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Physics

Projects/Programs

Displaying 126 - 150 of 172

OOF

Ongoing
The OOF project is a software development project designed to make advanced computational modeling capabilities available to materials science researchers who are not themselves computational experts. Researchers bring domain expertise from materials science to assist in building high-quality finite
BO+WKB model

Optical Clock Atomic Structure and Theory

Ongoing
An atomic clock aims to realize the intrinsic ticking rate of an atom. This ticking rate (i.e., frequency) is associated with a transition between two quantum levels of the atom, where each level corresponds to a different configuration of the electrons around the nucleus. Atomic clocks derive their
yb optical clock

Yb Optical Lattice Clock

Ongoing
In recent years, optical clocks have achieved performance that is orders of magnitude beyond more traditional atomic clocks utilizing a microwave timebase. A particularly promising type of advanced optical clock is the optical lattice clock. At their heart, these systems use an ensemble of ultracold
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
A magnon, or spin wave, in a 1D chain. Credit: Sean Kelley/NIST

Optical Probes of 2D Magnetic Phenomena

Ongoing
The unique measurement capabilities developed in this Project enable diffraction-limited, optical spectra (both Raman and photoluminescence) to be collected and analyzed as a function of laser energy, polarization, temperature, magnetic field, and device parameters such as current load and back
Optical microscope image of a silicon nitride trampoline pressure sensor

Optomechanical Pressure Sensing

Ongoing
Measurement and control of high-vacuum pressure is important for many industrial processes, particularly semiconductor fabrication. Typical process pressure monitors are known to lose accuracy over time and so require repetitive calibration. Pressure transfer standards that support high-vacuum and
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
SPoT chip

Photonic Thermometry

Ongoing
Why do we need reliable temperature metrology? Temperature, the second most measured physical property after time and frequency, is indispensable to innumerable industries, military services, medicine, climate, and weather forecasts – precise, accurate, and rapid temperature metrology enables much
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

Plasma Process Metrology

Ongoing
Intended Impact The model for rf bias effects that we have developed should make it easier for industry to select optimal operating frequencies and may stimulate the adoption of new methods for RF biasing, such as multiple-frequency bias and non-sinusoidal bias. NIST studies of electrical endpoint
atom chamber

Portable Optical Lattice Clock

Ongoing
Exploiting their very high precision, atomic clocks today are used extensively in demanding timekeeping applications. These include a variety of navigation, communication, and remote sensing and imaging applications. The very best atomic clocks today, optical clocks, are among the most precise

Precision Measurement Grants Program

Ongoing
If funding is available, one new grant in the amount of $50,000 per year will be awarded for the initial period of October 1 through September 30 of the following year. The award may be continued for up to two additional years; however, future or continued funding will be at the discretion of NIST
Quantum logic spectroscopy of molecular ion using optical frequency comb

Precision Spectroscopy and Quantum Control of Trapped Molecular Ions

Ongoing
Spectroscopy and Quantum Control of Molecular Ions Molecules exhibit vibration and rotation of their nuclei, degrees of freedom not present in atoms, and less stringent selection rules for transitions. This creates experimental challenges and great opportunities for exploring new physics. In this
pressure measurement items

Pressure/Vacuum Calibrations

Ongoing
Piston Gauge (29010C - 29040S) This service provides calibrated secondary standard piston gauges, calibrated electronic pressure instruments, and special tests of customer supplied piston gauges. Measurements of pressure are available for submitted calibration items for the range from 10 kPa to 280

Quantum Bioimaging

Ongoing
Our efforts in BBD are focused on using the quantum nature of light to facilitate enhanced and novel measurement technologies for biological samples. For example, so-called bright squeezed laser sources enable imaging and sensing with less noise than is classically possible. Additionally, entangled
This image shows a planar rf ion trap designed for experiments with magnetically-driven quantum gates.

Quantum Computing with Trapped Ions

Ongoing
Quantum Computing with Trapped Ions We pursue proof-of-concept experiments in quantum information processing and quantum control with trapped ions. In addition to pushing current limits on traditional quantum gate-based architectures for quantum computing we explore alternative approaches to
ion trap with integrated fiber Fabry-Perot cavity

Quantum Networking with Trapped Ions

Ongoing
The goal of a quantum network is to establish entanglement as a resource between distant locations. Shared entanglement over long distances may enable distributed quantum computing, quantum-enhanced long-baseline interferometry, the transmission of complex quantum states, or a variety of other

Quantum Nonlinear Optics for Metrology and Networking

Completed
We have generated "twin beams" of light using four-wave mixing (4WM) that are correlated at a level better than can be displayed by classical radiators. One particularly useful feature of the 4WM technique is that the light can easily be made in multiple spatial modes. That is, images with quantum

Quantum Optical Networks

Ongoing
The program's technical research areas are: Architecture research for Quantum Optical Networks and integration with classical networks Management (label, identify, track) and Control Plane (signal and route optical paths) Software Stacks Performance monitoring for end-to-end Quality of Entanglement
FLOC

Quantum Pascal: Fixed Length Optical Cavity (FLOC) Pressure Standards

Ongoing
This project enables a quantum-based, SI-traceable method for realizing the pascal (Pa) while improving accuracy and allowing the replacement of existing mercury manometer pressure standards. The Fixed Length Optical Cavity (FLOC) pressure standard is a laser-based, SI-traceable primary pressure

Quantum Physics Theory

Ongoing
The scope of the work ranges from calculations of QED effects in atoms to detailed studies of photon wave functions.
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 Simulation and Sensing with Trapped Ions

Ongoing
Entanglement between individual quantum objects exponentially increases the complexity of quantum many-body systems, so systems with more than 30-40 quantum bits cannot be fully studied using conventional techniques and computers. To make progress at this frontier of physics, we are pursuing Feynman

Raman Metrology and Instrumentation

Ongoing
Raman spectroscopy/microscopy is a powerful optical technique for rapid, non-destructive, label-free characterization of materials. It works under ambient conditions, often without requirement of any sample preparation. Applications span microelectronics, pharmaceutical, security and fundamental