NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.

Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

PUBLICATIONS

Precise Quantum Measurement of Vacuum with Cold Atoms

Published

Author(s)

Daniel Barker, Bishnu Acharya, James A. Fedchak, Nikolai Klimov, Eric Norrgard, Julia Scherschligt, Eite Tiesinga, Stephen Eckel

Abstract

We describe the cold-atom vacuum standards (CAVS) under development at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The CAVS measures pressure in the ultra-high and extreme-high vacuum regimes by measuring the loss rate of sub-millikelvin sensor atoms from a magnetic trap. Ab-initio quantum scattering calculations of cross sections and rate coefficients relate the density of background gas molecules or atoms to the loss rate of ultra-cold sensor atoms. The resulting measurement of pressure through the ideal gas law is traceable to the second and the kelvin, making it a primary realization of the pascal. At NIST, two versions of the CAVS have been constructed: a laboratory standard used to achieve the lowest possible uncertainties and pressures and a portable version that is a potential replacement for the Bayard-Alpert ionization gauge. Both types of CAVSs are connected to a combined extreme-high vacuum flowmeter and dynamic expansion system to enable sensing of a known pressure of gas. In the near future, we anticipate being able to compare the laboratory scale CAVS, the portable CAVS, and the flowmeter/dynamic expansion system to validate the operation of the CAVS as both a standard and vacuum gauge
Citation
Review of Scientific Instruments
Pub Type
Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0120500
Local Download

Keywords

vacuum, metrology, cold atoms, laser cooling, quantum sensing
Pressure and vacuum metrology, Physics, Metrology and Atomic / molecular / quantum

Citation

Barker, D. , Acharya, B. , Fedchak, J. , Klimov, N. , Norrgard, E. , Scherschligt, J. , Tiesinga, E. and Eckel, S. (2022), Precise Quantum Measurement of Vacuum with Cold Atoms, Review of Scientific Instruments, [online], https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0120500, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=935360 (Accessed October 27, 2025)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].

Created December 20, 2022
Was this page helpful?