Invited Paper VT-WeM5
The Next Generation Quantum-based Metrology for Miniaturized Sensors and Standards

Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 9:20 am, Room 101D

Development of innovative sensors and standards that—through improvements in cost, size, speed, and durability—will enable new manufacturing processes, tools and products of tomorrow. The NIST vision is that these innovations will improve the dissemination of standards to the point where routine exchange of artifacts for measurement quality assurance is no longer needed. Quantum and photonic based rugged small-scale vacuum sensors open new horizons in measurement science and represent a paradigm shift in how metrology is done. Networks of small and precise sensors embedded within structures and composite materials could improve their performance and reliability. These sensors draw upon a range of technologies not previously exploited for these applications, such as nanofabrication, photonics, and atomic physics. Photonic and quantum-based vacuum sensors will allow both the absolute sensing of vacuum and the realization of the SI at the user site and will allow the user to calibrate other sensors or directly measure process vacuum levels for critical applications. Several related research programs at NIST are geared towards realizing the vision of small or chip sized absolute sensors for practical applications. NIST is building a sensor program, with the goal to establish a set of chip-scale tools that enable real-world use. An example is the chip-scale cold-atom technology requires maintaining UHV conditions throughout the operating lifetime of the device, posing practical technical challenges to the vacuum engineering. Our program to replace primary mercury manometers with photonic-based primary standard relies on lasers and Fabry–Pérot optical cavities that are stable from several atmospheres of pressure down to high-vacuum. These cavities will be field-deployable absolute sensors requiring no calibration. Other quantum and photonic based sensors include dynamic pressure measurements and thermometry. These programs will be discussed in terms of the larger programmatic view of how quantum-based, chip scale technologies will disrupt vacuum technology, primary standards, and pressure, vacuum and temperature measurement.