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Topic DON27TZ02-NV009 from the DoW STTR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
DON27TZ02-NV009 is a Department of the Navy STTR topic seeking a prototype domestic manufacturing process that grows large, high optical quality Raman active crystals for wavelength agile Navy laser systems. It is an STTR topic that starts at Phase I; as an STTR, it requires a research-institution partner. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DON27TZ02-NV009
- Official title: Domestic Manufacturing of Large Area Raman Laser Materials
- Agency: Department of the Navy
- Program: STTR (DoW STTR 2027 BAA, Release 2)
- Award type: Phase I (see topic text for Phase II)
- Award amount: Phase I base up to $200,000 plus an option up to $115,000. Source: Navy Release 2 instructions in DSIP.
- CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
- ITAR: No
- Technology areas: None
- Pre-release (direct TPOC contact allowed): November 4 to December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Opens in DSIP: December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Proposals due: January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET
- Official source: DSIP Topics app (search DON27TZ02-NV009)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Navy wants
Navy lasers for range finding, target designation, LiDAR, and directed energy use mature materials like YAG, KTP, LBO, and BBO, and wavelength conversion often needs multiple optical stages. Raman active crystals could produce multiple wavelengths from one pump, but many are made in small quantities without domestic manufacturing. The Navy wants a prototype growth process that minimizes precious metal crucibles and produces crystals larger than 5 mm x 5 mm x 25 mm, with laser damage thresholds above 10 J/cm², self-Raman operation through rare earth doping, and a path to 50 mm and greater. Phase I models the growth process; Phase II grows and characterizes crystals.
Who is a good fit
- Bulk single-crystal growth experience producing large aperture, high optical quality crystals
- Prior work with tungstate, molybdate, nitrate, or vanadate crystals such as KGW, KYW, barium molybdate, or barium nitrate
- Optical metrology for refractive index homogeneity, transmitted wavefront, scratch-dig, dislocation density, and inclusions
- Laser damage threshold testing and Raman laser characterization capability
- Growth process modeling and cost analysis for scale-up to high throughput
Watch-outs
- This is an STTR topic, so you need a formal research-institution partner performing a meaningful share of the work.
- Optical quality thresholds are strict, including refractive index homogeneity under 10 ppm, dislocation density under 10 cm^-2, and fewer than 5 inclusions greater than 1 µm per cm^3.
- The prototype should minimize reliance on expensive precious metal crucibles, and the topic emphasizes domestic manufacturing capability.
- The topic requires CMMC Level 2 (Self). It is not marked as ITAR-restricted in the topic metadata.
Think your company fits DON27TZ02-NV009? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DON27TZ02-NV009 Submission
Official topic text (verbatim from DSIP)
The text in this section is copied word for word from the official DSIP topic as published on November 4, 2026. DSIP is the official source and topics can be amended. Always confirm the current version at dodsbirsttr.mil before you submit. Our commentary above is BW&CO's interpretation, not Government guidance.
Title
Domestic Manufacturing of Large Area Raman Laser Materials
Objective
Develop scalable domestic manufacturing technologies and processes for large Raman active optical crystals that will enable wavelength agile laser systems for Navy applications.
Description
The Navy employs laser systems on air- and sea-borne vessels that serve a wide range of applications including laser range finding, target designation, shipboard and airborne LiDAR, and directed energy platforms. Future naval systems require improvements in spectral agility, optical efficiency, and power, with reductions to size and weight while maintaining operation in harsh maritime environments.
Current laser architectures rely upon a limited set of mature gain and nonlinear optical materials including Nd- and Yb-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP), lithium triborate (LBO), and barium borate (BBO). While these technologies provide reliable performance, wavelength conversion often requires multiple optical stages that increases system complexity, introduces alignment sensitivity, and can limit scalability to higher optical powers and larger apertures.
Raman active optical materials offer a pathway toward compact and wavelength agile laser architectures capable of generating multiple output wavelengths from a single pump source. Such materials may enable simplified optical systems with reduced alignment complexity, improved robustness to vibration and shock, enhanced spectral diversity, and compact eye-safe laser sources. Many Raman laser crystals have been demonstrated to be grown to large sizes at high quality, but broader adoption of Raman active optical materials in these systems hinges on improving domestic production. Many candidate Raman laser materials are produced in small quantities at limited sizes and lack established domestic manufacturing capability and therefore development of domestic manufacturing technologies compatible with large crystal sizes is of importance for future naval laser systems.
Candidate materials shall be compatible with bulk crystal growth processes capable of producing large aperture, high optical quality single crystals and offer a pathway toward crystal sizes of 50 mm and greater.
