NIST News

NIST technician Dana Strawbridge bolts the top frame of the map encasement to its base during a test sealing of the encasement prior to shipping to the Library of Congress. Credit: … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), has established a new accreditation program for laboratories that test … more

A team of computer scientists and mathematicians from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Texas, Arlington is developing an open-source tool that catches … more

Millions of satellite television and radio users in North Africa and the Middle East can now see and hear the precise time of day, thanks to technical assistance and a custom-built time signal … more

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made the first direct measurements of the infinitesimal expansion and collapse of thin polymer films used in the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an imaging system that quickly maps the mechanical properties of materials—how stiff or stretchy they are, for … more

This map shows the outline of North and South America, as well as the Isthmus of Panama, and was the first to depict clearly a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate … more

Thirteen local employees of the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were honored with the Departmental Bronze Medal and other NIST awards in … more

Fifty local employees of the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were honored with the Departmental Bronze Medal in ceremonies held Dec. 5, 2007. … more

Forty-five local employees of the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were honored with awards in ceremonies held Dec. 5, 2007. NIST Acting … more

Using laser light to stir an ultracold gas of atoms, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Joint Quantum Institute (NIST/University of Maryland) have … more

On November 20, President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez named five organizations as the recipients of the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a mechanical fatigue process that eventually leads to cracks and breakdown in bulk silicon … more

Engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed and tested a laser-based ranging system to assess the performance of automobile collision warning systems. … more

Nanowires grown at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have a mechanical “quality factor” at least 10 times higher than reported values for other nanoscale … more

Two Nonprofits Recognized in First Year of Category WASHINGTON, D.C.—President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today announced that five organizations are the … more

The U.S. Department of Commerce has presented 33 local employees of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with Gold and Silver Medal Awards—the two highest honors from … more

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers Kathryn L. Beers and Joshua C. Bienfang have been awarded the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has opened a competition to develop a new cryptographic "hash" algorithm, a tool that converts a file, message or block of data … more

In NIST’s new mini-magnetometer, light from a laser (small gray cylinder at left) passes through a small container (green cube) containing atoms in a gas. The cell and any sample … more

As this year’s holiday season approaches, your credit card transactions may be a little more secure thanks to standards adopted by the payment card industry. The latest incarnation of … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and George Mason University have demonstrated what is probably the world’s smallest microwave oven, a tiny … more

How are physicists helping an effort to eradicate malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that kills more than one million people every year? Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and … more

In response to numerous inquiries from academia, industry, and other government labs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently published a new database on the properties … more

Each year the Baldrige National Quality Program recruits experts from businesses, education organizations, health care providers, nonprofits and other groups to serve as members of the Board of … more

Boulder, Colo. – A tiny sensor that can detect magnetic field changes as small as 70 femtoteslas—equivalent to the brain waves of a person daydreaming—has been … more

©Shutterstock Daylight Saving Time (DST) will end on Sunday, November 4, 2007, as determined by new rules implemented this year. On November 4 at 2 AM local time, clocks should be … more

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named NIST physicist Paul D. Lett as one of its new fellows. AAAS cites Lett for his work in developing a technique that can be … more

Researchers John Roberts (right) and Oliver Slattery (left) using the tactile graphic display device to depict the NIST logo. Credit: NIST View hi-resolution image A recently … more

Four members of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) staff have been honored in the 2007 Presidential Rank Awards. The awards recognize exceptional long-term accomplishments in … more

Widely recognized as the engine that drives the U.S. economy, information technology enables the vast majority of organizations to carry out their missions and business operations more efficiently … more

Thanks to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a method for making multiple copies of DNA fragments, even tiny bits of biological evidence (in the form of hair, tissue, bones, teeth, blood or other … more

“In case of fire use the stairs, not the elevator”—appears on signs posted in elevator lobbies throughout the United States. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, … more

In the growing catalog of nanoscale technologies, nanowires—tiny rows of conductor or semiconductor atoms—have attracted a great deal of interest for their potential to build … more

A TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND FEDERAL MARKETPLACE EVENT NIST Presents Its Microfluidics Technologies For Commercial Adoption On Tuesday, October 9, 2007, NIST presented some of its novel technologies … more

This week scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have joined colleagues around the world in congratulating Albert Fert of France and Peter Grünberg of Germany … more

On Oct. 2, 2007, S. Shyam Sunder, director of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), testified before the Subcommitte on Technology … more

Improvements to the technology infrastructure for researching and developing new biopharmaceuticals would be expected to save the industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually, according to a … more

Sometimes life-saving technologies seem beyond the reach of the average person. If you put residential fire sprinklers in that category, think again. National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

Using a device that can turn a tiny piece of laboratory space into an ion cloud as hot as those found in a nuclear fusion reactor, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

A transistor containing quantum dots that can count individual photons (the smallest particles of light) has been designed and demonstrated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a new publication that provides detailed tips on how to make web servers more resistant to potential attacks. Called … more

Quantum cryptography is potentially the most secure method of sending encrypted information, but does it have a speed limit? According to a new paper* by researchers at the National Institute of … more

Starting in mid-October, teams of business, education, health care and nonprofit experts will visit 14 organizations as the final review stage for the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, … more

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced 56 new awards for innovative industrial research and development projects under the … more

The terrorist threat to the global transportation system, private-sector implementation of the preparedness provisions of the 9/11 Commission recommendations and a review of standards-based … more

A high-speed quantum cryptography system that allows “Alice” and “Bob” to discuss things in absolute secrecy earned a 2007 R&D 100 Award for a team … more

Spectroscopic image showing the microwave-frequency magnetic resonances of an array of parallel, metallic thin film nanowires ("stripes"). The peak in the center is due to … more

How do you conveniently measure something that not only is 14 times lighter than air but also invisible? That’s just one of the tasks National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

Artist's rendition of the NIST superconducting quantum computing cable. Illustration by:Michael Kemper View hi-resolution version Physicists at the National Institute of … more

Artist's rendition of the NIST superconducting quantum computing cable. Illustration by:Michael Kemper View hi-resolution version BOULDER, Colo.— Physicists at the … more

Crackling embers and glowing firebrands might make for a romantic evening in front of the fireplace, but for homeowners in high fire-risk areas, windborne fire material is the stuff of nightmares. … more

Collaboration Aims to Strengthen the Nation's Lead in Nanoelectronics & Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), the world’s leading university-research consortium for … more

Visible and ultraviolet laser light has been used for years to cool trapped atoms—and more recently larger objects—by reducing the extent of their thermal motion. Now, applying … more

All researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wanted was a simple, quick method for making thin films of block copolymers or BCPs (chemically distinct polymers linked … more

A team of international physicists that includes researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has found experimental evidence of a highly sought-after type of … more

Optical profilometer image of the broken surface of a glass rod shows height of peaks (yellows and reds) and valleys (blues and purples) of the fracture surface in millionths of a meter. … more

Many Web-based services, from shopping to online word processing, allow computer programs to talk to each other and exchange user data across several Web sites without human intervention. Many of … more

Recommendations for a new set of requirements intended to make future voting systems more “secure, reliable, and easier for all voters to use” have been submitted in a 598-page … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), a university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, today announced … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with the MIT Enterprise Forum™ and TEDCO, will host a technology transfer workshop on Oct. 9, 2007, to showcase … more

In preparation for the September 2 international voting deadline, the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has supported a U.S. national body … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted experiments this week in Sharon Hill, Pa., on the hazards of fires under residential floors, which can surprise firefighters by … more

If you want to exploit the ability of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to absorb, fluoresce and scatter light, take the advice of a sandlot quarterback and “go long.” In … more

Factories have much to gain from wireless technology, such as robot control, RFID tag monitoring, and local-area network (LAN) communications. Wireless systems can cost less and offer more … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently released an improved version of its Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Data Generator, a downloadable Java application … more

