PML Impact: February/April 2023

The latest news from the Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) at NIST.

View As Web Page February - April 2023 Solved: The Mystery of the Cloudy Filters Scientists have been trying to figure out what is compromising the performance of tiny, thin metal membranes that filter sunlight as it enters detectors that monitor the Sun's UV rays. Last year, researchers disproved the prevailing theory. Now, the same team has made a strong case for what they think is the true culprit: oxidation caused by water, which together with UV light from the Sun is producing a thick layer of aluminum oxide. Read More FEATURE STORIES NIST's NanoFab Reopens its Doors Scientists and engineers use the state-of-the-art tools at the NIST NanoFab to build such devices as computer microchips, biosensors the size of a grain of sand, and more. On May 15, after three years of pandemic restrictions, the NanoFab will be welcoming back external users. Read More New Way to Measure Gas Flow The technique, which uses acoustic waves to determine the average temperature of the gas and microwaves to ascertain the volume of a vessel, can measure gas flows and leaks from large containers particularly well. Read More Mass Revolution Manufacturers who need accurate mass measurements must have their standards calibrated periodically against the official Kibble balance. But NIST has been working to develop a small, robust, tabletop Kibble balance that could be used by a wider number of people. Read More Color Conversion Lasers In two new studies that could benefit future quantum computers, NIST researchers have greatly improved the efficiency and power output of a series of chip-scale devices that generate laser light at different colors while all using the same input laser source. Read More New DNA Biosensor A new biosensor chip that boasts an accurate and inexpensive design may increase accessibility to high-quality diagnostics. The sensor identifies biomarkers by measuring how binding occurs between DNA strands and the device. Read More Connect with us Received this email from a friend? Subscribe here. Privacy Policy Subscriber services: Manage Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Help

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