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An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Physical Measurement Laboratory Fiscal Year 2015 (2016) / Chapter Skim
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6 Quantum Physics Division
Pages 31-35

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From page 31...
... , but now laser frequency combs have become one of the most powerful and versatile research and precision metrology tools since the invention of the laser. Laser frequency combs are routinely used across PML laboratories for research and metrology in such areas as remote sensing, chemical analysis and quantification, generation of precision RF and microwave signals, medical diagnostics, length standards, atomic clocks, and references for exoplanet identification and characterization, with new applications appearing continuously.
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From page 32...
... One of the more exciting areas is understanding the realization of quantum Hall states via synthetic gauge fields generated by a spatially dependent optical coupling between internal states of the atoms. One current topic is how to suppress or control collisional relaxation decoherence as well as alternative ways of generating strong Abelian and non-Abelian gauge fields.
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From page 33...
... The current results on the folding of a membrane protein are particularly interesting and are unmatched by those in any other laboratory in the world. The world's fastest system for measuring and separating individual living cells with unique properties revealed by ultrafast optical studies has been demonstrated for activities such as quickly identifying algal cells with the highest biofuel production and rapidly identifying optimal fluorescent proteins used to monitor real-time processes in living cells.
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From page 34...
... ADEQUACY OF FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND HUMAN RESOURCES JILA has a very slow turnover rate, perhaps because it recruits excellent faculty and make them happy. Faculty hired more than a decade ago are still referred to as new, and the slow turnover makes the initiation of new areas, such as biological physics, challenging.
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From page 35...
... JILA alumni have started about a dozen high-tech companies in such areas as optical components, medical diagnostics, and gravity meters. These companies provide innovative technologies and good jobs, commensurate with the NIST mission to facilitate economic growth and new technologies.
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Key Terms

  • quantum physics
  • laser frequency
  • physics division
  • frequency combs
  • quantum degenerate

  • frequency comb
  • measurement science
  • quantum ground
  • quantum information
  • biological macromolecules

  • biological membranes
  • optical frequency
  • frequency standards
  • following findings
  • electric dipole

  • protein folding
  • gauge fields
  • jila alumni
  • degenerate gases
  • atomic clocks

  • living cells
  • spin exchanges
  • slow turnover
  • fundamental physics
  • ground state

  • cold atom
  • medical diagnostics
  • nucleic acids
  • findings confirm
  • macroscopic object


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