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Physics

Atomic / Molecular / Quantum

Projects/Programs

Displaying 26 - 43 of 43
Evolution of Flat-histogram Monte Carlo Simulation

NIST Standard Reference Simulation Website

Ongoing
Molecular simulations, in particular Monte Carlo Molecular Simulation and Molecular Dynamics Simulation, are methods for computing the properties of some kind of system, for which the intermolecular interactions are specified via mathematical relationships derived from statistical mechanics. Since
schematic of the MOTIS ion beam source

Novel Sources for Focused-ion Beams

Completed
Commercial focused ion beams (FIBs) are used in a wide variety of applications. For example, they serve as diagnostic tools, slicing through a nanodevice to expose its internal structure. They can also shape nanoscale materials either by adding atoms to a structure or by shaving them off. And they
Platform for Realizing Integrated Molecule Experiments

Platform for Realizing Integrated Molecule Experiments (PRIME)

Ongoing
Blackbodies realize a clear relationship between radiated power and temperature through Planck’s law. While a reliable instrument for temperature and power calibrations, blackbodies are afflicted with a plethora of systematics (e.g., non-ideal emissivity, propagation loss, temperature gradients

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
Quantum Computations in Optical Lattices

Quantum Computation and Simulation with Neutral Atoms

Ongoing
Advances in quantum information have the potential to significantly improve sensor technology, complete computational tasks unattainable by classical means, provide understanding of complex many-body systems, and yield new insight regarding the nature of quantum physics. At NIST and around the world
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 Physics Theory

Ongoing
The scope of the work ranges from calculations of QED effects in atoms to detailed studies of photon wave functions.

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

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
deadweight

Reconditioning of the 4.45 MN deadweight machine

Completed
The 4.45 MN DWM has been in use in the NIST Force Laboratory since 1965 and is frequently characterized as the largest deadweight force standard in the world. Thousands of measurements through many force calibrations have been performed over the lifespan of the machine. The machine was the
bilayer graphene graph

Si-Based Single Spin/Single Photon Measurement, Coherence and Manipulation

Ongoing
Devices based on moving and controlling single electrons offer the tantalizing possibility of achieving quantum information processing by virtue of their spin or charge coherent properties. We are pursuing CMOS-compatible Si-based quantum dots for a variety of goals, including:” Narrowband high-MHz
single electron devices

Silicon-based single electron current standards

Ongoing
Our devices can manipulate and trap a single electron in a quantum dot through the application of voltages to electrostatically controlled tunnel barriers. By cycling these voltages appropriately, we are able to sequentially pump one electron at a time through the device. To produce a current
relative uncertainty, force and mass

Small Mass and Small Force Metrology at NIST

Ongoing
Project 1: The electronic milligram. As a result of kilogram redefinition within the SI, it may be possible to realize mass at the milligram level and below using electrical measurements. To this end, the NIST Electrostatic Force Balance (EFB) has been used to measure the mass of artifacts spanning

Spinor Condensates and Ultracold Collisions

Ongoing
A Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) collapses the wavefunctions of many particles in to a single quantum state. In a spinor BEC the atoms can be in a superposition of internal quantum states. Thus, a BEC of spin-1 particles, like the F = 1 ground state of Na atoms, can be thought of as being a single
Schematic figure illustrating the principle of operation of a mass spectrometer, showing deflection of ions based on mass.

Theoretical Mass Spectrometry

Ongoing
No Description Intended Impact Unknown compounds will be identified more reliably. Quality control for the NIST Mass Spectrometry Database will be enhanced. Goals Develop software tools for predicting microcanonical branching fractions automatically. This is currently too laborious and too technical
Computer-generated image showing a cross-shaped gold metal cutout on a red mount in between two metal posts, with an inset magnifying the cutout to show blue and yellow balls at the center.

Trapped Ion Optical Clocks

Ongoing
This project uses techniques from quantum information science to enable precision metrology. We use the dipole-forbidden 1S 0 - 3P 0 transition in singly-ionized aluminum as an stable frequency reference (natural linewidth ~8 mHz), which we detect using quantum logic spectroscopy with a second ion