This STTR topic seeks to develop a prototype manufacturing technology and process which can produce one or more Raman active materials at large crystal sizes with the potential to scale to high throughput. The prototype should minimize reliance on expensive precious metal crucibles. The prototype shall produce Raman active crystals that are large (> 5mm x 5mm x 25mm), achieve laser damage thresholds exceeding 10 J/cm², support self-Raman operation through rare earth doping, and meet the following optical quality criteria:
Objective Threshold Notes
Refractive Index Homogeneity: Threshold = <10 ppm; Objective = <5 ppm
Transmitted Wavefront Distortion (at 50mm aperture): Threshold = Lamda/6; Objective = <Lambda/8
Surface Quality (Scratch-Dig): Threshold = 20-10; Objective = 10-5 (NOTE: The first number relates to the maximum allowable width of a scratch in micrometers, while the second number relates to the maximum allowable diameter of a dig or pit in hundredths of a millimeter.)
Dislocation Density: Threshold = <10 cm^(-2); Objective = < 1 cm^(-2)
Inclusion/Bulk Defect Density: Threshold = <5 inclusions greater than 1µm per cm^3; Objective = No detectable inclusions greater than 0.5µm per cm^3
Materials of interest include:
Undoped and doped (Nd, Yb, Er, Tm) potassium gadolinium tungstate (KGW) and Potassium yttrium tungstate (KYW) [Refs 1,2,3]
Undoped and doped (Nd, Yb, Er, Tm) Barium molybdate and Barium nitrate [Refs 4,5]
Other Raman active tungstate, molybdate, nitrate, vanadate or related compelling Raman crystal systems
Alternative material systems are encouraged provided performers demonstrate a credible pathway toward large aperture crystal production and significant Raman gain performance.
Phase I
Develop a technical approach and concepts for manufacturing large and high-quality Raman active crystals. Develop and model a growth process and identify methods for optical characterization of grown crystals. Determine the technical feasibility of scaling the process to high throughput and provide a cost analysis. Produce a document containing the technical approach, concepts for manufacturing, growth model details and results, proposed optical characterization process, and approach to scale up the proposed manufacturing concept. Provide a Phase II development plan with performance goals and key technical milestones and that addresses technical risk reduction.
Phase II
Based on the developed concepts in Phase I, develop and demonstrate the manufacturing prototype for growing large high-quality Raman active crystals. Fabricate one or more crystals and validate the prototype through characterization sufficient to establish technical feasibility and manufacturing viability. Characterize optical performance and laser damage thresholds. Use evaluation results to refine the prototype into an initial design that will meet the Naval Enterprise requirements. Prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology to Navy enterprise and commercial use.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
Upon successful execution of Phase II and demonstration of a prototype manufacturing process that can produce large and high-quality Raman active crystals, support the ONR Navy ManTech program in transitioning the technology into program of record (PoR) manufacturing lines. Participate in the transition of manufacturing technologies and Raman active crystal materials into Navy laser systems supporting LIDAR, laser range finding, optical communications, and directed energy applications.
Commercial applications include industrial laser systems, environmental sensing, autonomous vehicle LiDAR, medical imaging, telecommunications, spectroscopy, and advanced manufacturing.
References
Kumaran, A. et al., Crystal growth and characterization of KY(WO4)2 and KGd(WO4)2 for laser applications, Journal of Crystal Growth, 292.2 (2006): 368-372.
Pujol, C. et al., Growth and characterisation of monoclinic KGd1-xREx(WO4)2 single crystals, Optical Materials 13.1 (1999): 33-40.
Gallucci, E., et al., Nonstoichiometric KY(WO4)2: crystal growth, chemical and physical characterization, Journal of Crystal Growth, 209 (2000) 895-905.
Basiev, T., et al., Raman spectroscopy of crystals for stimulated Raman scattering, Optical materials 11.4 (1999): 307-314.
Lin, X., et al., Large-Size Barium Nitrate Crystal Growth and Large-Energy, High-Efficiency Raman Frequency Conversion to Yellow–Orange Waveband, Crystals 16.3 (2026): 198.
Keywords
Raman Laser; Nonlinear Optical Materials; Crystal Growth; Czochralski; Bridgman; Top-Seeded Solution Growth; Light Detection and Ranging; LiDAR; Directed Energy
Frequently asked questions
What is DON27TZ02-NV009?
It is a Department of the Navy STTR topic to develop scalable domestic manufacturing technologies and processes for large Raman active optical crystals that enable wavelength agile laser systems for Navy applications.
When is DON27TZ02-NV009 due?
Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET. DSIP pre-release began November 4, 2026, and direct contact with the topic authors is allowed only until the topic opens on December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET. After that, questions go through DSIP Topic Q&A.
Is this a Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II topic?
It is a Phase I STTR topic. Phase I develops the manufacturing concept, models the growth process, identifies characterization methods, and provides a cost analysis and Phase II plan. Phase II builds the manufacturing prototype and fabricates crystals. As an STTR, it requires a research-institution partner.
Which crystal materials does the Navy want?
Materials of interest include undoped and doped (Nd, Yb, Er, Tm) KGW and KYW, undoped and doped barium molybdate and barium nitrate, and other Raman active tungstate, molybdate, nitrate, or vanadate systems. Alternative materials are encouraged if the performer shows a credible path to large aperture crystals and significant Raman gain.