An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories Fiscal Year 2000 (2000) / Chapter Skim
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Physics Laboratory
Physics Laboratory
Pages 105-150
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From page 105... ...
Physics Laboratory 105
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From page 106... ...
Fender, this assessment of the fiscal year 2000 activities of the Physics Laboratory is based on site visits by individual panel members, a formal meeting of the panel on March 13-14, 2000, in Gaithersburg, Md., and on documents provided by the laboratory.
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From page 107... ...
The PL strives to meet its mission through the programs and ongoing projects in its six divisions: Electron and Optical Physics, Atomic Physics, Optical Technology, Ionizing Radiation, Time and Frequency, and Quantum Physics. The first five of these divisions are reviewed by the panel below.
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From page 108... ...
Laboratory Resources Funding sources for the Physics Laboratory are shown in Table 5.1. As of January 2000, staffing for the Physics Laboratory included 200 full-time permanent positions, of which 168 were for technical professionals.
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From page 109... ...
More aggressive advocacy for new funding for the PL, and for the Measurement and Standards Laboratories as a whole, seems appropriate. DIVISIONAL REVIEWS Electron and Optical Physics Division Division Mission According to division documentation, the mission of the Electron and Optical Physics Division is to develop measurement capabilities needed by emerging electronic and optical technologies.
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From page 110... ...
The Photon Physics Group, in collaboration with the Optical Technology Division, has developed state-of-the-art measurement capability for characterizing the optical properties of materials in the DUV. This region of the spectrum has always been difficult, since almost all materials absorb this radiation.
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From page 111... ...
The first experimental results from this facility are expected shortly. Impact of Programs The overall program of the Electron and Optical Physics Division is responsive to industry needs in high-density magnetic storage and devices, higher-density circuitry for electronic devices, and enhanced accuracy and accessibility of optical and radiometric metrology.
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From page 112... ...
As of January 2000, staffing for the Electron and Optical Physics Division included 23 full-time permanent positions, of which 20 were for technical professionals. There were also three nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
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From page 113... ...
The Physics Laboratory has the facilities and expertise to make a great contribution to solving this problem via x-ray spectroscopy and its electron beam ion trap (EBIT) , which can form an excellent analogue of conditions inside an expanding supernova remnant.
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From page 114... ...
The condensate is a nonlinear medium due to the interactions between its atoms. The experiments to characterize the phase of the condensate and modify it represent an example of the collaborative efforts of the Laser Cooling and Trapping Group and the BEC Theory Program in the Electron and Optical Physics Division.
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From page 115... ...
The Atomic Spectroscopy Group within NIST' s Physics Laboratory remains the preeminent organization in the world for the acquisition, systematic evaluation, and archiving of fundamental atomic data. Many commercial, academic, and government organizations depend on this group as the primary source of comprehensive and accurate atomic data wavelengths, atomic energy levels, transition probabilities, line-broadening parameters, hyperfine structure, isotopic shifts, and other data.
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From page 116... ...
Optical Technology Division Division Mission According to division documentation, the mission of the Optical Technology Division is to provide high-quality national measurement standards and support services to advance the use and application of optical technologies, spanning the ultraviolet through microwave spectral regions, by diverse customers in industry, government, and academia.
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From page 117... ...
Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work The Optical Technology Division has the institutional responsibility for maintaining two base SI (International System of Units) units: the unit of temperature in the range above 1234.96 K and the unit of luminous intensity, the candela.
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From page 118... ...
Completion of the improved FASCAL will bring the nation' s spectral irradiance and radiance measurement capability to a level that will redefine world-class capability. The Optical Temperature and Source Group is commended for the recent commitment of additional personnel to the FASCAL upgrade project.
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From page 119... ...
It also studies the optical properties of materials from the microwave to the UV and develops theoretical models to interpret these behaviors for further standards development. Its principal facilities include the low-background IR (LBIR)
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. The Optical Sensor Group has collaborated with researchers in the Atomic Physics Division to make ultraprecise measurements of the index of refraction of quartz and calcium fluoride for the semiconductor industry.
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The Laser Applications Group develops and applies state-of-the-art laser diagnostics for applications in industrial and environmental processes; uses tunable, ultrafast IR, visible, and UV lasers to identify transient chemical species involved in molecular reactions in liquids and at semiconductor, metal, polymer, and biological surfaces; and probes the performance of semiconductor interfaces related to device fabrication, reliability, and function of semiconductor devices and biological and chemical sensors; and measures nanometer-scale structures and single molecules using optical methods. Its principal facilities include a laser-based bidirectional reflectance distribution function instrument; several ultrafast laser systems, including a new terahertz spectrometer; two near-field scanning optical microscopes (NSOMs)
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Impact of Programs In general, the efforts of the Optical Technology Division address the needs of U.S. industry and the U.S.
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The division needs to dedicate resources and move quickly to provide effective technical leadership and critical measurement infrastructure for developing areas of national economic importance such as biotechnology and nanotechnology. As the division develops national standards and measurement capabilities in any area, it is important
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As of January 2000, staffing for the Optical Technology Division included 46 full-time permanent positions, of which 41 were for technical professionals. There were also 10 nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
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Ionizing Radiation Division Division Mission According to division documentation, the mission of the Ionizing Radiation Division is to provide national leadership in promoting accurate, meaningful, and compatible measurements of ionizing radiation (x rays, gamma rays, electrons, neutrons, energetic charged particles, and radioactivity)
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From page 126... ...
The division has been responsive to national needs as defined by the Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards (CIRMS) , a coordinating council involving industry, government, and academic constituencies.
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The Radiation Interactions and Dosimetry Group has developed a forensic technique using tooth enamel to determine radiation exposure. Since radionuclides from the blood can be fixed in the teeth, this EPR technique measures carbonate radicals created by the electron trapping that results from the effects of radiation.
