TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES 1998 - NISTIR 6268

CURRENT DIRECTIONS

• Laser Research. In laser research, various schemes are explored for stabilizing the laser and also to use lasers as a possible (optical) frequency standard. Recent work addresses the creation and use of "ultrafast" laser pulses for investigating semiconductor materials, producing and controlling wave packets, and studying nonlinear optical wave interactions. Also, the evanescent wave property of light has been exploited to "guide" atoms (keep them from touching the sides) through hollow fibers.

• Fundamental Constants and Tests of Fundamental Postulates. Here there is considerable overlap with the work in developing lasers as optical frequency standards as well in the efforts to produce different and better stabilized lasers. In addition, a new determination of G, the Newtonian constant of gravitation, has been made -- the value of which has been called into question by some recent experiments. At present, G is not connected to any of the other fundamental constants by any accepted theories; nevertheless, as one of the fundamental constants it provides a continuing challenge to precision measurement techniques. Work is progressing on making the transfer standard g, the acceleration of gravity, both more accessible to the external research community and more usable. Progress continues to be made in developing a six-degree-of-freedom, actively controlled, mechanical isolation system for a needed stable test bed for carrying out a number of precision measurements to test fundamental laws of physics. The isolation system will also facilitate the detection and study of gravitational radiation in the frequency regions between 100 and 3 Hz.

• Bose-Einstein. Building on our lead position in Bose-Einstein condensation research investigations are being made on the various properties of these condensates. These include quantitative measurements of the basic thermodynamics and energetics of condensates and their response to standing-wave density fluctuations (or sound waves) in the condensates. The properties of two different but simultaneously existing condensates are studied in the same trap to improve the understanding of interacting condensates. The possible standards and precision measurement implications of these macroscopic quantum mechanical systems are also of great interest. Finally, and very important for a variety of applications, the coherence (laser-like) properties of these condensates are being studied.

• Control of Atoms and Molecules. The Division exploits novel control mechanisms with optical light fields for a variety of advanced technologies utilizing the coherence properties of lasers. Novel wave packet states are produced with amplitude and phase control. Such results are important for the encoding of information in such fields as quantum computation. The control of cold atoms guided through hollow optical fibers offers promise for new kinds of atom interferometers and matter gyroscopes.

• Nanostructure Development. Various forms of surface microscopies and optical probe techniques are important subjects for film-thickness control and the investigations of nanostructures. Through the competence project on near-field microscopy, challenges are being addressed for ultrafast time contrast and high spatial resolution, with some preliminary success. Deposition of films with precise layer thicknesses and composition are studied by laser detection methods and ion-scattering probes.

Mission  |  Organization  |  Current Directions  |  Technical Highlights  |  Future Directions

TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES 1998 - Contents

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Online: April 1999