The California DREAMS technical approach has three focus areas. First, the enablement of advanced RF prototyping across the full electromagnetic spectrum using state-of-the-art compound semiconductor materials, augmented with photonics and advanced CMOS technology. Our Lab Partners and DOD-volume fabs have pioneered molecular beam epitaxy, organometallic vapor phase epitaxy, and related growth and characterization techniques. We have demonstrated state-of-the-art performance in device cutoff frequency (Ft), noise figure, linearity, and power-added efficiency. Our Lab Partners operate world-class facilities offering access to a wide range of materials, devices, circuits, and architectures to extend these services.

Second, we host a range of technologies to improve RF system linearity and dynamic range through the integration of state-of-the-art circuit and mixed signal architectures. Our Lab Partners and DOD-volume fabs have heterogeneously integrated low-phase noise oscillators, amplifiers with supporting precision metrology. We have demonstrated ultra-low phase noise electronic and laser clocks that operate well over 100 GHz, and digitization (sampling and conversion) at the fundamental thermodynamic limits. Our advanced GaN-CMOS heterogeneous materials growth, circuit and subsystem design, ultra-high-speed low-power analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and optimized analog circuit–system architectures support a wide range of high-performance RF applications.

Lastly, we host a range of technologies to support multi-sensor and integrated multifunction prototypes. Our capabilities include the integration of GaN for the RF front end, Si CMOS for direct RF sampling ADCs/DACs, and Si-photonics for power-efficient high-rate data communications. Examples include the next-generation multifunction high-performance AESA and the EO/IR and RF Converged Distributed Sensors.