 730-774
Government-furnished property: none. No government materials, equipment, data, or facilities will be provided
Minimum work performed in house: two-thirds of the research or analytical effort
Subcontract and consultant cap: one-third of total contract price, profit excluded
Technical and Business Assistance: up to $6,500 per Phase I award
Type size: no smaller than 10-point
Topic open date: September 23, 2026
Proposal deadline: October 21, 2026, at the time stated in the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA
Selection timeline: within approximately 90 calendar days of solicitation close, meaning on or about January 19, 2027
Submission portal: DSIP at dodsbirsttr.mil
Keywords, as listed in the topic: CO2 mode-locked lasers, frequency combs, semiconductor lasers, infrared, InP, GaSb, MOCVD, MBE
Note on the deadline time. The DAF instructions direct offerors to the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA for the proposal submission deadline date and time rather than restating it. DoW SBIR deadlines are ordinarily 12:00 p.m. Eastern on the close date. Confirm the exact time on the live DSIP topic posting and do not plan around an end-of-day deadline.
Note on the keyword list. The topic's keyword list opens with CO2 mode-locked lasers, which sits oddly against a topic body entirely concerned with mode-locked semiconductor lasers in the near-infrared and short-wave infrared, and against the InP, GaSb, MOCVD, and MBE keywords that follow. Read the topic body as governing and treat that first keyword as likely carried over from elsewhere.
The Requirements, Stated Plainly
These are the numbers your proposal will be measured against. Address each one explicitly.
Repetition rate: between 6 and 12 GHz.
Average power: 50 mW or greater.
Pulse width: a picosecond or less.
Spectral range: near-infrared to short-wave infrared, with the O-band and C-band called out for compatibility with photonic integrated circuits and commercial off-the-shelf components.
Pumping: optically or electrically pumped, your choice.
Stabilization: the repetition rate must be stabilized with custom or commercial off-the-shelf electronics.
Noise and stability: low relative intensity noise and long-term power stability.
SWaP: the overall size, weight, and power of the laser itself and the necessary electronics must be minimized, with differentiating goals highlighted across Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III.
The last item is worth reading carefully. The Air Force is asking you to identify what your SWaP differentiators are at each phase, which means your proposal should say what you will demonstrate about SWaP in Phase I at breadboard level, what changes in Phase II when the electronics become modular, and what the packaged Phase III article looks like. A proposal that treats SWaP as a Phase III concern has not answered the question.
What the Air Force Is Actually Looking For
Why semiconductor mode-locking, and why this frequency band
The technical argument in the topic is specific and worth following closely, because your proposal needs to engage with it rather than restate it.
Mode-locked semiconductor lasers can support high repetition rates up to 100 GHz due to high gain and fast gain recovery, unlike fiber lasers or doped dielectric gain medium lasers. That is the reason the Air Force is pointed at semiconductor gain media rather than fiber or crystal.
Harmonic mode-locking or pulse interleaving can be used to increase the repetition rate into the 4 to 10 GHz range, but the Air Force states that each of these techniques lacks a pure microwave signal. This is the crux of the topic. You can get to the right repetition rate by those routes, but you do not get a clean microwave tone out of it, and the clean tone is the point.
High repetition rate semiconductor lasers can provide the low-noise microwave signal due to the fundamental mode-locking that can be achieved in the gigahertz range with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. Fundamental mode-locking, as opposed to harmonic mode-locking or interleaving, is what delivers spectral purity.
That offers a compact, efficient, low-noise, high-speed option for connecting the optical and microwave domain, enabling integration with photonic integrated circuits or commercial off-the-shelf components.
And then the market statement: currently a commercially available stabilized low-noise laser in the 6 to 12 GHz range is lacking.
So the topic is not asking for an incremental improvement to an existing product line. It is asking you to fill a stated hole in the commercial supply, using fundamental mode-locking in a semiconductor gain medium, in a form factor and noise regime that makes it useful as a microwave source.
The approach the Air Force points toward
The topic describes a promising approach in enough detail that it functions as a technical steer. A technique enabling a two-element cavity design for high-repetition rate lasers has been demonstrated in the first two cited references.
By including the semiconductor saturable absorber with a dielectric output coupler, the overall cavity length can be made shorter for high repetition rates without complex gain structures and without high curvature cavity optics. Shorter cavity means higher repetition rate, and the two-element approach gets there without the complications that usually accompany it.
In the near-infrared this was demonstrated on a curved output coupler with a bonded quantum well saturable absorber, resulting in a hybrid SESAM, achieving pulse widths of about 400 femtoseconds at repetition rates from 2.8 to 8 GHz.
In the visible spectrum a similar technique was applied with a flat dielectric mirror, constructing what was coined as a membrane saturable absorber mirror, or MESAM. Because the output coupler and saturable absorber were independent, the repetition rate remained low but still achieved picosecond pulses.
Integrating these elements via direct membrane bonding of the saturable absorber allows higher repetition rates, and has been demonstrated for high-power applications in the third cited reference.
It is envisioned that this approach, or other proposed solutions, can be extended throughout the near-infrared and into the short-wave infrared, particularly in the O-band and C-band for compatibility with photonic integrated circuits and commercial off-the-shelf components.
Two things follow for your proposal. First, the phrase "or other proposed solutions" leaves the door open, so you are not obligated to pursue direct membrane bonding of a saturable absorber. Second, if you propose something else, you should engage with why the referenced route is insufficient or why yours is better, because the Air Force has told you what it considers promising. Silence on that point reads as unfamiliarity.
Phase I
Develop a proof-of-concept for the necessary components and conduct a feasibility study to demonstrate a breadboard 6 to 12 GHz mode-locked laser with picosecond or shorter pulse widths.
Component development is to include the semiconductor gain medium, the saturable absorber or other mode-locking element, and the necessary fabrication steps for the components.
Potential metrics include average power, pulse energy, pulse width, long-term power stability, spectral bandwidth, repetition rate tuning, and relative intensity noise.
Supporting electronics can utilize benchtop solutions.
