Rads to Watts Program Solicitation

Background
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking innovative proposals for the Rads to Watts program, which focuses on converting radiation energy into electricity through radiovoltaics. The goal is to develop technologies that can scale unit cells to produce kilowatt-level power while ensuring resilience against high radiation fluence. This initiative aligns with DARPA's mission to foster technological advancements that bolster national security.

Work Details
The contract involves several key tasks and milestones:
- Milestone 1: Submit a report detailing experimental plans supported by modeling and simulation to achieve specified fluence and power density objectives before month 15.
- Milestone 2: Conduct real-time tests on unit cell Rev 1.0 using a constant radiation source to gather fluence and degradation data.
- Milestone 3: Perform similar tests on unit cell Rev 2.0.
- Milestone 4: Document the verification of the unit cell's ability to withstand >1E+14/cm2 fluence with approximately 0% degradation.
- Milestone 5: Provide a report estimating the operational system's power and mass for achieving >10 W/kg specific power metric.
- Option Period 1 includes additional milestones focusing on further testing and validation of unit cells under increased fluence conditions, culminating in a report on the ability of unit cells to withstand >1E+17/cm2 fluence at <20% degradation.
- Option Period 2 involves a scalability study for designing an operational system capable of producing kilowatts of electrical power, with final reports detailing findings from this study.

Period of Performance
The contract spans multiple periods, including a base period followed by two option periods, with specific milestones set at intervals leading up to months 15, 24, and 30.

Place of Performance
The work will be performed at locations determined by the performers, with expectations for in-house capabilities for handling radioactive materials.