NIST researchers have developed advanced chip-scale power metering technologies using electrical substitution bolometer designs with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. These miniaturized systems can measure optical power with high accuracy and are being applied to various fields including:
1. Optical fiber power measurement: A cryogenic optical fiber power meter provides primary standard measurements with reduced size and improved uncertainty.
2. Space-based solar irradiance monitoring: A compact total irradiance monitor using silicon micromachining and carbon nanotube absorbers will enable high-accuracy measurements from CubeSats, reducing mission costs and enabling continuous climate data collection.
3. Laser power calibration: A new chip-scale bolometer can calibrate low-power lasers with sub-1% uncertainty.
These technologies have applications in telecommunications, medical imaging, forest fire detection, infrared surveillance, and astronomical observations. The development of these miniaturized, high-accuracy measurement systems could revolutionize various fields by enabling more cost-effective and widespread deployment of advanced measurement capabilities.
Keywords: bolometer, carbon nanotube, fiber-optic, radiometer, irradiance, metrology