Read those four paragraphs together and the Phase I scope becomes clear. You are building components and a breadboard, not a product. Gain medium, mode-locking element, and the fabrication process for both are named as in-scope component development, which means epitaxial growth and processing work belongs in the plan. The metric list gives you your data table. And the permission to use benchtop supporting electronics removes an entire category of work from Phase I, which matters a great deal in a six month, $250,000 effort. Do not spend Phase I money miniaturizing drive electronics.
Note also the phrase "repetition rate tuning" in the metric list. Tunability is not in the hard requirements but appears as a potential metric, so characterizing your tuning range is a way to add value without scope creep.
Phase II
Conduct research to transition the validated Phase I design into prototypes for two fiber-coupled brassboards with full stabilization and low-noise, low-SWaP implementation of the near-infrared to short-wave infrared mode-locked laser. Aside from an external DC power supply, all electronics should be modular with the ability to integrate in Phase III.
Three concrete details there. Two units, not one. Fiber-coupled, which is a packaging and alignment problem distinct from the laser physics. And full stabilization with modular electronics, meaning the benchtop permission from Phase I expires. Your Phase I proposal should show that you know where the Phase II electronics work sits even though you are not doing it yet, because the Air Force asked for SWaP differentiating goals across all three phases.
Phase III
Develop a fully packaged low-noise, high-repetition rate mode-locked laser operating in the near-infrared to short-wave infrared spectral range, suitable for system integration and commercial sales.
The commercial framing is explicit here, and it is unusually favorable. The Air Force has already told you that a stabilized low-noise laser in this band is not commercially available, which is your market statement handed to you. Photonic integrated circuit integration, microwave photonics, optical frequency comb applications, high-speed analog-to-digital conversion, and precision timing distribution are all natural adjacent markets for a clean 6 to 12 GHz optical pulse source.
The cited references
Three papers, all worth reading before you write.
Gibson, R., et al, "Hybrid SESAMs for high-repetition rate mode-locked VECSELs," SPIE Proceedings, VECSELs XII, Volume 12404, p. 1240407, 2023.
Cutuk, A., Grossmann, M., Jetter, M. and Michler, P., "Membrane saturable absorber mirror (MESAM) in a red-emitting VECSEL for the generation of stable ultrashort pulses," Optics Express, 31(4), pp. 6796-6804, 2023.
Diebold, A., et al, "Optimized SESAMs for kilowatt-level ultrafast lasers," Optics Express, 24(10), pp. 10512-10526, 2016.
The reference set points toward vertical external cavity surface emitting laser architectures with engineered saturable absorbers. Combined with the InP, GaSb, MOCVD, and MBE keywords, the picture is of a topic aimed at companies with semiconductor epitaxy and processing capability rather than at systems integrators buying components.
Funding Allowance and Cost Structure
Award ceiling and what six months buys
Up to $250,000 across up to 6 months. The topic index states that proposals in excess of this amount will not be considered for evaluation or award, and proposals in excess of this duration will not be considered for evaluation or award.
The instructions add that any per-award or per-topic funding caps are budgetary estimates only and more or less funding may become available. Multiple procurements are planned and anticipated to be awarded as a result of the topic, each proposal is considered a separate procurement and will be evaluated on its own merit, and the Government may award all, some, or none of the proposals. Funding decisions are made with complete disregard to the other awards under the same topic.
Six months is the tighter constraint for this particular topic, because semiconductor epitaxy has an irreducible cycle time. If your plan requires a growth run, characterization, a design iteration, and a second growth run, be honest about whether that fits and say how you have de-risked it. Proposals that assume a first-pass success on novel epitaxy invite skepticism. Existing wafers, existing material, or a partner with ready capacity are all ways to make the schedule credible, subject to the work-performance limits below.
No government-furnished anything
The topic states plainly that no government materials, equipment, data, or facilities will be provided. That has two consequences. Your cost volume has to carry every wafer, every characterization tool hour, and every piece of test equipment you need. And you cannot propose a plan that depends on access to an Air Force Research Laboratory facility or on government-furnished material.
Contract type
The DAF primarily makes SBIR Phase I and Phase II awards as firm-fixed-price contracts. Awardees are strongly urged to work toward a Defense Contract Audit Agency approved accounting system, since if the company intends to continue work with the Department of War an approved accounting system allows competition in a broader array of acquisition opportunities, including award of cost-reimbursement type contracts.
If no exceptions are taken to an offeror's proposal, the Government may award a contract without negotiations. Therefore the offeror's initial proposal should contain the offeror's best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. If there are questions regarding the award document, contact the Phase I Contracting Officer identified on the cover page. The Government reserves the right to reopen negotiations later if the Contracting Officer determines doing so to be necessary.
Technical and Business Assistance
The DAF will provide up to $6,500 per Phase I award, and this total is in addition to the per-topic total identified in the DSIP Volume 3 Cost Proposal.
Note that this BAA Phase I document carries the full detailed TABA request requirements, which the DAF CSO Phase I instructions did not. Awardees can only use TABA funding for the activities outlined in 15 U.S.C. 638(q)(1) and the purposes outlined in 15 U.S.C. 638(q)(1)(A) through (E). Eligible activities include access to a network of scientists and engineers engaged in a wide range of technologies, assistance with product sales, intellectual property protections, cybersecurity assistance, market research, market validation, development of regulations and manufacturing plans, and access to technical and business literature available through online databases. Those activities can be undertaken in furtherance of making better technical decisions concerning such projects, solving technical problems which arise during the conduct of such projects, minimizing technical risks associated with such projects, developing and commercializing new commercial products and processes resulting from such projects including intellectual property protections, and screening for potential foreign involvement in technology development or commercialization activities.
Requests for TABA funding creditable to a TABA provider must include the following information or will be subject to denial: the TABA providers; the providers' point of contact, email address, and phone number; an explanation of the provider's unique qualifications to provide the TABA service; the tasks that will be performed by the provider including the purpose and objective of the assistance, with the task milestone list tracking to the milestone payment schedule otherwise provided by the applicant; and total provider cost, number of hours, and labor rates, with average or blended rates acceptable.
