UNifying Imaging with QUantum Entanglement (UNIQUE) Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO)

Description: TA1: Imaging Core: The goal of TA1 is to establish the feasibility of generating and measuring quantum-derived imaging contrast using entangled 511 keV photons, positronium-sensitive interactions, and decoherence-aware imaging architectures in controlled phantom and benchtop systems. A competitive submission should specify the mechanism(s) for producing entangled 511 keV photon pairs and the rationale for achieving the entanglement yield and usable flux in the Program Metrics [see Table 1] while balancing flux against imaging dose. It should describe how quantum correlations will be measured and verified across scattering media, and detail the phantoms, materials, detectors, timing, and filtering being employed to deliver the required signal-to-background and localization performance. Proposers should identify the candidate quantum-derived observables and biologically meaningful phantom states (e.g., pyruvate/lactate-linked microenvironments) used to demonstrate reproducible contrast separation, define the data products delivered to TA2, and articulate primary risks with mitigations. See attached file.