Raytheon wins DARPA PICASSO phase one for all-optical signal processing

What's the deal? Raytheon, an RTXDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → business, was awarded a phase-one contract on 3 November 2026 by DARPA under its PICASSO (Photonic Integrated Circuit Architectures for Scalable System Objectives) programme to develop photonic circuits that process signals entirely with light. The company's Advanced Technology team will design and demonstrate the circuits; software firm Synopsys will provide design and simulation tools. The contract value was not disclosed.

Why it matters: Photonic circuits move data as light, which is faster and more power-efficient than electrical signals, but today's designs must convert light back into electricity at key processing points, eroding those gains. Keeping processing in the optical domain preserves signal strength and quality as circuits shrink — a capability with direct relevance to radar and electronic-warfare systems, where signal fidelity determines performance.

Read more: The Defence Blog