Perrseus

The Perrseus program will develop architectures and processes for µUHV (<10⁻¹⁰ mbar) packages and demonstrate this architecture through the integration of pressure sensors (10⁻³ mbar to <10⁻¹⁰ mbar) consisting of cold-atom neutral/ion quantum sensors, MEMS, and photonic sensors. Performers must fundamentally rethink vacuum packaging architecture, manufacturing processes, and vacuum system components to achieve the required improvement from 10⁻³ mbar to <10⁻¹⁰ mbar in a 5 mL package. The program is structured as a 42-month effort with two technical phases: Phase 1 (24 months) focuses on process development, including demonstrating a methodology for measuring pressure over the entire operational range and starting a process traveler; Phase 2 (18 months) focuses on demonstrating a µUHV system at manufacturing scale, delivering 10 functional µUHV packages, and validating a >3-year lifetime. Performers must incorporate photonic and electrical interconnects, develop a suite of pressure sensors, and ensure compatibility across atomic, MEMS, and photonic tooling and materials.