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PhysicsNew Imaging Technique Strong on Power, Gentle on SamplesThere's a new type of kinder, gentler microscopy. Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) is an emerging technique that combines the non-destructive advantages of optical microscopy with nanometer-scale resolution near that of atomic force or electron microscopes. NSOM works by channeling laser light through a fiber-optic probe, scanning it about 10 nanometers above a sample surface, and then collecting it on the other side. An opening at the tip of the probe is only about 50 nanometers wide, smaller than a wavelength of visible light (which is several hundred nanometers) but large enough for a small portion of the light energy, or photons, to escape. NIST physicists, working in collaboration with researchers at the University of Virginia and the Naval Research Laboratory, recently created an NSOM image of a "photonic crystal," a test material made by embedding an array of tiny glass cylinders in a matrix glass. To the eye, these two clear glasses are indistinguishable. However, they have slightly different indices of refraction (bending light at slightly different angles). Consequently, the NSOM image shows that, rather than traveling straight through the sample, light is guided through the crystal by the cylinders. The NSOM technique has been developed and embraced by numerous laboratories throughout the world in order to image and characterize nanometer-scale features on biological membranes, semiconducting devices and substrates, fiber-optic communications components, and many other materials. A major goal of the NIST program is to further refine NSOM measurements and modeling so that NSOM can provide truly quantitative measurements of the optical properties of these structures. For example, accurate measurements of the size of the glass cylinders and their index of refraction should result from NIST's collaborative research on photonic crystals. In addition, other NIST research groups are working on developing applications for NSOM, including nanometer-scale chemical composition analysis. Image now available at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/taglance/tag97sum/tag97sum.htm#nano. For technical information about the NSOM project, contact Lori Goldner, A320 Metrology Bldg., NIST, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-0001, (301) 975-3792. Media Contact:
QualityBaldrige Teams Will Examine 11 for 1997 AwardTeams of business and quality management experts will visit 11 companies--five manufacturers, three service companies and three small businesses--starting this month as part of the application process for the 1997 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. "The application and review process for the award is the best, most cost-effective and comprehensive business health audit you can get," says Arnold Weimerskirch, former chair of the Baldrige Award's panel of judges and vice president of quality, Honeywell Inc. Site-team members verify information in the company's application and clarify any issues or questions raised when the application was examined earlier in the year by the board. They interview employees as well as corporate officers and review pertinent records and data. A private-sector panel of judges will review reports on the site visits and make recommendations concerning winning companies to NIST. Winners will be announced in October, marking the award's first decade. The legislation creating the Baldrige Award was signed into law in August 1987, and the first awards were presented in November 1988. Media Contact:
PhotonicsPartners Seek Better Technology Through the Laser GlassFor more information about this research, contact (1) David Veasey, NIST, (303) 497-5952, (2) Sarah Gilbert, NIST, (303) 497-3120, or (3) Joseph Hayden, Schott, (717) 457-7485, ext. 351. Media Contact:
Information TechnologyNIST/NSA Team to Enhance Info Security QualityIn a move to boost the international competitiveness of U.S. information security technology producers, NIST and the National Security Agency have established the National Information Assurance Partnership. The partnership will employ the latest techniques to develop product specification tools, testing methods and tests so that testing laboratories and organizations--as well as consumers and producers of information technology products--will have objective measures for evaluating quality and security. Consumers need confidence and assurance in the products and technologies they use to protect valuable information. That confidence is bolstered when the products have been tested and certified by an independent organization. The NIST/NSA effort is designed to foster the creation of such organizations and the certification processes they will use. The NIAP has several goals, including promoting demand and investment in security-enhanced products; moving current evaluation and testing efforts from the federal government to accredited, private-sector laboratories; and fostering research and development in security tests, test methods and metrics. Additional details and projects will be discussed at the NIAP grand opening in October 1997 as part of theNational Information Systems Security Conference at the Baltimore (Md.) Convention Center. Media Contact:
Electromagnetic TechnologyAntenna Reduces Ambient Field Calibration ErrorsThe market for wireless communication products has skyrocketed during the past few years. To meet the ever growing consumer demand, manufacturers of these items have had to increase production without sacrificing product quality. Such quality control, in turn, requires ever higher levels of calibration accuracy. For example, manufacturers must be able to measure accurately the performance characteristics of both their in-house standard antennas and the antennas they design for commercial use. One type of antenna facility commonly used for electromagnetic compatibility testing is affected by ambient electromagnetic fields. These fields degrade the signals being assessed and limit the measurement accuracy. NIST has developed a standard radiofrequency antenna that improves discrimination of out-of-band interference while maintaining the integrity of the signal. The key element is a new rf electro-optic modulator that converts the electrical signal from the antenna to a lightwave that can be "piped" to the measuring equipment by optical fiber. The non-conducting fiber is immune to electromagnetic interference and does not perturb the electromagnetic field being measured. For more information, contact Motohisa Kanda, MC 813.07, NIST, Boulder, Colo. 80303-3328, (303) 497-5320, fax: (303) 497-6665. Media Contact:
OptoelectronicsStable Retarder Is Newest SRM for Optics IndustryThe retarder is offered for $5,342 as Standard Reference Material 2525. It is available from the Standard Reference Materials Program, Bldg. 202, Rm. 204, NIST, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-00001, (301) 975-6776. Media Contact:
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