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From page 128... ...
This work is a significant accomplishment that demonstrates the impact of NIST results on the greater scientific community. The Neutron Dosimetry and Interactions Group maintains the databases for neutron cross sections and the international Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF)
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The Radioactivity Group focuses on standards and methods, metrology for nuclear medicine, metrology and monitoring in the environment, and traceability. It is largely responsible for establishing and maintaining the primary standards for radioactive counting, which are provided by NIST as a service to the technical and scientific community.
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Cutbacks in staff would warrant a more judicious use of current personnel. Impact of Programs The Ionizing Radiation Division appears to evaluate the quality and impact of its work by several techniques.
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staffing for the Ionizing Radiation Division included 33 full-time permanent positions, of which 29 were for technical professionals. There were also six nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
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From page 132... ...
The ability to entertain greater industrial participation in NIST projects is severely hampered by this equipment. The Ionizing Radiation Division needs to clearly define what apparatus will be necessary to accomplish its mission and ensure that NIST maintains a world leadership position in support of the U.S.
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From page 133... ...
To fulfill this mission, the division engages in the development and operation of standards of time and frequency and coordination of them with other world standards; the development of optical frequency standards supporting wavelength and length metrology; the provision of time and frequency services to the United States; and basic and applied research in support of future standards, dissemination services, and measurement methods. The programs of the division at this time are well aligned with and strongly support its stated mission and the missions of the Physics Laboratory and NIST.
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From page 134... ...
This progress included major advances with the ~99Hg+ optical frequency standard, a demonstration that optical fibers can be used to do precise frequency comparisons between laboratories separated by distances of at least 100 m, and promising advances using mode-locked femtosecond lasers for optical frequency measurements. Taken together, these advances strongly suggest that there may be a rather clear path toward a completely new generation of frequency standards and a major technological return on more than two decades of investment in research with trapped ions, in addition to the substantial scientific return already realized.
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From page 135... ...
Phase and amplitude noise measurements and standards produced by NIST continue to lead the world, as does electronics for the primary frequency standards. The latest microwave synthesizer developed by the division has outstanding performance with regard to ambient effects and added phase noise.
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From page 136... ...
As of January 2000, staffing for the Time and Frequency Division included 39 full-time permanent positions, of which 35 were for technical professionals. There were also 10 nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
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Note that NIST participation in JILA formally occurs through the Quantum Physics Division of the Physics Laboratory. One member of the Time and Frequency Division is also a JILA Fellow.
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fundamental and precision measurements, (2) optical and nonlinear optical physics, (3)
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JILA's collaborative culture and environment have once again led to a striking success, this time through a synthesis of traditional JILA expertise in laser stabilization with its newly developed strength in the field of shortpulse nonlinear optics. Until now, progress on optical frequency standards was limited by the difficulty of multiplying the radio-frequency primary standard up to optical frequencies and the very sparse coverage of known optical standards.
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From page 140... ...
Two examples of outstanding work in optical and nonlinear optical physics are given below. The development of the first stabilized multiterahertz frequency comb by a collaboration of JILA expertise in laser stabilization methods and precision time measurement, as described in the highlights above, promises a new era in precision measurement and immediate applications to frequency standards and to atomic spectroscopy across a broad range of wavelengths.
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From page 141... ...
will play a central role in determining the ionization dynamics of atoms and molecules and therefore possibly in determining the efficiency of x-ray generation. This is something ideally suited for exploration at JIL A, because two of the worlds experts in x-ray generation are located in laboratories adjacent to the stabilized optical frequency standard experiment.
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From page 142... ...
Atomic and Molecular Interactions and Chemical Physics JILA investigators continue to lead the world in experimental and theoretical investigations of ultracold quantum degenerate gases. Recent breakthroughs include the first realizations of a quantum degenerate Fermi gas of atoms, observation of vortices in Bose-Einstein condensates, and dynamic manipulation of the interaction strength in a rubidium-85 (85Rb)
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From page 143... ...
. ~ When the formation of an unstable neutral species, initiated by photodetachment of an electron from a stable polyatomic anion to form an unstable neutral species, is coupled with an ultrafast laser probe, the entire bond rearrangement reaction coordinate is revealed.
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, ~ ~. ~ ~ , , r To Time Standard Distribution The JILA Fellow from the NIST Time and Frequency Division maintains an important program in time standard distribution: NIST-authenticated time certification is becoming increasingly important in commerce, especially financial trading.
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From page 145... ...
Staffing for the NIST Quantum Physics Division currently includes 11 full-time permanent positions, of which 9 are for technical professionals. There are also seven nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral fellows and part-time workers.
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From page 146... ...
The subpanel found that although considerable planning and debate have surrounded the recruitment of new Fellows, rather less discussion has been devoted to larger issues at JILA, particularly a vision for the new JILA that will emerge after the departure of its astrophysics community. The subpanel urges JILA Fellows to devote time to this very important task.
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From page 147... ...
This needs to be considered as JILA expands its technical programs. Second, the different cultures within the astrophysics and AMO communities regarding the length of tenure for postdoctoral research associates creates some friction for these researchers.
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From page 148... ...
The subpanel urges NIST management to work with the university to solve the space problem so that this remarkable laboratory can continue its impressive successes in the new century. Major Observations of the Subpanel · JIL A is a most extraordinary institution, and NIST receives enormous technical benefit from participating in it.
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From page 149... ...
· The continued excellence of JIL A depends on sufficient laboratory space of appropriate quality and quantity to allow the programs of the newly hired Fellows to grow and to accommodate future Fellows. The subpanel finds that such space is not readily available in the JIL A building.
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