If proposing TABA funding to hire new staff, augment staff, or direct staff to conduct or participate in training activities consistent with the purpose of TABA, the following must be included or may be subject to denial: names and positions, business need to be filled or training to be provided; number of employees to be hired, augmented, or directed to participate in training activities; qualifications of employees hired or augmented, or detailed need for training; tasks that will be performed including both a description of the activity and the purpose that it will serve; and total staff or training cost, number of hours, and labor rates.
A detailed request for TABA funding must be included in the Volume 5 Supporting Documents in DSIP. TABA requests that only specify a TABA request value in the Volume 3 Cost Proposal will not be considered.
For a photonics company, intellectual property protections and market validation are the obvious candidates. Given that the Air Force has stated the commercial gap explicitly, market validation work that quantifies that gap has value beyond the proposal.
Cost volume requirements
Cost information should be provided by completing the Cost Volume in DSIP and including the Cost Volume Itemized Listing. The cost volume detail must be adequate to enable Air Force personnel to determine the purpose, necessity, and reasonableness of each cost element. The DSIP Cost Volume and Itemized Cost Volume Information will not count against the specified page limit, and the itemized listing may also be submitted in Volume 5 under the "Other" dropdown option.
Direct cost materials. Justify costs for materials, parts, and supplies with an itemized list containing types, quantities, prices, and where appropriate purpose. Material costs may include such items as raw materials, parts, subassemblies, components, and manufacturing supplies. On this topic, substrates, epitaxial material, dielectric coatings, and optics belong here with quantities and prices.
Other direct costs. This category includes but is not limited to specialized services such as machining, milling, special testing or analysis, and costs incurred in temporarily using specialized equipment. Proposals including leased hardware must include an adequate lease versus purchase justification. Outside epitaxial growth runs, if structured as a service rather than a subcontract, and specialized characterization such as noise measurement or autocorrelation may sit here. Be deliberate about whether a growth run is a service, a subcontract, or a purchase, since the classification affects your one-third cap arithmetic.
Direct labor. Identify key personnel by name, if possible, or by labor category, if not. Direct labor hours, labor overhead or fringe benefits, and actual hourly rates for each individual are necessary for the Contracting Officer to determine whether these hours, fringe rates, and hourly rates are fair and reasonable.
Travel. Travel costs must relate to project needs. Break out travel costs by trip, number of travelers, airfare, per diem, lodging, and similar. The number of trips required, as well as the destination and purpose of each, should be reflected. The instructions recommend budgeting at least one trip to the Air Force location managing the contract.
Subcontracts. Involvement of university or other consultants in the project's planning or research stages may be appropriate. If so, describe in detail and include information in the Cost Volume. The proposed total of consultant fees, facility lease or usage fees, and other subcontract or purchase agreements may not exceed one-third of the total contract price or cost, with profit excluded from the calculation, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Contracting Officer. The SBIR funded work percentage calculation considers both direct and indirect costs after removal of the small business concern's proposed profit. Support subcontract costs with copies of executed agreements that adequately describe the work to be performed, and at a minimum include a Statement of Work with a corresponding detailed Cost Volume for each planned subcontract.
On a $250,000 award, one-third is roughly $83,000 for all consultant fees, facility lease and usage fees, and subcontract or purchase agreements combined. For a topic that may require outside epitaxy or outside fabrication, that is a real constraint. Model it before you settle on your approach.
Special tooling, special test equipment, and material. The inclusion of equipment and materials will be carefully reviewed relative to need and appropriateness to the work proposed. Special tooling and special test equipment purchases must, in the Contracting Officer's opinion, be advantageous to the Government and relate directly to the effort. These toolings or equipment should not be of a type that an offeror would otherwise possess in the normal course of business, and may include items such as innovative instrumentation or automatic test equipment.
Consultants. Provide a separate agreement letter for each consultant, briefly stating what service or assistance will be provided, the number of hours required, and the hourly rate.
Performance of work requirements
For Phase I, a minimum of two-thirds of the research or analytical effort must be performed by the awardee. The DAF measures percentage of work by both direct and indirect costs, not including profit.
Occasionally the DAF will consider deviations from this performance of work requirement. Requests for Performance of Work deviations must be made twice: prior to submission during the topic open period, and as part of the initial proposal submission. For requests prior to the initial proposal submission, the DAF will consider the request and approve or disapprove requesting applicants to proceed with DSIP submission. Upon proposal receipt, the DAF will again consider such requests for approval for the resultant award.
For a semiconductor laser topic this is the constraint most likely to bind. If your plan sends epitaxy to a foundry or fabrication to a university cleanroom, run the numbers early. Two-thirds of the research or analytical effort performed by you, plus all outside costs under one-third of contract price, is a tight envelope for a materials-heavy effort. If you cannot meet it, file the pre-submission deviation request in the first week of the open period, since it must happen inside the four week window.
All R/R&D work must be performed in the United States. Based on a rare and unique circumstance, the DAF may approve a particular portion of the R/R&D work to be performed or obtained in a country outside the United States. The awarding Funding Agreement officer must approve each specific condition in writing. Applicants seeking this approval must make the request with their initial proposal submission, and the DAF will not consider these requests prior to proposal submission. Compound semiconductor epitaxy and processing capacity is globally distributed, so if any part of your supply chain is offshore, address it.
Export Control and Foreign Nationals
The technology within this topic is restricted under ITAR 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services including export of sensitive technical data, and the EAR 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items.
Of the three topics in this Phase I release, this is the only one carrying a topic-level export control restriction. NV035 and NV036 do not include this paragraph. That does not remove the general disclosure obligations from those topics, but it does mean this topic specifically flags export-controlled technical data.
Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their countries of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work tasks intended for accomplishment by the foreign nationals in accordance with section 3.5 of the Announcement. Offerors are advised that foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under U.S. export control laws.
