Ctrl-P to Print
Microsystems Technology Office-Wide
Program Manager and PoC: Dr. Dean Collins
Document Type: Modification to a Previous Notice
Solicitation Number: BAA07-18
Posted Date: Nov 26, 2007
Original Response Date: Jan 14, 2009
Current Response Date: Jan 14, 2008
Original Archive Date: Mar 14, 2008
Current Archive Date: Mar 14, 2008
Classification Code: A -- Research & Development
Naics Code: 541710 -- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (NAICS 2002)
Description
MTO Office-Wide BAA 07-18: Amendment No. 4
DARPA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) No. 07-18, Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Office-wide BAA is hereby amended to add Advanced Photonic Switch (APS) as an additional (first round) research topic area. With the exception of the APS-specific guidance/requirements provided by this amendment, all DARPA BAA 07-18 guidance/requirements (through Amendment No. 3) shall remain unchanged.
The Advanced Photonic Switch effort seeks to develop advanced, high performance on-chip photonic switching devices for communications networks. It is envisioned that these switching devices will benefit low power, high bandwidth, low latency, photonic communications networks, thereby benefiting a broad array of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) problems and the larger US National interest.
This amendment solicits inputs for on-chip photonic switching devices that are fabricated in a CMOS-compatible process and that maximize switching speed while simultaneously minimizing device power dissipation, transmission losses, area, and sensitivity to ambient temperature variations. The basic building block 1x2 photonic switch can be a spectrally broad-band switch capable of simultaneously switching multiple, high bit-rate wavelength channels spanning, for example, the communications C-band near 1550 nm, or a wavelength-selective switch in the same spectral region. DARPA MTO is especially interested in validated designs that can be scaled to complex MxN switches.
In addition, DARPA MTO is interested in understanding the fundamental limits to the performance of such switches and in demonstrating switch performance approaching these fundamental limits, and also in exploring novel physical mechanisms that may extend these fundamental limits beyond our current understanding.
Proposals of greatest interest will clearly define aggressive quantitative performance goals, for example, switching time < 1 ns, bit rate > 40 Gb/s, total power dissipation < 1 mW, area < 100 microns2, spectral bandwidth > 30 nm, and tolerance to thermal variations over plus/minus 10 C. Component designs that achieve or exceed these goals are expected to optimize the overall performance of the photonic switch.
Proposals must clearly define an aggressive timeline and milestones for fabricating the proposed photonic switches and experimentally validate specified performance goals. The first phase of the effort should concentrate on demonstrating aggressive performance goals for the building block-switch that optimize the overall switch performance, and on a validated design for a complex, on-chip MxN switch for optical networks. A period of performance of 18-months is expected for Phase 1 however, in accordance with the evaluation criteria, proposals with a more aggressive period of performance are encouraged. An optional second phase demonstrating the complex MxN switch may also be proposed. Proposals from individuals or small teams addressing these issues are encouraged. Proposed research and development (R&D) should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in switching device physics, design and fabrication. Specifically excluded is R&D that primarily results in incremental or evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.
Abstracts are not required or requested for this amendment. To be considered for funding, full proposals must be submitted by 4:00 PM EST on January 10, 2008.
BAA07-18, Amendment No. 4 will remain open through 4:00 PM EST on January 10, 2008 (45 days) to allow proposers to address the specific Advanced Photonic Switch (APS) topic area discussed herein. Proposals responding to the APS topic area received after the 45 day period has expired may not be evaluated.
Dr. Jag Shah, Jag.Shah@darpa.mil, is the primary technical POC for this amendment.
Original Point of Contact
John Zolper, DARPA Program Manager, MTO,
Phone 0000000000, Fax 7036962206,
Email none
Current Point of Contact
Dean Collins, Program Manager-MTO,
Phone 571-218-4650, Fax 703-248-8031,
Email dean.collins@darpa.mil