Time and Frequency Division Groups

Designs, builds, and characterizes innovative miniature instruments and sensors using precision atomic spectroscopy, advanced semiconductor lasers and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).

The Ion Storage Group conducts experiments on laser cooled atomic ions that are confined in electromagnetic traps. Experiments employ RF (Paul) traps and Penning traps for applications in quantum information processing and precision measurements.

The Optical Frequency Measurements Group conducts cutting-edge research focused on generating stable optical frequencies and developing tools for precisely measuring optical frequencies, which have the potential to achieve unprecedented timing performance.

NIST's Time and Frequency Metrology Group has the world's most advanced measurement and calibration facilities for characterizing noise components in oscillators and frequency synthesizers. It engages in many activities to determine the cause of various kinds of noise for the purpose of isolating

The Time Realization and Distribution group distributes standard time and frequency signals generated by the Coordinated Universal Time scale, UTC(NIST), maintained at the NIST laboratories in Boulder, Colorado. UTC(NIST) is the U. S. national standard for time-of-day, time interval, and frequency.