Carbon Nanotube “Forests”

Electron microscope image of carbon nanotube “forests” of varying heights grown over tungsten circuitry on a silicon wafer. 

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes are excellent blackbodies, meaning they absorb all incoming light, which is why NIST researchers use them as optical absorbers in instruments that accurately measure the power of incoming light. 

NIST is integrating these nanotubes into a number of next-generation devices ranging from chip-scale radiometers for measuring laser power to solar irradiance detectors for miniature satellites used in space research.