The Volume 2 Key Personnel requirements reinforce this. You must identify all U.S. permanent residents to be involved in the project as direct employees, subcontractors, or consultants, and identify all non-U.S. citizens expected to be involved in the project as direct employees, subcontractors, or consultants. For all non-U.S. citizens, in addition to technical resumes, provide countries of origin, the type of visa or work permit under which they are performing, and an explanation of their anticipated level of involvement on this project, as appropriate. Additional information may be requested during negotiations in order to verify the foreign citizen's eligibility to participate on a contract issued as a result of this announcement.
One instruction here is easy to get wrong and worth calling out. The topic states plainly: do not upload information such as Permanent Resident Cards, birth certificates, Social Security Numbers, or other personally identifiable information to the DSIP system. Provide the categories of information requested, not the underlying identity documents.
Photonics and compound semiconductor groups are frequently internationally staffed, so resolve who can work on what before you build your key personnel section.
If you are asserting export-controlled status, a copy of the certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, or evidence of application submission must be included in Volume 5. The form, instructions, and FAQs are available at the United States and Canada Joint Certification Program website. DD Form 2345 approval will be required if the proposal is selected for award.
Proposal Structure: The Seven Volumes
Formatting, and what does not count against the page limit
The Technical Volume should include all graphics and attachments but should not include the Cover Sheet, which is completed separately as Volume 1. Ensure that all graphics are distinguishable in black and white, which matters on a topic where you will want to show spectra, autocorrelation traces, and noise plots.
The Technical Volume must be no smaller than 10-point on standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper with one-inch margins. Note that this differs from the DAF Direct to Phase II instructions, which require 11-point.
The Phase I Technical Volume page and slide limits identified for the topics do not include the Cover Sheet, the Cost Volume, or the Cost Volume Itemized Listing. Only the Technical Volume and any enclosures or attachments count toward the page limit. The documents required for upload into Volume 5 under "Other" do not count toward the specified limits. In the interest of equity, pages or slides in excess of the stated limits will not be reviewed.
The limit for this topic is 20 pages or slides, per the topic index. Because the limit is expressed as pages or slides, a slide-format technical volume is acceptable, and many hardware teams find slides more efficient for conveying device structure and measured data within a tight limit.
Fraud, Waste and Abuse training must be completed prior to proposal submission, and DSIP will indicate completion of the Volume 6 requirement once the training is complete and certified.
Note the criminal warning the instructions carry: knowingly and willfully making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations may be a felony under 18 U.S.C. Section 1001, punishable by a fine up to $250,000, up to five years in prison, or both.
Volume 1, Cover Sheet
Complete the proposal Cover Sheet in accordance with the instructions provided via DSIP. The technical abstract should include a brief description of the program objectives, a description of the effort, anticipated benefits and commercial applications of the proposed research, and a list of keywords and terms.
The technical abstract of each successful proposal will be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of War for publication and therefore must not contain proprietary or classified information. If selected for funding, the proposal's technical abstract and discussion of anticipated benefits will be publicly released. On a topic where your device structure may be your core intellectual property, be deliberate about abstract content.
Volume 2, Technical Volume
The Phase I technical volume shall contain the required elements below. These instructions supplement the FY26 SBIR BAA, and in addition to the requirements found in the BAA, applicants are required to provide the following information in Volume 2.
Key personnel. Identify in the Technical Volume all key personnel who will be involved in this project, including information on directly related education, experience, and citizenship. A technical resume of the principal investigator, including a list of publications if any, must be included. Only one principal investigator or project manager can be designated to a proposal at any given time. Concise technical resumes for subcontractors and consultants, if any, are also useful. Identify all U.S. permanent residents to be involved in the project as direct employees, subcontractors, or consultants. Identify all non-U.S. citizens expected to be involved in the project as direct employees, subcontractors, or consultants, and for all non-U.S. citizens, in addition to technical resumes, provide countries of origin, the type of visa or work permit under which they are performing, and an explanation of their anticipated level of involvement on this project, as appropriate. Do not upload Permanent Resident Cards, birth certificates, Social Security Numbers, or other PII to DSIP.
Phase I Statement of Work outline. The DAF uses the work plan outline as the initial draft of the Phase I Statement of Work. Therefore, do not include proprietary information in the work plan outline. To do so will necessitate a request for revision, if selected, and may delay award.
That is a meaningful instruction. Your work plan outline becomes the contract's statement of work, so anything proprietary in it either gets published in a contract document or triggers a revision cycle that delays your award. Write the technical detail in the body of the technical volume and keep the work plan outline at the task and deliverable level.
Include a work plan outline in the following format. Scope, listing the effort's major requirements and specifications. Task Outline, providing a brief outline of the work to be accomplished during the Phase I effort. Milestone Schedule. Deliverables. Progress reports. Final report with SF 298.
The SF 298 is the Report Documentation Page that accompanies a technical report. Naming it in the required outline means your final report needs it, so plan for it rather than discovering it at closeout.
Volume 3, Cost Volume
Covered above.
Volume 4, Company Commercialization Report
Completion of the CCR as Volume 4 of the proposal submission in DSIP is required. Refer to the FY26 SBIR BAA for full details on this requirement. Information contained in the CCR will not be considered by the Air Force during proposal evaluations. Complete it for compliance and do not treat it as a scoring opportunity.
Volume 5, Supporting Documents
The following documents may be required if applicable to your proposal. DD Form 2345, which applies to this export-controlled topic. Verification of Eligibility of Small Business Joint Ventures, Attachment 3 to the FY26 SBIR BAA. Technical Data Rights Assertions, if asserting data rights restrictions.
On a semiconductor laser topic, Technical Data Rights Assertions deserve real attention. Your epitaxial structure, your saturable absorber design, and your bonding process are likely background intellectual property developed with private investment, and this is the mechanism for distinguishing them from what you develop under the award.
The detailed TABA request, if you are requesting TABA, also goes in Volume 5. Note that documents required for upload into Volume 5 under "Other" do not count toward the page limit, and the Cost Volume Itemized Listing may also be submitted there.
Volume 6, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Training
Material can be found in the Volume 6 section of the proposal submission module in DSIP and must be thoroughly reviewed once per year to proceed with proposal submission.
