Directed Energy Materials Program CALL 2 Optical Isolation | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Directed Energy Materials Program, Call 2 (Optical Isolation), is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) issued by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Technology Directorate, Survivability and Sensor Materials Division (AFRL/RXPS) at Wright-Patterson AFB. The Air Force is using this BAA as an open-ended vehicle to gather technical and cost proposals that push materials technology forward for directed energy systems. While the overall BAA spans several directed-energy material needs, this specific call focuses on a key bottleneck in high energy laser architectures: developing material systems that enable high power optical isolation for fiber lasers operating at very high power densities.

At the program level, the broader Directed Energy Materials effort targets advances that support high energy laser (HEL) systems, high power microwave (HPM) systems, and mid-infrared laser source and laser development. For HEL applications, the Air Force is interested in kilowatt-class materials progress, including entirely new fiber laser materials, improvements to existing fiber laser materials, and especially materials that can survive and perform in high power optical isolators used in fiber laser chains. For HPM applications, the larger BAA also highlights the need for improved microwave window materials, including interest in optical diamond with better strength and toughness coupled with lower-cost production, as well as reduced absorption and reflection losses for extremely high-power microwave transmission (notably on the order of hundreds of megawatts). Even though those topics sit in the broader BAA scope, Call 2 narrows the focus to optical isolation materials for fiber lasers.

Call 2 describes optical isolation as crucial because fiber lasers at high power can be vulnerable to back-reflections and other feedback mechanisms that destabilize operation or damage components. The government is seeking materials that can function in isolator configurations under very high optical power density without introducing excessive loss or nonlinear effects. The call lists several core technical requirements that proposals are expected to address. First, the material should have a high magneto-optic coefficient (high Verdet constant), since Faraday-rotation-based isolators depend on strong magneto-optic response to rotate polarization efficiently. Second, the material must be manufacturable in fiber form or another practical isolator geometry, meaning the solution cannot be purely theoretical; it needs a credible pathway to a buildable, integrable isolator component. Third, the material must exhibit low linear absorption to minimize heating and loss at high powers, which directly affects damage threshold and long-term reliability. Fourth, the material should have low or intentionally engineered optical nonlinearity (chi(3)) to reduce or counteract nonlinear phenomena that become problematic at high intensities, such as self-phase modulation or other intensity-dependent refractive effects that can degrade isolator performance.

From an acquisition standpoint, this opportunity is structured as a BAA with multiple calls issued over time, and the government anticipates making multiple awards with varying dollar values depending on the call specifics and the quality and relevance of proposals received. The instrument types listed for the overall opportunity include cooperative agreements, grants, and procurement contracts, reflecting flexibility in how AFRL may structure awards. Periods of performance are anticipated to be around 36 months, plus an additional period (about three months) for final reporting. Each call under the BAA is expected to specify its own period of performance and anticipated funding range, and submissions are time-sensitive: once a call is posted, offerors generally have about 30 to 45 calendar days to submit (the exact window is defined in the call). Proposals submitted outside the active window for a posted call are not reviewed and are returned, and late proposal handling is governed by FAR 52.215-1(c)(3).

Eligibility is described as unrestricted in the sense that any type of domestic entity may apply, but foreign participation is not allowed. Small businesses are explicitly encouraged to submit proposals for all or part of the solicitation. The program is associated with CFDA 12.800 (Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program), and it falls under science and technology and other R&D activities. Administrative points of contact are provided for technical and contracting questions. The technical point of contact listed is William Mitchell at Wright-Patterson AFB, and contracting contacts include Scott Savory (Contracting Officer) and Gail Nyikon (Contract Negotiator), who can assist if there are issues accessing the full announcement or navigating submission and contracting details.

In practical terms, a strong response to Call 2 would be expected to explain, in detail, a material approach for next-generation high power fiber laser isolators that can survive high intensity operation while delivering strong Faraday rotation (high Verdet constant), maintaining very low absorption, managing thermal load, and suppressing or tailoring nonlinear optical behavior. It would also need to lay out a credible fabrication and integration plan for producing the material in a fiber form factor or another isolator-compatible configuration, along with a cost proposal that matches the call requirements and a development plan that can be executed within the roughly three-year performance window.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Air Force Research Lab

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Next opportunity: Directed Energy Materials Program CALL 3 Mid Infrared Laser Source and Laser Development

Previous opportunity: Directed Energy Materials Program CALL 1 High Energy Lasers Fiber Development and Improvement

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for BAA 09 11 PKM CALL2

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (BAA 09 11 PKM CALL2) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "BAA 09 11 PKM CALL2", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.