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Description
This announcement seeks revolutionary research ideas for topics not addressed by ongoing DARPA MTO programs or other published solicitations.
A. MTO Mission and Thrust Areas:
Since its inception in 1991, MTO has helped create and prevent strategic surprise through investments in compact microelectronic components such as microprocessors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and photonic devices. MTO’s revolutionary work applying advanced capabilities in wide-bandgap materials, phased array radars, high-energy lasers, and infrared imaging has helped the United States establish and maintain technological superiority for more than two decades. MTO seeks to develop high-risk, high-reward technologies that continue DARPA’s mission of creating and preventing strategic surprise, help to secure the Department of Defense’s (DoD) technological superiority, and address the complex threats facing U.S. national security. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.
As MTO evolves to address future microsystems-related challenges, the office has identified four thrust areas:
(1) Embedded Microsystem Intelligence and Localized Processing,
(2) Next Generation Front-End Component Technologies for Electromagnetic (EM) SpectrumHR001120S0018 Dominance,
(3) Microsystem Integration for Increased Functional Density and Security, and
(4) Disruptive Defense Microsystem Applications. Each of these overlapping spaces presents significant opportunities for exploring new and creative technologies.
B. Topic Areas of Interest
Research areas of current interest to MTO include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
· Advanced RF and EO/IR filters and related front-end components
· Advanced imaging architectures and systems
· Advanced photonic & electronic interconnects
· Atomic physics
· Chip-scale sensors
· Cold-atom microsystem component technologies
· Cognitive and other advanced EW technologies
· Compound semiconductor-based electronics and other emerging device technologies
· Computational architectures and algorithms for next-generation artificial intelligence (AI)
· Directed energy component technologies, physics of effects, and protection techniques
· Electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) technologies
· Electronics and microsensors for harsh environments
· Energy-efficient computing and advanced signal processing
· Hardware assurance, reliability & validation
· Heterogeneous integration/assembly technologies (2D, 2.5D, and 3D)
· High energy lasers
· High power microwave technologies
· Low power electronics
· Low-temperature electronics
· Low volume microsystems manufacturing and assembly
· Materials to enable next-generation microelectronics
· Microelectromechanical system technology
· Microsystem Design & CAD
· Microsystems for position, navigation & timing
· Microsystems for RF/optical transceivers
· Mixed-signal electronics
· Novel photonic devicesHR001120S0018
· Processing techniques for imaging and spectral recognition
· Quantum devices
· Signal processing algorithms and techniques to reduce hardware requirements
· Thermal management of microsystems
· Other microsystems technology topic areas
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