Volume 7, Disclosures of Foreign Affiliations or Relationships to Foreign Countries
Small business concerns must complete the webform in Volume 7 of the DSIP proposal submission. The disclosures will not be accepted as a PDF Supporting Document in Volume 5, and previous versions of this form must not be uploaded to Volume 5. For additional details, refer to the DoW SBIR Program BAA.
How Your Proposal Will Be Evaluated
The criteria are in the BAA, not in this document
Proposals will be evaluated for overall merit in accordance with the criteria discussed in the FY26 SBIR BAA. The DAF is seeking varying technical and scientific approaches and varying and new technologies that would be responsive to the problem statements and areas of interest in the topic. Multiple procurements are planned and anticipated to be awarded as a result of the topic, each proposal is considered a separate procurement and will be evaluated on its own merit, and the Government may award all, some, or none of the proposals. Any per-award or per-topic funding caps are budgetary estimates only, and more or less funding may become available. Funding decisions are made with complete disregard to the other awards under the same topic.
That is all this document says about criteria. Unlike the DAF Release 6 CSO Phase I instructions, which restate Criteria A, B, and C with their relative importance, this BAA document does not reproduce them. You must read the evaluation criteria in the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA to know how your proposal will be scored, and you should not assume the CSO criteria carry over. Do this before you start writing, because the criteria determine your emphasis.
Foreign risk evaluation
15 U.S.C. 638 and the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act of 2026 require the Department of War, in coordination with the Small Business Administration, to implement a due diligence program to assess security risks presented by small business concerns seeking a federally funded award.
The DAF will evaluate all small business concerns that submit proposals under this release on whether the concern presents a security risk for any reason. The measures include the due diligence process required under 15 U.S.C. 638(vv), disclosures required under 15 U.S.C. 638(g) and (o), and coordination with the intelligence community as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003), federal law enforcement, and other counterintelligence capabilities of the United States Government.
The DAF will assess using a risk-based approach as appropriate: the cybersecurity practices; patent analysis; employee analysis; foreign ownership of a small business concern seeking an award, including the financial ties and obligations, which shall include surety, equity, and debt obligations, of the concern and employees of the concern to a foreign country, foreign person, or foreign entity; foreign affiliations of a covered individual, owner, or other key personnel of a concern with an entity in a foreign country of concern; investment relationships of a concern with an individual or entity in a foreign country of concern; technology licensing agreements or joint ventures, including joint venture like agreements, with an individual or entity in a foreign country of concern; and business relationships between a covered individual, owner, or other key personnel and an individual or entity in a foreign country of concern.
Patent analysis and technology licensing arrangements both deserve attention on this topic. Compound semiconductor laser intellectual property is internationally dense, and licensing or cross-licensing relationships are common. Map yours before you propose.
The DAF will also assess proposals utilizing open-source analysis and analytical tools for the nondisclosures of the information set forth in 15 U.S.C. 638(g)(13) or 638(o)(17), and examine any relationship of a concern seeking an award to any entity or individual included on the lists described in 15 U.S.C. 638(g)(16)(D) and 638(o)(20)(D).
If the DAF assesses that a concern has security risks, the DAF will review the proposal, the evaluation, and the security risks and may choose either to create a plan to mitigate the risks or to not select the proposal for award based upon a totality of the review.
Applicants will be required to disclose, under penalty of perjury, the representations, attestations, and certifications required under 15 U.S.C. 638(g)(13) and 638(o)(17), fulfilled by completing Volume 7. In addition, a written statement with any substantial changes to a foreign disclosure form must be provided to the awarding agency within 30 days of any changes while on a project for the DAF.
The DAF will not make an award if it determines the concern has an owner or covered individual that is party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program; has a business entity, parent company, or subsidiary located in the People's Republic of China or another foreign country of concern; has an owner or covered individual that has a foreign affiliation with a research institution located in the PRC or another foreign country of concern; or has a security risk connecting the concern to an entity, including any affiliates of the entity, or individual on any of the following: the UFLPA Entity List maintained by the Department of Homeland Security; the Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control maintained by the Department of the Treasury; the Section 889 Prohibition List established under section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 and maintained by the Department of War; the list of Chinese Military Companies required under section 1260H of the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 and maintained by the Department of War; the Military End User List maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce; the Entity List maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security; the List of Equipment and Services maintained by the Federal Communications Commission; or the Withhold Release Orders and Findings List maintained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The DAF will also not make an award if it determines the concern has a security risk with a primary source that is classified or has a security risk the DAF determines warrants a denial.
If the DAF denies an award under 15 U.S.C. 638(g)(16) or 638(o)(20), or upon determining the concern has a security risk described in that paragraph, the DAF will, as appropriate pursuant to its discretion and in a manner that does not compromise security, provide a notification advising the small business of the determination, the basis for the determination, and a statement that denial of award does not prohibit the concern from being eligible for an award in a subsequent award cycle. The same applies to denials under 15 U.S.C. 638(vv).
For a compound semiconductor effort, audit your substrate, epitaxy, and optics supply chain against those eight lists before you propose. Substrate and coating supply in particular has significant offshore concentration.
Venture capital, hedge fund, and private equity ownership
Small business concerns that are owned in majority part by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity funds are eligible to submit applications or receive awards for DAF topics.
This is worth stating explicitly because the DAF Release 6 BAA Direct to Phase II instructions say the opposite, stating that such firms are not eligible. Within the same BAA cycle, the Phase I instructions permit venture-backed firms and the Direct to Phase II instructions do not. The Phase I instructions govern this topic, so venture-backed applicants are eligible here. If you are also considering the Direct to Phase II topic in this cycle, read that document's eligibility language separately and consider raising the discrepancy with the DAF SBIR/STTR One Help Desk during the open period.
