The Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) at NIST is responsible for setting the definitive U.S. standards for various measurements, including mass, time, frequency, temperature, electricity, and electromagnetic radiation. These standards are crucial for industry, medicine, research, and government.
PML develops and disseminates the authoritative values for the SI base units in the U.S., which are based on fixed values of natural physical constants. This requires constant development of new technologies and methods of precision measurement. U.S. manufacturers rely on NIST’s measurement services to satisfy conformity, accreditation, and traceability requirements, enabling access to global markets.
PML explores the ultimate limits of quantum technologies and trains the next generation of measurement scientists through partnerships with other government agencies and universities. They use quantum properties of light and matter to build optical atomic clocks, quantum sensors, and quantum networking systems. Fabricating and measuring devices at the nanoscale is an integral part of PML’s metrology, enabling the creation of compact, accurate, precise, and easily deployable measurement devices and systems.
PML’s metrology advances include new capabilities to accurately measure and calibrate the intensity of electromagnetic radiation and subatomic particles over a broad range of energies using spectrometers, radiometers, and imaging systems. These capabilities are applied to improve and expand measurements in various fields, including climate and atmospheric sciences, weather and space-weather forecasting, astronomy and cosmology, medical imaging, homeland and supply-chain security, and advanced manufacturing.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/pml/about-pml
Keywords: quantum, metrology, sensing, precision, measurement
