Atomic / Molecular / Quantum

News and Updates

Table in darkened lab holds wiring and other laser electronics; a circular light source is situated above.

Major Leap for Nuclear Clock Paves Way for Ultraprecise Timekeeping

These clocks could lead to improved timekeeping and navigation, faster internet speeds, and advances in fundamental physics research.

Just for KICS!

Incoming radiation deposits energy into the TKID circuit.

NIST Study Probes the Damaging Effects of Radiation on Qubits

Illustration shows a spacecraft orbiting the Moon with the Earth visible in the background over the lunar horizon.

What Time Is It on the Moon?

Projects and Programs

Far-infrared Spectroscopy of Biomolecules (Archived)

Completed

We employ novel complimentary measurement and theoretical techniques to explore the low frequency intramolecular dynamics of model biological molecules including amino acids, short peptides with constrained structures, proteins with well-defined tertiary structures and DNAs. Our current efforts

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

Atomic Standard for Pressure

Ongoing

Atomic physicists have calculated the pressure p( n, T) of helium gas as a function of the gas's temperature T and its refractive index at microwave frequencies, n. Near room temperature and 4 MPa, the fractional uncertainties from the calculations, the impurities in helium, state-of-art

Precision Measurement Grants Program

Ongoing

If funding is available, two new grants 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. Each award may be continued for up to two additional years; however, future or continued funding will be at the discretion of NIST