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Applied Physics Division

Our mission is to advance measurement science & technology in areas of critical importance to national priority needs, such as, advanced manufacturing, national security, quantum communications, strategic computing, and quantitative imaging. Photonics, magnetics, and imaging are transformative technologies where fundamental metrological basis is needed to address these national priority needs.

The Division's key competencies include radiometry, advanced communications, sensing, quantum measurements, quantitative imaging, spectroscopy, and laser safety. In addition, the Division operates a state-of-the-art precision imaging facility to characterize unique devices that improve measurement science, standards, and services. Division staff include world experts in laser metrology, quantum metrology, quantitative imaging, as well as photonic and magnetic applications. The Division's focus on a targeted set of technical challenges enables us to maximize impact and benefit from collaborations with industry, government, and university stakeholders.

Press Coverage

A sweet new microprinting technique

Bits and Chips
A new technique leverages the properties of common table sugar to transfer lithographic patterns onto the most complex of surfaces.

Taking Measure Blog

News and Updates

Projects and Programs

Advanced Magnetic Imaging

Ongoing
The scope of MRI is expanding with the development of both ultra-high field (14 T) and ultra-low field (0.1 mT) scanners not only for biomedical applications

Advanced Microwave Photonics

Ongoing
Research on quantum information (QI) seeks to control and exploit exotic properties of quantum mechanics, and researchers are already generating "unbreakable"

Software

JB95 Spectral fitting program

A graphical user interface program, JB95, based on a Windows 95© API platform has been written in the C programming language to aid in the analysis of complex

SOEN Process Design Kits

This technology package, a.k.a process design kit (PDK), defines the NIST superconducting optoelectronics process: OLMAC. It is in the klayout format of

Tools and Instruments

Continuous-wave terahertz spectrometer

The continuous-wave terahertz spectrometer makes use of two near-infrared lasers. The first laser is a fixed-frequency cw ring Ti:Saph laser operating near 840

Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy

Vibrationally-Resonant Sum Frequency Spectroscopy (VR-SFS): A nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy in which two colors of light, one in the visible and one in the

Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Facility

The Applied Physics Division utilizes a fully automated, dual-chamber molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system for the growth of advanced, compound semiconductor

Awards

2022 - Arthur S. Flemming Award---John Teufel

Dr. Teufel is a world leader in the field of quantum optomechanics. His innovations over the last decade have tested fundamental physics and will help enable the future of quantum information.

Patents

QUANTUM WAVEGUIDE INFRARED PHOTODETECTOR

NIST Inventors
Eric Stanton
patent description The QWIP was first demonstrated in 1987 [1] and consistent research since then has improved the QWIP detection efficiency, but only for surface normal detection. Development of the QWIP was originally intended for infrared focal plane arrays suitable for infrared cameras. One

Contacts

Division Chief