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NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a physical sciences laboratory, and a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce. Its mission is to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into laboratory programs that include nanoscale science and technology, engineering, information technology, neutron research, material measurement, and physical measurement. It was formerly known as the National Bureau of Standards.

NIST Team Develops Highest-Resolution Single-Photon Superconducting Camera

“Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have built a superconducting camera containing 400,000 pixels — 400 times more than any other device of its type. Superconducting cameras allow scientists to capture very weak …

Twisted Science: NIST Researchers Find a New Quantum Ruler to Explore Exotic Matter

“A single-atom-thick sheet of carbon known as graphene has remarkable properties on its own, but things can get even more interesting when you stack up multiple sheets. When two or more overlying sheets of graphene are slightly misaligned — twisted at …

New Spin-Squeezing Techniques Let Atoms Work Together for Better Quantum Measurements

“Opening new possibilities for quantum sensors, atomic clocks and tests of fundamental physics, JILA researchers have developed new ways of “entangling” or interlinking the properties of large numbers of particles. In the process they have devised ways to measure large …

NIST to Standardize Encryption Algorithms That Can Resist Attack by Quantum Computers

“Three new algorithms are expected to be ready for use in 2024. Others will follow. Last year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected four algorithms designed to withstand attack by quantum computers. Now the agency has begun …

NIST Demonstrates a New ‘Primary Standard’ for Measuring Ultralow Pressures

“Chip manufacturing, gravitational wave detectors and quantum computers could all benefit from better ways to measure a vacuum. A vacuum chamber is never perfectly empty. A small number of atoms or molecules always remain, and measuring the tiny pressures they …

New Laser-Based Method Could Help Scientists Discover New Puncture-Resistant Materials

“A bullet piercing the protective armor of a first responder, a jellyfish stinging a swimmer, micrometeorites striking a satellite: High-speed projectiles that puncture materials show up in many forms. Researchers constantly aim to identify new materials that can better resist …

Why Does Matter Exist? Roundness of Electrons May Hold Clues

“In the first moments of our universe, countless numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons formed alongside their antimatter counterparts. As the universe expanded and cooled, almost all these matter and antimatter particles met and annihilated each other, leaving only photons …

NIST ‘Toggle Switch’ Can Help Quantum Computers Cut Through the Noise

“The novel device could lead to more versatile quantum processors with clearer outputs. What good is a powerful computer if you can’t read its output? Or readily reprogram it to do different jobs? People who design quantum computers face …

NIST Team Demonstrates Novel Way to Convert Heat to Electricity

“Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have fabricated a novel device that could dramatically boost the conversion of heat into electricity. If perfected, the technology could help recoup some of the heat energy that is wasted …

By Cracking a Metal 3D-Printing Conundrum, Researchers Propel the Technology Toward Widespread Application

“Researchers have not yet gotten the additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, of metals down to a science completely. Gaps in our understanding of what happens within metal during the process have made results inconsistent. But a new breakthrough could grant …