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Physical Measurement Laboratory

Time and Frequency Division

The Time and Frequency Division maintains the standard for frequency and time interval for the United States, provides official time to the United States, and carries out a broad program of research and service activities in time and frequency metrology.

chip scale atomic beam clock
Photonics and Chip Scale Devices
Boulder Building 1
Time and Frequency Metrology and Distribution
Quantum information, sensing, and networking
Quantum Information, Sensing, and Networking

Featured Content

News and Updates

Projects and Programs

chip scale atomic beam clock

Compact Cold Atom Instruments

Ongoing
Our research focuses on the development of novel sensing platforms using cold atomic gases and atomic beams. Laboratory-scale cold atom apparatuses provide some

Awards

Press Coverage

Patents

Delivering Signals To Cryogenic Environments Via Photonic Links

NIST Inventors
Franklyn Quinlan , Scott Diddams , Joe Aumentado , Florent Lecocq and John Teufel
An operational environment is disclosed herein that includes a cryogenic environment and a signal source. The cryogenic environment includes a signal target, an optical link, signal converter devices, and an electrical link. Outside of the cryogenic environment, the signal source generates an

Spherical Ion Trap and Trapping Ions

NIST Inventors
Jeffrey Sherman , David Hume , Roger Brown and David Leibrandt
A spherical ion trap includes a substrate and an ion aperture; two RF electrodes in electrostatic communication with an ion trapping region; RF ground electrodes in electrostatic communication with the ion trapping region; and the ion trapping region bounded by opposing RF electrodes and the RF

Ultrafast Electro-optic Laser

NIST Inventors
Scott Papp , Scott Diddams and David Carlson
An ultrafast electro-optic laser makes a stabilized comb and includes: a comb generator that produces a frequency comb; a dielectric resonant oscillator; a phase modulator in communication with the dielectric resonant oscillator; an intensity modulator in communication with the phase modulator; an

Nobel Prize

2012 Nobel Prize in Physics to Dave Wineland of NIST Time and Frequency Division

Dave Wineland, of the Ion Storage Group, shares the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics with Serge Haroche of France "for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems." Dave and his colleagues use these techniques for research in quantum information processing, quantum simulation, atomic clocks, and other areas.

More information about the Ion Storage Group can be found here.

For more information about the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics, please see the Nobel Prize organization site.

Selected Publications

Contacts

Division Chief

Division Secretary