The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched the Optical-Atomic System Integration and Calibration, or OASIC, program to accelerate the development and deployment of miniaturized quantum technologies.

The agency said Friday three teams were selected during the first phase of the Small Business Technology Transfer, or STTR, program to develop the technical and commercial plans for the OASIC initiative. The QuEra, Harvard University, MIT and University of Montana team will oversee the qubits testbed, while the Rydberg Technologies, University of Michigan and Purdue University team will handle the quantum sensors testbed. The atomic clock testbed will be developed by a team composed of Vector Atomic and the University of Colorado.

Addressing the Lack of Quantum Research Testing Facilities

The STTR initiative facilitates the creation of advanced quantum testing centers where startups and small businesses can rapidly test and prototype their chip-scale quantum innovations. These quantum testbeds will address the lack of quantum research facilities that offer testing and evaluation services. The planned facilities will be similar to quantum university-affiliated research centers, or UARCs, which conduct tests for a fee paid through streamlined payment processes.

Setting the Standards for Optical-Atomic Components

Mukund Vengalattore, OASIC program manager at DARPA, said the main objective is to establish OASIC certification as the definitive benchmark for nanophotonic, optoelectronic and electronic components, similar to how the National Institute of Standards and Technology is the standard for technology performance, security and safety.

Enhancements to Testing Facilities

OASIC testing facilities will have a modular design to reconfigure the setup quickly and enable rapid testing and evaluation of various components. In addition, the program aims to cultivate an ecosystem where users with varying expertise collaborate to identify and address each other’s specific needs, which could fast-track the development of quantum technology.

The Department of Defense did not report required performance measures on IT business programs assessed in a new Government Accountability Office report. 

The report, published Thursday, recommends that the Pentagon identify and report the minimum number of performance metrics on IT business programs as part of its submission to the Federal IT Dashboard, which tracks IT investments across the government. 

GAO Reviews DOD’s Tech Programs

According to the Federal IT Dashboard, DOD has spent or plans to spend $10.9 billion on 24 major IT business programs from fiscal 2023 through 2025. About 43 percent of the budget is allocated to four programs: DOD Healthcare Management System Modernization, Enterprise Resource Planning, Enterprise Business System and Joint Operational Medicine Information Systems. 

GAO noted that not all programs reported performance in the required categories. IT programs with operational investments specifically have to keep track of a minimum of five performance metrics in the categories of customer satisfaction, strategic and business results, financial, and innovation. Of the 19 IT programs with operational investments, only 14 submitted the minimum required number of performance metrics in each category. 

The congressional watchdog also found that 11 programs are using Agile and iterative software development approaches and services. Of the 11 programs, three did not use metrics and management tools required by DOD and recommended under GAO’s Agile Assessment Guide.

Moreover, two programs do not have approved cybersecurity strategy and four have yet to develop plans to implement zero trust architecture by 2027.

DOD has concurred with the results of GAO’s review and provided steps it is taking to address the aforementioned issues.