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NIST on a Chip Patents

Photonic thermometer packages

Optical Temperature Sensor

NIST Inventors
Zeeshan Ahmed , Stephen Semancik , Jacob Taylor and Gregory F. Strouse
The photonic temperature sensor relies on ultra-sensitive, frequency-based measurements of the effect of heat on the dimensions and predominant thermo-optic properties of the photonic resonator.
Schematic of magnetometer/gyroscope shows layers with photodetectors on top and laser at bottom.

Compact Atomic Magnetometer and Gyroscope

NIST Inventors
John Kitching and Elizabeth Donley
Gyroscopes sense rotation. In combination with magnetometers, gyroscopes are used many applications. The NIST invention enables multitasking measurement capabilities and is the first to demonstrate simultaneous measurement of rotation, rotation angle and acceleration with a single source of atoms.
Exploded schematic shows line drawings of five layers inside the optofluidic flow meter.

Optofluidic Flow Meter

NIST Inventors
Zeeshan Ahmed and Gregory A Cooksey
The NIST optical flow meter uses a photonic sensor to detect pressure changes inside a microfluidic channel, which is then used to calculate volumetric flow rates. It provides on-chip assessment of flow and heat transfer resulting in improvement in fluid metrology and advances in biological sensing.
Diagram shows ethanol, shields, vapor cell, reservoir, heater.

Detection of J-Coupling Using Atomic Magnetometer

NIST Inventors
John Kitching
NMR endures as one of the most powerful analytical tools for detecting chemical species and elucidating molecular structure. Zero-to-ultralow-field NMR spectroscopy is a new, potentially portable and cost-effective modality to determine the molecular structure and properties of microfluidic chemical samples.
A metal cube (RPPM) mounted on a metal surface has round holes cut in each side.

Optical Power Meter

NIST Inventors
John H. Lehman and Paul A. Williams
NIST scientists have devised a radically new method of determining laser power by measuring the radiation pressure exerted by a laser beam on a reflective surface.
A disk-shaped device is smaller than the half-dollar coin underneath it.

Smart Mirror

NIST Inventors
Aly Artusio-Glimpse , John H. Lehman , Michelle Stephens , Nathan A Tomlin and Paul A. Williams
This invention measures the power of a laser beam by detecting the displacement caused by photon pressure on a mirrored surface.
A flat pink device with a round black patch lies over a quarter.

Electrical-Substitution Radiometer

NIST Inventors
John H. Lehman and Nathan A Tomlin
This invention is an electrical-substitution radiometer (ESR) — a thermal detector for optical and infrared radiation — based on a novel configuration of arrays of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.
Fiber magnetometer

Chip-Scale Atomic Magnetometer

NIST Inventors
John Kitching and Vladislav Gerginov
Measurement of faint magnetic fields is critical to many applications, including medical diagnostics, but conventional technologies are often large, complex and expensive. NIST’s chip-scale atomic magnetometer is highly compact and readily fabricated using familiar semiconductor techniques.
Created July 1, 2020, Updated March 19, 2021