Support contractors, status, feedback, and protests
Restrictive notices notwithstanding, proposals may be handled for administrative purposes only by support contractors. These support contractors may include, but are not limited to, TEC Solutions, Inc., APEX, Oasis Systems, Riverside Research, Peerless Technologies, HPC-COM, Mile Two, Montech, Wright Brothers Institute, and MacB (an Alion Company). In addition, only Government employees and technical personnel from the FFRDCs MITRE and Aerospace Corporations working under contract to provide technical support to AF Life Cycle Management Center and Space and Missiles Centers may evaluate proposals. All support contractors are bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements. Contact the AF SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer with concerns regarding the use of support contractors.
The Principal Investigator and Corporate Official indicated on the Proposal Cover Sheet will be notified by email regarding proposal selection or non-selection. Small businesses will receive a notification for each proposal submitted, so read each notification carefully and note the Proposal Number and Topic Number referenced.
Automated feedback will be provided for Phase I proposals designated Not Selected. Additional feedback may be provided at the sole discretion of the DAF.
Proposals submitted to the DAF are received and evaluated by different organizations, handled by topic. Each organization operates within its own schedule for proposal evaluation and selection, so updates and notification timeframes will vary. If contacted regarding a proposal submission, it is not necessary to request information regarding additional submissions, since separate notifications are provided for each proposal.
The Air Force anticipates that all proposals will be evaluated and selections finalized within approximately 90 calendar days of solicitation close. Refrain from contacting the BAA Contracting Officer for proposal status before that time.
Refer to the DoW SBIR Program BAA for procedures to protest the Announcement. As further prescribed in FAR 33.106(a) and FAR 52.233-2, protests should be submitted to Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer Daniel J. Brewer. The DAF uses its best efforts to resolve concerns raised by interested parties at the contracting officer level through open and frank discussions, and for agency protests the DAF provides for inexpensive, informal, procedurally simple, and expeditious resolution of protests.
All final reports will be submitted to the awarding DAF organization in accordance with contract instructions. Companies will not submit final reports directly to the Defense Technical Information Center.
How Phase II works
DAF organizations may request Phase II proposals while Phase I technical performance is ongoing or at any time after the conclusion of the period of performance. This decision will be based on the awardee's technical progress, as determined by a DAF Technical Point of Contact review using the Phase II review criteria.
Phase II is the demonstration of the technology found feasible in Phase I. Only Phase I awardees are eligible to submit a Phase II proposal. All Phase I awardees will be sent a notification with the Phase II proposal submittal date and detailed Phase II proposal preparation instructions. If the physical or email addresses or firm points of contact have changed since submission of the Phase I proposal, correct information shall be sent to the DAF SBIR/STTR One Help Desk. Phase II dollar values, performance periods, and proposal content will be specified in the Phase II request for proposal. All proposals must be submitted electronically via DSIP by the date indicated in the Phase II proposal instructions, and only one Phase II proposal may be submitted for each Phase I award.
The DAF reserves the right to modify the Phase II submission requirements, and should the requirements change, all Phase I awardees will be notified. The DAF also reserves the right to change any administrative procedures that will improve management of the DAF SBIR/STTR Program at any time.
Because the Phase II request can come while Phase I performance is still ongoing and is based on demonstrated technical progress, front-loading real measured results rather than saving everything for the final report is strategically sensible on a six month award.
Timeline and What to Do When
The dates
Topic opens: September 23, 2026
Proposal deadline: October 21, 2026, at the time specified in the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA, ordinarily 12:00 p.m. Eastern. Confirm on DSIP.
Selections finalized: within approximately 90 calendar days of close, on or about January 19, 2027
Period of performance: up to 6 months from award
Phase II: requested by DAF organizations based on technical progress, during or after Phase I performance, with one Phase II proposal permitted per Phase I award
A working backward plan
Before September 23. Read the evaluation criteria in the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA, since they are not in the component instructions. Read the three cited papers. Settle your device architecture and decide whether you are pursuing the referenced two-element cavity and membrane-bonded saturable absorber route or something else, and if something else, work out your argument for why. Inventory what material and wafers you already have, because six months plus no government-furnished material makes existing inventory valuable. Model your one-third outside cost cap and two-thirds in-house work requirement against your epitaxy and fabrication plan, and if it does not close, file the pre-submission Performance of Work deviation request in the first week of the open period. Resolve export control staffing questions and start DD Form 2345 if you do not hold one. Inventory background intellectual property for Technical Data Rights Assertions. Audit substrate, epitaxy, and optics supply against the eight denial lists. Complete Volume 6 training and verify SAM and DSIP alignment. Send clarifying questions to the DAF SBIR/STTR One Help Desk, which explicitly encourages early inquiries.
September 23 through October 3. Draft the technical volume against the 20 page limit, with the device design, the fabrication plan, and the measurement plan against the named metrics as the core. Write the work plan outline separately and keep proprietary detail out of it, since it becomes the Phase I Statement of Work. Build the milestone schedule early, since the TABA task milestone list must track to your milestone payment schedule.
October 4 through October 12. Build the cost volume and itemized listing, neither of which counts against the page limit. Itemize substrates, epitaxial material, coatings, and optics with prices. Classify growth runs and outside fabrication correctly as service, subcontract, or purchase and check the one-third cap. Get separate agreement letters from each consultant and executed agreements with statements of work and detailed cost volumes for each planned subcontract. Include at least one trip to the Air Force location managing the contract. Write the detailed TABA request into Volume 5 if requesting TABA.
October 13 through October 16. Assemble Volume 5 with DD Form 2345 and Technical Data Rights Assertions, complete the Volume 7 webform, finish the Volume 4 CCR, and run compliance: 20 page limit, 10-point minimum type, one-inch margins, graphics distinguishable in black and white, no PII uploaded to DSIP, no proprietary content in the technical abstract or the work plan outline.
October 17 through October 19. Submit and certify in DSIP.
October 20 through October 21. Buffer only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DAF SBIR topic DAF26BZ06-NV034?
DAF26BZ06-NV034 is a Department of the Air Force SBIR Phase I topic titled "Low Noise and Low-SWaP High-Repetition Rate Mode-Locked Lasers for High-Speed Photonics," released under the DAF 2026 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement, Release 6. It seeks compact low-SWaP optically or electrically pumped mode-locked lasers in the near-infrared to short-wave infrared capable of operating at repetition rates between 6 and 12 GHz.
