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Physics

News and Updates

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Detecting mid-infrared light, one photon at a time

June 1, 2021

For some 30 years, scientists have used superconducting materials to record the tiniest specks of light imaginable — individual photons, or single particles of

cartoon cow and chicken using slingshots to fling pairs of entangled photons through a glass of milk and a chicken cutlet

Spotlight: Two Photons Walk Into a Chicken

May 26, 2021

In weird but potentially practical news, NIST researchers headed to the grocery store to find out. Not as a joke, but as a step toward better imaging methods

NIST team probes indestructible quantum states that may aid quantum computing

May 14, 2021

They may not be impervious to bullets like Superman, but groups of electrons that gather along the edges of some ultrathin materials have their own superpowers

Gray ovals on blue background are linked to curved gray lines.

NIST Team Directs and Measures Quantum Drum Duet

May 6, 2021

Like conductors of a spooky symphony, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have “entangled” two small mechanical drums and

Different colored spots of light form a circle on a black background.

Spotlight: A Giant Leap for Magnifying Materials With Neutron Beams

May 2, 2021

From the stars to the Lilliputian — a new camera lens using the power of reflection has the potential to transform neutron imaging. Wolter optics, named after

Identifying Individual Molecules: NIST Study Suggests How to Build a Better ‘Nanopore’ Biosensor

April 27, 2021

Researchers have spent more than three decades developing and studying miniature biosensors that can identify single molecules. In five to 10 years, when such

Man standing next to equipment on top of building during a sunset.

Commerce Building Now Part of NOAA, NIST Weather and Greenhouse Gas Tracking Network

April 19, 2021

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have installed a Doppler lidar

NIST Study Finds Ideal Doping Concentration and 3D/2D Structure to Prevent Degradation of Potential Solar Power Material

April 19, 2021

The crystal known as perovskite is a promising photovoltaic material for harnessing energy from sunlight. Perovskites have several advantages over silicon, the

A photon is absorbed, creating an electron–hole pair (carrier pair).

Light Fantastic: Counting Single Photons at Unprecedented Rates

April 12, 2021

In high-end 21 st century communications, information travels in the form of a stream of light pulses typically traveling through fiber optic cables. Each pulse

Tiny glass vial in holding device glows green in dark photo.

NIST Demo Adds Key Capability to Atom-Based Radio Communications

April 5, 2021

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and collaborators have demonstrated an atom-based sensor that can determine the

Illustration shows cows in field with laser and fiber paths around the edges.

NIST ‘Agricomb’ Measures Multiple Gas Emissions From … Cows

March 31, 2021

After the optical frequency comb made its debut as a ruler for light, spinoffs followed, including the astrocomb to measure starlight and a radar-like comb

An illustration of a green sphere made of puzzle pieces against a dark background.

Scientists Develop Cell With Synthetic Genome That Grows and Divides Normally

March 29, 2021

New findings shed light on mechanisms controlling the most basic processes of life.

The Case of the Cloudy Filters: Solving the Mystery of the Degrading Sunlight Detectors

March 25, 2021

More than 150 years ago, the Sun blasted Earth with a massive cloud of hot charged particles. This plasma blob generated a magnetic storm on Earth that caused

Optical Fiber Could Boost Power of Superconducting Quantum Computers

March 24, 2021

The secret to building superconducting quantum computers with massive processing power may be an ordinary telecommunications technology — optical fiber

Illustration shows two buildings labeled "NIST" and "JILA" facing each other with mountains in the background.

NIST Team Compares 3 Top Atomic Clocks With Record Accuracy Over Both Fiber and Air

March 24, 2021

In a significant advance toward the future redefinition of the international unit of time, the second, a research team led by the National Institute of

As Good as it Gets: NIST Develops Its Fourth Generation Wire Micrometer that Rivals Best in the World

March 11, 2021

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a dramatically improved laser-based instrument that measures the

A Better Way to Measure Acceleration

March 8, 2021

You’re going at the speed limit down a two-lane road when a car barrels out of a driveway on your right. You slam on the brakes, and within a fraction of a

Foundational PNT Profile: Applying the Cybersecurity Framework for the Responsible Use of Positioning, Navigation and Timing Services--NISTIR 8323

February 11, 2021

NIST announces the release of the final NISTIR 8323 , Foundational PNT Profile: Applying the Cybersecurity Framework for the Responsible Use of Positioning