Part of the DoW SBIR/STTR FY27 Release 2 topic list. Browse all 83 topics by industry or service.
Topic DON27TZ02-NV003 from the DoW STTR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
DON27TZ02-NV003 is a Department of the Navy STTR topic seeking deposition and etching methods for low-loss As2S3 thin-film waveguides that use Stimulated Brillouin Scattering to amplify RF sidebands on 1.55 micron optical carriers. It is a Phase I STTR topic with a research-institution partner. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DON27TZ02-NV003
- Official title: Growth and Production of As2S3 Waveguides
- Agency: Department of the Navy
- Program: STTR (DoW STTR 2027 BAA, Release 2)
- Award type: Phase I (see topic text for Phase II)
- Award amount: Phase I base up to $200,000 plus an option up to $115,000. Source: Navy Release 2 instructions in DSIP.
- CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
- ITAR: No
- Technology areas: None
- Pre-release (direct TPOC contact allowed): November 4 to December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Opens in DSIP: December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Proposals due: January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET
- Official source: DSIP Topics app (search DON27TZ02-NV003)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Navy wants
As2S3 has the largest known SBS coefficient, which makes it a candidate for on-chip analog amplification of RF signals carried on light. The Navy wants growth and etch processes for quasi-epitaxial As2S3 on suitable cladding, with as-deposited surface roughness under 10 nm rms, preserved in waveguides about 100 nm thick. Phase I must name the deposition and etching techniques, estimate surface smoothness, and validate those estimates. Desirable outcomes include showing the feasibility of RF gains of 5 to 20 dB with total noise figure under 6 dB (3 dB objective), first coupling demonstrations with losses under 2 dB in the Phase I Option, SiN compatibility, and a path to wafer-scale yield above 90%.
Who is a good fit
- Chalcogenide thin-film deposition experience, including ALD or directional growth on patterned substrates
- Low-roughness etching and lithography for sub-micron photonic waveguides
- Brillouin or other nonlinear integrated photonics research, ideally with RF photonics measurements
- SiN photonics and grating coupler design for low-loss on and off-chip coupling
Watch-outs
- This is an STTR topic, so a research-institution partner is required. The topic suggests one division where the non-profit develops fabrication and the company develops the wideband amplifier and coupling.
- Phase I proposals must name the specific deposition and etching techniques and estimate surface smoothness for both as-deposited films and finished waveguides, with a work plan that validates those estimates.
- The initial proposal should include a clear discussion of the dependencies and determinants of ultimate performance as a photonic amplifier.
- The topic requires CMMC Level 2 (Self). It is not marked as ITAR-restricted in the topic metadata.
Think your company fits DON27TZ02-NV003? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DON27TZ02-NV003 Submission
Official topic text (verbatim from DSIP)
The text in this section is copied word for word from the official DSIP topic as published on November 4, 2026. DSIP is the official source and topics can be amended. Always confirm the current version at dodsbirsttr.mil before you submit. Our commentary above is BW&CO's interpretation, not Government guidance.
Title
Growth and Production of As2S3 Waveguides
Objective
Determine and demonstrate how thin film deposits of As2S3 can be grown on an appropriate cladding material and etched to form a low loss waveguide for photonic applications of the Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) non-linearity in Radio Frequency (RF) applications.
Description
Multiple academic papers have indicated that the reverse mode of the SBS interaction between acoustic phonons and coherent 1.55 µm photons can cause Stoke’s peak gain on RF sidebands. It is desirable to harvest that effect for application in the burgeoning field of RF photonics. However, for that to happen, it is desirable that methods be developed to optimize the growth and etching of quasi-epitaxial As2S3, the material with the largest known SBS coefficient. In order to achieve low optical loss, achieving extremely low surface roughness of as-deposited films (< 10 nm rms roughness) is required plus ways to preserve that in producing waveguides of around 100 nm thickness and with high confinement bottom and top cladding. While atomic layer deposition (ALD) growth has produced other chalcogenides with very flat, conformal surfaces, it has not been used for As2S3; moreover, that other material was amorphous as deposited and drastically changed optical properties when crystalized. It may be that highly directional growth onto pre-etched substrate mesas produce better performance waveguides in which to produce amplification. Lastly, it is essential to demonstrate a way to achieve extremely low loss signal transfer on and off the die if RF photonics is to outperform conventional electronics in the future.
