# Electronic Materials

**R-2A activity** of project 624348 — Materials for Electronics, Optics, and Survivability  
**Program element:** 0602102F — Materials  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348/a0  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348

## Summary

This activity requests $11.9M in FY2027, 31% of project 624348, down 6.2% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** - Continue the development, laboratory scale testing, and assessment of low-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and superlattice structures for use in high resolution imaging by electromagnetic radiation. Activities include: -- Assessment of focal plane array performance against the state of the art for mission relevance. - Continue with field demonstration of multifunctional metamaterials based on low-dimensional semiconducting materials for use in military imaging systems. Activities include: -- The assembly of camera systems with tailored spectral- and polarimetric-filter arrays and capability demonstration. - Continue the utilization of computational materials science to improve performance prediction and reliability models in partnership with cross-DoD efforts to assess performance and reliability of quantum materials utilizing computational methods as well as laboratory-scale fabrication and testing, including topological insulators, superconductors, multiferroics, and quantum dots for aerospace applications. Activities include: -- Development of an optimization technique for metamaterial coupled-quantum-well materials discovery for quantum light sources. -- Demonstration of on-chip high-brightness entangled photon generator. - Continue the verification and validation of thin film Lithium Niobate and Barium Titanate and associated processes for integration of radio frequency and optical signals as well as concepts for novel optical devices and components. Activities include: -- Fabrication of devices and initial lab scale testing. - Continue the development of photonics for aerospace applications and demonstrate nanostructured materials for components to enable agile radio frequency capability. Activities include: -- Laboratory scale testing and evaluation to demonstrate key performance characteristics - Continue the development with initial system fabrication and test of capabilities developed from quantum materials, including topological insulators, superconductors, multiferroics, quantum emitters, and processes for magnetic navigation. Activities include: -- Development of prototypes and initial testing of heterogeneous integration of nitrogen vacant diamond sensors based on heterogeneous integration. - Continue the development and testing of software defined imaging receivers to include radio frequency photonic receiver materials for signals intelligence (SIGINT), electronic warfare, and self-protect missions. - Continue the development with test and evaluation including key performance characterization of thin film ferromagnetics and multiferroic heterostructures for element-level frequency filtering in radio frequency (RF) and communication systems. Activities include: -- Reduction of insertion losses and size, weight and power (SWAP) constraints for RF filters. -- Improvements in interoperability with existing and emerging demodulators. - Continue the investigation of high temperature electronic materials for improved flight control and testing of hypersonic platforms. Activities include: -- Laboratory scale testing and optimization. -- Scale-up of memory arrays by reducing element size.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decreased in FY 2027 compared to FY 2026 by $0.795 million due to the completion of the development of short-wave infrared and hyper-spectral materials, investigations into using carbon nanomaterials for ISR and chip-scale laser integration for optical communications. This reduction reflects programmatic adjustments to the DAF Science and Technology portfolio for strategic realignment to optimize core research areas and improve resource efficiency.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Complete specific development and demonstration of short-wave infrared detectors and hyper-spectral long wave infrared materials. - Complete the development and prototype demonstration of multi-spectral integrated chip-scale lasers supporting new classes of active sensing, infra-red countermeasure, and optical communication applications. - Complete the advanced development, demonstration and validation of carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and processes for control and detection of electromagnetic radiation for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) technologies. - Continue the development, testing, and assessment of low-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and superlattice structures for use in high resolution imaging by electromagnetic radiation. - Continue the advanced demonstration of multifunctional metamaterials based on low-dimensional semiconducting materials combined with superlattice configurations from models for use in military imaging systems. - Continue the utilization of all aspects of computational materials science to improve performance prediction and reliability models, as well as analyzing quantum materials, such as topological insulators, superconductors, multiferroics, and quantum dots for aerospace applications. - Continue the verification and validation of thin film Lithium Niobate and Barium Titanate and associated processes for integration of radio frequency and optical signals as well as concepts for novel optical devices and components. - Continue the development of photonics for aerospace applications and demonstrate nanostructured materials for components to enable agile radio frequency capability. - Continue the development of techniques using quantum materials, including topological insulators, superconductors, multiferroics, quantum emitters, and processes for magnetic navigation. - Continue the development of software defined imaging receivers to include radio frequency photonic receiver materials for SIGINT, electronic warfare, and self-protect missions. - Commence the development of thin film ferromagnetics and multiferroic heterostructures for element-level frequency filtering in RF and communication systems. - Commence the investigation of high temperature electronic materials for improved flight control and testing of hypersonic platforms.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 11.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 12.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 11.9 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project 624348

- [Biological Materials](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348/a3) — FY2027 13.5
- [Materials for Electromagnetic Protection](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348/a1) — FY2027 11.6
- Laser Source Materials — FY2027 1.5

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602102F project 624348 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*