How much funding is available under DAF26BZ06-NV034?
Up to $250,000 for a period of performance up to 6 months. Proposals in excess of that amount or duration will not be considered for evaluation or award. Up to $6,500 in Technical and Business Assistance is available per Phase I award, in addition to the per-topic total.
When is the proposal deadline?
The topic closes October 21, 2026. The DAF instructions direct offerors to the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA for the exact submission time, which is ordinarily 12:00 p.m. Eastern on the close date. Confirm the time on the live DSIP topic posting rather than assuming an end-of-day deadline.
When does this topic open?
September 23, 2026, giving a 29 day submission window.
What are the laser performance requirements?
Repetition rate between 6 and 12 GHz, average power of 50 mW or greater, pulse width of a picosecond or less, operation in the near-infrared to short-wave infrared with the O-band and C-band called out for PIC and COTS compatibility, optical or electrical pumping, repetition rate stabilized with custom or COTS electronics, low relative intensity noise, and long-term power stability. Overall SWaP of the laser and its necessary electronics must be minimized, with differentiating goals highlighted across Phase I, II, and III.
Why does the Air Force want 6 to 12 GHz specifically?
Because it says a commercially available stabilized low-noise laser in the 6 to 12 GHz range is currently lacking. The band matters because fundamental mode-locking in a semiconductor gain medium at those rates produces a low-noise microwave signal, whereas harmonic mode-locking or pulse interleaving can reach comparable rates but, as the topic puts it, lack a pure microwave signal.
Why semiconductor gain media rather than fiber or crystal lasers?
The topic states that mode-locked semiconductor lasers can support high repetition rates up to 100 GHz due to high gain and fast gain recovery, unlike fiber lasers or doped dielectric gain medium lasers. The InP, GaSb, MOCVD, and MBE keywords reinforce that this topic is aimed at companies with semiconductor epitaxy and processing capability.
What technical approach does the Air Force suggest?
A two-element cavity design in which the semiconductor saturable absorber is combined with a dielectric output coupler, allowing a shorter overall cavity for high repetition rates without complex gain structures and without high curvature cavity optics. The topic describes near-infrared demonstrations using a curved output coupler with a bonded quantum well saturable absorber forming a hybrid SESAM, achieving roughly 400 femtosecond pulses at 2.8 to 8 GHz, and a visible-spectrum membrane saturable absorber mirror approach. It notes that integrating these elements via direct membrane bonding of the saturable absorber allows higher repetition rates.
Do I have to use the suggested approach?
No. The topic says this approach "or other proposed solutions" can be extended throughout the near-infrared and into the short-wave infrared. If you propose an alternative, engage with why the referenced route is insufficient or why yours is better, since the Air Force has stated what it considers promising.
What does Phase I actually deliver?
A proof-of-concept for the necessary components plus a feasibility study demonstrating a breadboard 6 to 12 GHz mode-locked laser with picosecond or shorter pulse widths. Component development is to include the semiconductor gain medium, the saturable absorber or other mode-locking element, and the necessary fabrication steps for the components.
What metrics should I characterize in Phase I?
The topic names average power, pulse energy, pulse width, long-term power stability, spectral bandwidth, repetition rate tuning, and relative intensity noise as potential metrics. Use them as your data table.
Do I need to miniaturize the drive electronics in Phase I?
No. The topic states that supporting electronics can utilize benchtop solutions in Phase I. That permission removes a substantial body of work from a six month effort, so do not spend Phase I funding on electronics miniaturization. The modular, stabilized electronics requirement arrives in Phase II.
Will the government provide any materials, equipment, or facilities?
No. The topic states plainly that no government materials, equipment, data, or facilities will be provided. Your cost volume must carry every wafer, tool hour, and instrument you need, and you cannot propose a plan that depends on access to a government facility.
What happens in Phase II?
Research to transition the validated Phase I design into prototypes for two fiber-coupled brassboards with full stabilization and low-noise, low-SWaP implementation of the near-infrared to short-wave infrared mode-locked laser. Aside from an external DC power supply, all electronics should be modular with the ability to integrate in Phase III. Note that it is two units, they are fiber-coupled, and the benchtop electronics permission expires.
What happens in Phase III?
Develop a fully packaged low-noise, high-repetition rate mode-locked laser operating in the near-infrared to short-wave infrared spectral range, suitable for system integration and commercial sales.
How long can my technical volume be?
20 pages or slides, per the topic index. The Technical Volume must be no smaller than 10-point on standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper with one-inch margins. Note that the Cover Sheet, Cost Volume, and Cost Volume Itemized Listing do not count toward the limit, only the Technical Volume and any enclosures or attachments do, and documents uploaded into Volume 5 under "Other" do not count either. Pages or slides in excess of the stated limit will not be reviewed.
Is 10-point type correct, or is it 11-point?
For this BAA Phase I release it is 10-point minimum. The DAF Direct to Phase II instructions require 11-point, so do not carry the formatting assumption across documents.
Is this topic export controlled?
Yes. The technology is restricted under ITAR 22 CFR Parts 120-130 and EAR 15 CFR Parts 730-774. Of the three topics in this Phase I release, this is the only one carrying a topic-level export control restriction. You must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals with countries of origin, visa or work permit type, and the statement of work tasks intended for them, and the topic advises that foreign nationals proposed to perform may be restricted due to the technical data involved.
What identity information should I not upload?
Do not upload Permanent Resident Cards, birth certificates, Social Security Numbers, or other personally identifiable information to the DSIP system. Provide the categories of information the instructions request, meaning countries of origin, visa or work permit type, and level of involvement, not the underlying identity documents.
How much of the work must my company perform?
For Phase I, a minimum of two-thirds of the research or analytical effort must be performed by the awardee, measured by both direct and indirect costs, not including profit. Separately, the proposed total of consultant fees, facility lease or usage fees, and other subcontract or purchase agreements may not exceed one-third of the total contract price or cost, with profit excluded, unless the Contracting Officer approves otherwise in writing. On a $250,000 award that is roughly $83,000 for all outside costs combined.
