The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is renovating its Building 1 in Boulder, Colorado, to improve environmental conditions for advanced scientific research. The aging facility has poor temperature, humidity, and vibration control, which negatively affects research in areas like quantum computing, nanotechnology, and energy. These issues have led to a 10% drop in productivity. A new extension, the Precision Measurement Laboratory, is set to be completed by FY 2011 and will provide better-controlled environments for sensitive experiments.
The renovation project also includes phased upgrades to other parts of the NIST campus, with planning starting in FY 2010. These improvements aim to support future scientific discoveries and technological advancements in fields such as quantum computing, biotechnology, and telecommunications. The renovations will emphasize green technologies to save energy and resources, helping NIST continue its role in developing critical measurement standards for emerging industries.
Keywords: quantum computing, quantum communications, measurement science
