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Physical Measurement Laboratory

Applied Physics Division

Projects/Programs

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      Displaying 26 - 50 of 58
      MRI biomarker measurement service

      Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Biomarker Measurement Service

      Ongoing
      Biomarkers are parameters that can be quantitatively measured in-vivo and provide information on tissue health/ pathology. Phantoms are medical imaging calibration structures designed to test scanner performance, image quality, and image-based measurements.
      Magnetic shielded room

      Magnetic Sensing and Metrology

      Ongoing
      Magnetic sensors have a wide range of sensitivities, spatial resolution, dynamic range, bandwidths, size, and cost. Applications such as magnetic data storage and chip NDE require sensitivity of 1 nT, spatial resolution down to a few nanometers and bandwidths up to 10 GHz, while MEG requires
      membrane

      Measurement Techniques for Membranes and Membrane Proteins

      Ongoing
      Use of synthetic cell membrane mimics allow simplification and complete control of a complicated system, and incorporation of selected elements under physiological conditions. We are furthering a technology originally developed at NIST using model lipid membranes supported on surfaces for
      summary plot

      Metal Additive Manufacturing Laser Power Assessment

      Ongoing
      A calibrated (U=1.2 %, k=2) power meter was taken to a variety of AM locations (industry, academic, government, DoD) to anonymously assess the accuracy with which these institutions know the laser power being delivered to the workpiece. At each site, the LPBF operator was asked to use the AM system
      nano-biophotonics collage

      Nano-biophotonics for molecular imaging

      Ongoing
      Nano-biophotonics consists of four broad areas: molecular bioimaging; nano-biosensors; multiplexed bioassays ; and nanotechnology-based medical practices for diagnosis and therapy. Success in these areas is challenged by the underlying complexity of biological systems. Major levels of complexity and
      (a) Schematic of a near-field scanning microwave microscope (NSMM). (b) NSMM images of a perovskite PV sample, (c) NSMM MoS2 back-gate device, (d) Spatial imaging of excited spin wave modes.

      Nanoelectromagnetics

      Ongoing
      The primary goal of this program is metrology that enables advanced nanoscale device (including electronics, spintronics, and life science) development. Based on current trends in electronics, we are focusing on metrology for two classes of devices: (1) nanoscale devices utilizing and exploring new
      Thin film RGTM, both whole sister wafer and diced wafers for NIST Measurement

      Nanometer-Scale Planar Reference Materials

      Ongoing
      In most industrial fabs today, foundry test artifacts (wafers) are used to test metrology tools and monitor process stability. These wafers are made in partnerships between specific materials providers and metrology tool providers and may have limited or no adoption across foundries. In some
      nanopillars

      Nanophononic Metamaterials for Thermoelectrics

      Ongoing
      About 68 % of the energy produced in the United States is wasted as heat lost to the environment. About a quarter of this lost heat is present at temperature gradients suitable for recovery with thermoelectric devices, which use the ability of semiconductors to generate electricity directly from
      A scanning electron micrograph of a QDOGFET device used for photon number-resolving detection.

      Nanostructure Fabrication and Metrology

      Completed
      This project develops semiconductor nanostructures, especially self-assembled quantum dots and photonic crystals, for a variety of applications including single photonics, laser diodes, and quantum optical metrology. It also develops quantum optical metrology based on other sources and detectors
      Detection Circuit and Layout of STO Chip

      Neuromorphic Computing

      Ongoing
      Spin Torque Oscillators: The research at the heart of this effort is to better understand and control mutual synchronization of arrays of spintronic nanoscale oscillators operating in the range of 10 GHz to 40 GHz. The devices under study are well suited to neuromorphic applications because they are
      Medical Imaging Phantom

      NIST/NIBIB Medical Imaging Phantom Lending Library

      Ongoing
      Phantoms are calibration objects that can be used to assess the accuracy, stability, and comparability of medical imaging systems. The NIST/ISMRM MRI system phantom can be used to assess scanner geometric distortion, image uniformity, signal to noise ratio (SNR), resolution, slice profile and
      NIST standard reference material (SRM) for the verificaiton of 3D optical medical imaging devices.

      Optical Medical Imaging

      Ongoing
      We advance measurement science and standards infrastructure to accelerate adoption of optical medical imaging technologies for surgical and clinical applications. Optical medical imaging promises to enhance and complement conventional medical imaging modalities that include magnetic resonance
      micro-focus Brillouin Light scattering spectrometer

      Optical and Microwave Spectroscopy of Microelectronic Systems

      Ongoing
      Collaborations with industry leaders have led to new understanding of magnetic damping in advanced materials and replication of our magnetic metrology tools. We investigate fundamental aspects of spin transfer in materials and structures that offer improved performance in future devices such as
      beam box

      The Photoforce Project

      Ongoing
      Traditional power meters measure the power of a laser beam by absorbing its energy. Radiation pressure (photon momentum) permits the measurement of a beam’s power by “absorbing” its momentum and reflecting its energy. Light reflecting from a mirror causes a force that is proportional to its optical
      Planar absolute cryogenic radiometer with multiwall vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes. Superconducting transition-edge sensor. Fully-lithographic fabrication.

      Photonic Radiometry

      Ongoing
      Meeting the needs of the photonics industry and anticipating emerging technologies requires investigation and development of improved measurement methods and instrumentation. This project develops state-of-art, absolute microfabricated thermal detectors with absorber coatings consisting of carbon
      He4 cryostat

      Physics and Hardware for Intelligence

      Ongoing
      Our work in this area can be separated into two categories: conceptual and experimental. Please read our publications linked below for more information. Experimental: Our latest generation of synaptic circuits are described in a 2024 paper published in APL Machine Learning. These circuits are our
      MRI standards

      Quantitative MRI

      Ongoing
      Future directions may focus on multimodal imaging, techniques that use MRI as either a base or as a complimentary technique. Multimodal imaging combines information from two or more imaging modalities such as MRI, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound (US)
      equipment

      Quantum Radiometry

      Ongoing
      For quantum applications, it is important to generate quantum states of light and detect them with extremely high efficiency. This project explores the metrology challenges associated with precision measurement of single photon sources and detectors. The classical photonic radiometry techniques used

      Quantum State-Resolved Spectroscopic Techniques

      Ongoing
      Terahertz radiation interrogates the lowest frequency vibrational (phonon) modes of biomolecules. These modes characterize the incipient motions for large-scale conformational changes responsible for the backbone flexibility of protein, polynucleotide and polysaccharide. Thus, terahertz spectral
      wafer

      Single Photonics and Quantum Information

      Ongoing
      One of the activities in this group is the development of single photon technologies for quantum information science and technology. We work closely with the Nanostructure Fabrication and Metrology Project on the generation of novel non-classical states of light and the detection of single photons
      SMART contrast agents

      SMART Contrast Agents

      Ongoing
      Work on smart agents is focused on developing new micro- and nanoparticle- based contrast agents for MRI and new MR imaging and sensing schemes. These include synthetic antiferromagnet nanoparticles as potential new contrast agents, high-moment iron microparticles for enhanced T2* contrast for in