An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Throwing a perfect strike in virtual bowling doesn’t require your gaming system to precisely track the position and orientation of your swinging arm. But if you
For the first time in a laboratory setting, NIST scientists have made stop-action x-ray measurements of the way visible light interacts with atoms and molecules
BOULDER, Colo. – JILA physicists have demonstrated a novel laser design based on synchronized emissions of light from the same type of atoms used in advanced
Whether you're using a landline or cell phone, there's a good chance that the signal spends at least some time traveling over fiber-optic cables. To ensure that
NIST researchers have devised a way to synchronize the time of two different clocks – separated by as much as 4 km of open, turbulent air – to within a few
Converting a single photon from one color, or frequency, to another is an essential tool in quantum communication, which harnesses the subtle correlations
Welding has been around, in some form, for centuries. Today it enables a large percentage of the U.S. economy,* thanks to its role in the creation of a diverse
By marrying state-of-the-art nanometer-scale gratings with a Space Age-era thin-film polymer, researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and
Let's say you're a biotechnologist working to develop new medicines or a better test for forensic analysis. You might find yourself frequently using absorbance
Researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a novel way to noninvasively measure and map how and where
Much of what we know about the origin and early history of the universe comes from a phenomenon discovered by accident 50 years ago: The cosmic microwave
A new class of tiny chip-based thermometers being developed by PML's Sensor Science Division has the potential to revolutionize the way temperature is gauged
LED lights are notably cool. But as an industry sector, solid-state lighting (SSL) keeps heating up, with demand growing rapidly in residential, commercial, and
In a few weeks, NIST will begin offering a new, state-of-the-art calibration service for accelerometers. Based on a technique called laser interferometry, the
Two new prototypes for tiny chip-based thermometers are illuminating light's potential to revolutionize the way temperature is gauged. With further development
The NIST Advanced Radiometer (NISTAR), mothballed for more than a decade, is slated to make its space debut very soon about 1.5 million kilometers sunward of
NIST scientists have devised an experimental photon-detection system for communications with error rates far below even the most ideal conventional designs
The world's oceans face multiple threats, and fisheries, marine biologists, and environmental scientists need accurate and timely data about changing conditions
Satellite observation has revolutionized our understanding of terrestrial conditions and climate dynamics. But the measurement science is extremely demanding
For almost 400 years, mercury gauges have prevailed as the most accurate way to measure pressure. Now, within weeks of seeing "first light," a novel pressure
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a laser-based imaging system that creates high-definition 3D maps of
A NIST team is at work on what promises to be one of the world's most accurate methods for generating a specified number of photons, and has devised a method to
Doctors shrink tumors with radiation therapy, but a badly calibrated beam can cause serious complications. Scientists in NIST's Radiation Physics Division in
Researchers from the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) have observed electromagnetically induced transparency at room temperature and
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have rejuvenated a technique for finding planets near distant stars.* New measurements