IARPA posts RFI for data ingress and egress for cryogenic systems

On January 28, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) posted the following request for information (Solicitation Number: IARPA-RFI-16-04). Responses are due no later than 4:00pm Eastern on March 1.

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) seeks information on the availability and development of technology and techniques for high data rate transmission of digital signals between a room temperature system and a cryogenic system at a temperature of approximately 4 kelvins. This request for information (RFI) is issued solely for information gathering and planning purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals. The following sections of this RFI define the overall scope of the technical domain of interest, along with instructions for the preparation and submission of responses.

The President’s National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI) assigns IARPA the role of foundational research for future computing paradigms offering an alternative to standard semiconductor computing technology. Candidate paradigms include various methods of computing at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., digital, analog, reversible, neuromorphic, or quantum). Specific examples include digital computation as being developed by IARPA’s C3 program, software defined radio, and quantum annealing processors. Cryogenic computing may use digital or analog electrical signals at cryogenic temperatures, but must communicate with networks operating at room temperature. A key consideration for the system connecting the two environments is that the cost in terms of electrical power and of transmitted thermal power be on par with that of the rest of the system. This implies the use of optical fiber technology for large scale computing systems.

Full information is available here.

Source: FedBizOpps