What if I need an outside foundry for epitaxy or fabrication?
Run the arithmetic first, because this is the constraint most likely to bind on a materials-heavy topic. If it does not close, the DAF will occasionally consider deviations, but requests must be made twice: prior to submission during the topic open period, and again as part of the initial proposal submission. Since the pre-submission request must happen inside the four week open window, treat it as a first-week action.
How will my proposal be evaluated?
The BAA component instructions do not restate the evaluation criteria. They say only that proposals will be evaluated for overall merit in accordance with the criteria discussed in the FY26 SBIR BAA. You must read the criteria in the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA, and you should not assume the Criteria A, B, and C structure from the DAF CSO instructions carries over.
Are venture capital backed companies eligible?
Yes, for this topic. The BAA Phase I instructions state that small business concerns owned in majority part by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity funds are eligible to submit applications or receive awards for DAF topics. Note that the DAF Release 6 BAA Direct to Phase II instructions state the opposite for that document's topics, so check eligibility per document rather than per cycle.
Does the Company Commercialization Report affect my score?
No. Completing the CCR as Volume 4 in DSIP is required, but the instructions state that information contained in the CCR will not be considered by the Air Force during proposal evaluations.
Why does the work plan outline matter so much?
Because the DAF uses it as the initial draft of the Phase I Statement of Work. The instructions direct you not to include proprietary information in the work plan outline, warning that doing so will necessitate a request for revision if selected and may delay award. Keep technical detail in the technical volume body and keep the outline at the task and deliverable level.
What is the SF 298?
The Report Documentation Page, a standard form that accompanies a technical report. It is named in the required work plan outline format as part of the final report deliverable, so plan for it.
What is TABA and how do I request it?
Up to $6,500 per Phase I award, in addition to the per-topic total, identified in the Volume 3 Cost Proposal. Unlike the DAF CSO Phase I instructions, this BAA document carries the full detailed request requirements: provider name, point of contact with email and phone, an explanation of unique qualifications, the tasks with purpose and objective, and total cost with hours and labor rates, with the task milestone list tracking to your milestone payment schedule. The detailed request must be in Volume 5, and requests that only specify a value in Volume 3 will not be considered.
How do I get to Phase II?
You do not apply on a calendar. DAF organizations may request Phase II proposals while Phase I technical performance is ongoing or at any time after the period of performance concludes, based on the awardee's technical progress as determined by a DAF Technical Point of Contact review. Only Phase I awardees are eligible, all Phase I awardees receive a notification with the submittal date and detailed instructions, and only one Phase II proposal may be submitted for each Phase I award.
When will I hear about selection?
The Air Force anticipates all proposals will be evaluated and selections finalized within approximately 90 calendar days of solicitation close, meaning on or about January 19, 2027. The Principal Investigator and Corporate Official on the cover sheet are notified by email, with a separate notification for each proposal.
Who do I contact with questions?
For general information related to the AF SBIR/STTR program and proposal preparation instructions, contact the AF SBIR/STTR One Help Desk at usaf.team@afsbirsttr.us. The DAF encourages applicants to request clarifying information as early as possible, since delays in such requests constrain its ability to provide satisfactory resolution. For questions regarding the DSIP electronic submission system, contact the DoW SBIR/STTR Help Desk at dodsbirsupport@reisystems.com. For technical questions about the topics during the pre-announcement and open period, reference the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA. The Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer is Mr. Daniel J. Brewer at Daniel.Brewer.13@us.af.mil. If your company mail or email addresses or points of contact change after submission, notify the One Help Desk with the subject line "FY26 SBIR BAA Address Change."
Positioning Advice for Companies Considering This Topic
Know whether you are the intended applicant. The reference set, the InP and GaSb keywords, and the MOCVD and MBE keywords together describe a company with semiconductor epitaxy and device processing capability, not a systems integrator assembling purchased components. Phase I explicitly includes component development covering the gain medium, the mode-locking element, and the fabrication steps. If you would be buying all of that, the two-thirds in-house requirement and the one-third outside cost cap will be hard to satisfy.
Read the three papers and position against them. The Air Force described a specific promising approach in unusual detail. Engaging with it, including disagreeing with it for stated reasons, is the clearest way to show technical command of the topic. Ignoring it is the clearest way to look unfamiliar.
Make the pure microwave signal argument central. The distinguishing claim in this topic is that fundamental mode-locking gives a clean microwave tone where harmonic mode-locking and pulse interleaving do not. Your proposal should make that argument in your own device's terms, with phase noise or relative intensity noise projections, rather than treating repetition rate as the only figure of merit.
Take the free pass on electronics. Benchtop supporting electronics are explicitly permitted in Phase I. Spend the six months on the laser.
Plan the schedule around growth cycle time. Six months and no government-furnished material is a real constraint on any plan that needs multiple epitaxy iterations. Say what material you already have, what the growth and processing turnaround is, and what your fallback is if the first structure underperforms.
Address SWaP at all three phases. The requirement asks for differentiating goals highlighted in Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III. Give three answers, not one.
Answer the metric list directly. Average power, pulse energy, pulse width, long-term power stability, spectral bandwidth, repetition rate tuning, and relative intensity noise. A compact table of predicted values with measurement methods, plus which of them you consider at risk, does a lot of work in 20 pages.
Keep the work plan outline clean. It becomes the Statement of Work. Proprietary content there triggers a revision request that delays award, and the instructions say so explicitly.
Assert your data rights. Epitaxial structure, absorber design, and bonding process are likely your background intellectual property. Technical Data Rights Assertions in Volume 5 is how you keep that boundary clear, and Volume 5 documents do not count against your page limit.
Use the commercial gap the Air Force handed you. A stated absence of a commercially available stabilized low-noise laser in the 6 to 12 GHz range is a market claim you can cite rather than argue. Microwave photonics, frequency comb applications, high-speed conversion, and precision timing are the adjacent markets, and Phase III explicitly contemplates commercial sales.
