QUANTUM COMPUTING in the SOLID STATE with SPIN and SUPERCONDUCTING SYSTEMS (QC-S5) | W911NF 22 S 0006

Opportunity Information: Apply for W911NF 22 S 0006

The QUANTUM COMPUTING in the SOLID STATE with SPIN and SUPERCONDUCTING SYSTEMS (QC-S5) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W911NF 22 S 0006) is a U.S. Department of Defense, Department of the Army (Army Research Office, or ARO) solicitation run in collaboration with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS). It targets research and development that advances gate-based, circuit-model quantum computing specifically in solid-state platforms, with an emphasis on spin qubits (for example, semiconductor quantum dots in SiGe or MOS structures) and superconducting qubits. The program is structured around four topic areas, and every proposed effort is expected to fit squarely within universal, gate-based quantum computing: meaning there must be a credible path to high-quality single-qubit and two-qubit gates, multi-qubit operation, and readout that would support scalable architectures rather than isolated demonstrations.

The four research topics define the technical scope. Topic A, Modular Quantum Gates (ModQ), focuses on ways to distribute quantum information and implement gates in modular or networked arrangements, which can include approaches that make it easier to connect sub-systems or chip-scale modules while still maintaining the requirements of the circuit model. Topic C, Fast control and readout schemes (FastCARS), is aimed at new techniques to speed up qubit control and measurement while maintaining or improving fidelity, a key need for running deeper circuits before errors accumulate. Topic D, Noise in solid-state spin and superconducting systems (NS5), concentrates on understanding, modeling, and mitigating the noise sources that limit performance in these platforms, including noise processes that affect coherence, gate errors, correlated errors, and measurement error. A central expectation for Topics A, C, and D is that proposers will use high fidelity multi-qubit devices to validate and demonstrate their ideas, not just simulations or single-qubit testbeds.

A defining feature of the solicitation is the distinction between topics that require mature, high-fidelity hardware and a topic that is explicitly about pushing beyond standard qubit designs. For Topics A, C, and D, the government is essentially asking teams to start from strong experimental footing: multi-qubit spin or superconducting systems that already demonstrate state-of-the-art low error universal gates and low error readout. These devices can be owned and operated by the proposing team, obtained through collaborations (including collaborations formed under this broad agency announcement), or sourced from a proven qubit foundry that can supply a suitable platform. The point is that the research should be able to stress-test new gate modularity concepts, faster control/readout ideas, and noise characterization/mitigation strategies on hardware that is already credible as a building block for scalable quantum computing.

Topic B, Gates on Advanced qubits with Superior Performance (GASP), is the one area where the program invites newer qubit variants, but with a strict bar: the qubit must already show a clearly superior performance metric compared to leading mainstream gate-based solid-state qubits, and it cannot achieve that advantage by trading away other critical metrics. In other words, it is not enough to claim novelty or potential; there must be demonstrated superiority on something important (for example, longer T1 or T2, better robustness, improved splitting or reduced sensitivity to disorder, improved operating conditions, or other meaningful measures), and that improvement must not come at the expense of other requirements that matter for universal gate-based computing. The deliverable emphasis in Topic B is then to develop high-fidelity multi-qubit gate schemes for these advanced qubits, translating the improved device-level metric into practical, universal, multi-qubit control.

The solicitation is also explicit about what it will not fund, which effectively sets the program boundary around solid-state, gate-model quantum processors rather than the broader quantum information landscape. Proposals centered on atomic and molecular platforms (such as neutral atoms or trapped ions) are out of scope, as are optical photon-based quantum computing approaches. The call also rejects systems that do not have a realistic path to universal single- and two-qubit gates, and it excludes qubit concepts that are still immature in the sense that they have not yet demonstrated a superior performance metric relative to leading solid-state approaches, especially if any claimed advantage comes with unacceptable sacrifices in other key metrics. Work focused on quantum simulators (as opposed to universal gate-based machines), purely computational simulations without strong experimental ties, quantum annealing, and measurement-based quantum computing approaches are also outside the scope, with limited exceptions only in narrow cases such as specific entanglement-generation application areas.

From a teaming and capability standpoint, the opportunity strongly encourages multidisciplinary efforts. The underlying message is that progress in these areas usually requires tight integration of theory and modeling, device physics, materials and fabrication, control engineering, cryogenic measurement, and experimental validation. Competitive teams are therefore expected to combine expertise across simulation and theory (to predict and optimize gates, control pulses, and error mechanisms), fabrication and materials (to produce or access high-quality devices), and experimental implementation (to demonstrate high-fidelity gates, readout, and multi-qubit behavior under realistic conditions). This is consistent with the program’s emphasis on universal control in multi-qubit architectures rather than one-off results.

Administratively, the opportunity was released on January 18, 2022, with a two-step submission timeline: white papers due by 4:00 PM Eastern on July 15, 2022, and full proposals due by 4:00 PM Eastern on September 30, 2022 (with reference to additional details in the solicitation). The funding instruments listed include cooperative agreements, grants, and procurement contracts, reflecting flexibility in how ARO/LPS may structure awards depending on the nature of the work and the level of government involvement. The listing shows an expected number of awards of up to 100 and an award ceiling recorded as 0, which typically signals that funding amounts and project sizes are not stated as a simple cap in the public summary and instead are governed by the BAA’s internal guidance, topic needs, and available funds. The CFDA number associated with the program is 12.431, and eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with clarification in the full announcement.

In practical terms, QC-S5 is a targeted push to accelerate universal, gate-based quantum computing in two of the most prominent solid-state approaches, with an emphasis on hardware-validated advances. It aims to (1) improve how gates and information can be modularized and distributed, (2) create workable gate sets for demonstrably better next-generation qubits, (3) speed up control and measurement without losing fidelity, and (4) identify and reduce the noise processes that currently block scale-up, all while staying grounded in multi-qubit experiments that reflect the realities of building scalable quantum processors.

• The Department of Defense, Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "QUANTUM COMPUTING in the SOLID STATE with SPIN and SUPERCONDUCTING SYSTEMS (QC-S5)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.431.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 18, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2022 White Papers 400 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time on 15 July 2022 Proposals 400 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time on 30 September 2022 See Section II. D. 4 for additional information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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