TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Solid State Nuclear Lasing Sensors: Revolutionizing In-Pile Reactor Measurements
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
This Special Notice from Battelle Energy Alliance (Idaho National Laboratory - INL) announces a Technology Licensing Opportunity for Solid State Nuclear Lasing Sensors. This innovation aims to revolutionize in-pile reactor measurements by providing real-time power and flux data with enhanced accuracy and spatial resolution. INL is seeking commercial partners, particularly small businesses and start-ups, to license this intellectual property and bring the technology to market. Responses are encouraged by July 1, 2026.
Scope of Technology
This groundbreaking technology utilizes solid-state lasing media/crystals, excited by reactor core radiation, to produce laser light whose intensity directly correlates with reactor power and radiation flux. By incorporating different fissile species, the instrument can determine both reactor power and energy spectrum. These passive instruments require no in-core power and transmit data via a simple fiber optic lead-out, ensuring durability in high-radiation environments.
Benefits:
- Direct in-pile measurement for enhanced accuracy and spatial resolution.
- Potential for real-time data integration into reactor control systems.
- Simplified design with a single optical fiber lead-out.
- Cost-effective solution for commercial nuclear power plants.
Applications:
- Commercial nuclear power plants.
- Micro nuclear reactors.
- Space power and nuclear thermal propulsion reactors.
Licensing Details
- Development Status: TRL 3 (Analytical and experimental proof-of-concept).
- IP Status: US Patent Application No. 17/758,395, "Solid State Nuclear Pumped Lasing Sensors for In Pile Reactor Power and Flux Measurement, Direct Energy Conversion, and Related Methods," BEA Docket No. BA-1125.
- Managed by: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (Idaho National Laboratory).
- Contact for Collaboration: Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.
Contract & Timeline
- Opportunity Type: Special Notice (Technology Licensing Opportunity)
- Set-Aside: None specified.
- Product Service Code: 6099 (Miscellaneous Fiber Optic Components)
- Response Date: July 1, 2026, 3:00 PM Z
- Published Date: May 7, 2026, 6:55 PM Z
- Place of Performance: Idaho Falls, ID
Additional Notes
INL's Technology Deployment department focuses exclusively on licensing intellectual property and partnering with industry. This notice is not a call for purchasing, manufacturing, procurement decisions, funding, or external services to assist in technology development.