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.

Physics

Atomic / Molecular / Quantum

Laser light in pink and purple crosses between two cylindrical shapes on a black background.

Atoms: Nature's Perfect Timekeepers

NIST physicist Krister Shalm with the photon source used in the Bell test

100 Years of Quantum Research

News and Updates

diagram of a spherical retarding field analyzer

NIST Study Aims to Improve Utility of the Scanning Electron Microscope

Using an electron beam to image the tiniest of defects and patterns on microchips, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) has long been a mainstay of the semiconductor industry. But as the industry continues to miniaturize chip components—essential for computers, implantable drug dispensers, cell phones, and other devices—the demand for ever-more detailed information from SEM images has grown

Alejandra Collopy wears safety glasses as she works the lab. She is surrounded by various pieces of equipment and many hanging wires.

Spotlight: Alejandra Collopy and Atomic Clocks

Three qubits appear in an artist’s conception as X-shaped icons that fit together.

Novel ‘Quantum Refrigerator’ Is Great at Erasing Quantum Computer’s Chalkboard

Profile: Quantum Physicist Alexey Gorshkov Tackles the Big Problems

Alexander Kramida looks up as he sits at his desk in front of a computer screen full of data.

Shedding Light: How NIST’s Light Database Helps Bring You Computer Chips, Welded Steel and More

Atomic spectroscopy helps to bring us many things we use every day, but without updated information, it would be harder for scientists and experts to create these things. That’s where a NIST atomic spectra database comes in.