The Future of Quantum Based Measurements and the SI | NIST

Carl J. Williams

David J. Wineland

Paul K. Guinnessy

Jay H. Hendricks, Zeeshan Ahmed, D. Barker +6 more

The NIST on a Chip (NOAC) program's central idea is the idea that measurement technology can be developed to enable metrology to be performed "outside the National Metrology Institute" by the creation of deployed and often miniaturized standards. These standards, when based on fundamental properties of nature, are directly tracible to the international system of units known as the SI. NIST is also developing quantum-based standards for SI traceability known as QSI, or Quantum based International System of units. Specifically, this paper will cover NIST efforts in the area of thermodynamic metrology to develop NOAC standards for pressure, vacuum and temperature measurements.

Michelle S. Stephens, M. G. White, Thomas Gerrits +2 more

A system for calibrating single photon detector efficiency that is traceable to the SI through a state-of-the-art classical optical fibre radiometer has been developed and is in the process of being vetted as a calibration service at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The method of calibration is direct substitution to power meters relative to NIST's optical fibre cryogenic primary standard and builds on the existing measurement infrastructure for the calibration of optical fibre power meters. Recent improvements to the optical fibre cryogenic radiometer make it more robust and deployable. The traceability of the single photon detector calibration service under development to these classical measurements is discussed, along with a description of the technique used in this calibration service to calibrate the detection efficiency of single photon detectors. Finally, we discuss work on the development of these technologies so that in the future they may be deployable to the point-of- use.

R. Harris, J. Niemeyer