Phase I proposals for this STTR topic shall name the deposition and etching techniques that will be developed under the base award and estimate the surface smoothness of both the as-deposited material and the finished waveguides. The work plan must allow the validation of these estimates during the Base award so that the preliminary Phase II plan can define with good certainty the properties achievable in Phase II if awarded.
Measurement of the optical properties of completed waveguides during the Base award is highly desirable. First demonstrations of a method of coupling to the waveguide with losses under 2 dB in the Phase I Option is also desirable. A work division where the non-profit develops the fabrication technology and the company develops the many GHz wide band amplifier and coupling technologies is one possible division of the work. A clear discussion of the dependencies and determinants of the ultimate performance as a photonic amplifier should be included in the initial proposal.
It is highly desirable that, by the effort’s end, how feasible it is that by varying the optical carrier power in and the waveguide length, RF signal gains from 5 to 20 dB can be achieved with total noise figures including all coupling losses of <6 (threshold, 3 objective) dB. Paths to wafer scale fabrication yield above 90% should also be defined.
Phase I
Determine the technical feasibility of using the proposed deposition and lithography techniques to produce an in-line photonic amplifier based on the SBS effect in As2S3. Demonstrate the potential compatibility of this material with use of SiN structures including surface grating couplers (desirable). Establish high reliability estimates of the ultimate performance feasible from this combination of materials, fabrication processes, and simple photonic circuit and technology roadblocks.
Phase II
Develop prototype amplifier circuits via multiple design/fab/ test cycles in the Phase II Base period. Define paths to wafer scale fabrication yield above 90%. The Phase II Option period, if exercised, would then be spent improving the fabrication technology in order to deliver a specific many GHz wideband amplifier to the photonic circuit selected in collaboration with the governmental cost share source. Prepare a Phase III commercialization/transition plan.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
This STTR topic is designed to create an enabling technology, that is a generic way of producing analog amplification of RF sidebands on photonic carriers so as to advance RF photonics. If the SiN out-couplers mentioned can also be perfected, these component devices could replace other inhomogeneous material technologies that are capable of producing localized, small amplification. In particular, the large size and difficult to control bursts of energy produced by EDFA amplifiers when used in not-CW applications can be avoided in full PIC circuits. Co-design of the SiN layer and a grating coupler to it will enable use in data center processor interconnects applications. In Phase III, the materials technology of this topic would be refined and combine with device maturation efforts. Commercial applications most likely in the telecommunications and SI world. Military applications will be within electromagnetic warfare systems.
References
Eggleton, Benjamin J. et al. “Brillouin integrated photonics.” Nature Photonics 13 (10), pp. 664-677. https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/handle/10453/136605
Yang Liu, et al. “Circulator-Free Brillouin Photonic Planar Circuit.” Laser Photonics Rev. 2021, 15, 2000481. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lpor.202000481
Keywords
Stimulated Brillouin Scattering; Chalcogenides; photonic amplifiers; Stoke’s peaks; As2S3; surface roughness; epitaxial vs amorphous optical properties
Frequently asked questions
What is DON27TZ02-NV003?
It is a Department of the Navy STTR topic to determine and demonstrate how thin films of As2S3 can be grown on cladding and etched into low-loss waveguides for Stimulated Brillouin Scattering based amplification in RF photonics.
When is DON27TZ02-NV003 due?
Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET. DSIP pre-release began November 4, 2026, and direct contact with the topic authors is allowed only until the topic opens on December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET. After that, questions go through DSIP Topic Q&A.
Is this a Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II topic?
It is a Phase I STTR topic with a Base award and an Option. Phase I establishes feasibility of the deposition and lithography approach, and Phase II develops prototype amplifier circuits through multiple design, fabrication, and test cycles. A research-institution partner is required.
Has ALD been used to grow As2S3?
Not according to the topic. It notes that ALD has produced other chalcogenides with very flat, conformal surfaces but has not been used for As2S3, and that the other material was amorphous as deposited and changed optical properties significantly when crystallized.