Konrad Lehnert, a physicist at JILA, is a finalist for the 2007 Service to America medals, presented annually by the non-profit, non-partisan Partnership for Public Service to celebrate excellence … more

“America’s Most Wanted” meets Web 2.0 as researchers develop an additional implementation of a data format that allows disparate law enforcement agencies to exchange … more

Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez will host a national meeting of private and public sector officials that will focus on promoting innovation and economic development across the United States. … more

Officials from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Aug. 10 designed to … more

On Aug. 9, the President signed the America COMPETES Act (Public Law Number 110-69), which authorizes funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the next three years. … more

While the new calibration service for phasor measurement units (PMUs) offered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) sounds like it would appeal to Star Trek fans, … more

If only the flame retardant chemicals routinely added to consumer products from carpets to cell phones just did their job and nothing more. Health officials, however, are concerned that one class … more

High-magnification scanning electron microscopy shows (center of micrograph) the leg of an osteoblast (bone precursor), called a cytoplasmic extension, attaching to nano-sized … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a suite of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for ginkgo biloba, one of the most popular dietary supplements in the … more

A new process for adjusting the resistance of semiconductor devices by carpeting a small area of the device with tiny pits, like a yard dug up by demented terriers, may be the key to a new class of … more

August 10, 2007--The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has voted for conditional approval of a proposed international standard for open … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released three draft Special Publications (SP) documents for public comment. Revision 1, Wireless Network Security: IEEE 802.11a/b/g, … more

Lead in goat blood might not be on the top of your shopping list, but for U.S. medical personnel who each year perform more than 2 million human blood measurements, Standard Reference Material … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is making available “virtual machine images” of secure configurations of the Microsoft Windows XP and VISTA operating … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) have done the first theoretical determination of the dominant … more

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have induced thousands of atoms trapped by laser beams to swap “spins” with partners simultaneously. The … more

It’s a truism that the world looks very different through the eyes of quantum mechanics. In a new paper appearing in Science,* an international team of scientists working at the National … more

A layer of ruthenium just a few atoms thick can be used to fine-tune the sensitivity and enhance the reliability of magnetic sensors, tests at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

NIST Advance Is Step Toward Quantum Computing with Neutral Atoms GAITHERSBURG, MD—Physicists at the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced that it is beginning a technical study of the June 18, 2007, fire at the Super Sofa Store furniture store/warehouse in … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an improved version of a real-time magnetic microscopy system that converts evidence of tampering on magnetic audio and video … more

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director William Jeffrey has named Clare Allocca as the chief of NIST’s new United States Measurement System (USMS) Office. The … more

Electricity, power, water, communications, waste treatment—we call the facilities that supply these services our “critical” infrastructures because they truly are … more

Wartime military patrols and civilian encounters can be especially dangerous if neither group understands the other’s language. To help American forces secure critical information and … more

For electrical charges racing through an atom-thick sheet of graphene, occasional hills and valleys are no big deal, but the potholes—single-atom defects in the … more

GAITHERSBURG, MD—The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is beginning a technical study of the June 18, 2007, fire at … more

A revolutionary robotic platform developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been adapted for the U.S. Air Force to address the critical, expensive,and nasty work of … more

A team of scientists and engineers at the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that is investigating the collapse of New York City's World Trade … more

High pressure fans that direct air flow up the stairway of a burning high-rise building can increase the effectiveness of firefighters and the survivability of occupants by ridding the stairwell of … more

GAITHERSBURG, Md.-Safer buildings-especially tall structures-that are more resistant to fire and more easily evacuated in emergencies are the goal of the first comprehensive set of building code … more

WASHINGTON, DC —Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today announced that 16 individuals have been selected to participate in the Commerce Science and Technology Fellowship (ComSci) … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built a prototype high-speed quantum key distribution (QKD) system, based on a new detector system that achieves … more

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), along with colleagues at George Mason University and Kwangwoon University in Korea, have fabricated a memory device that … more

Schematic represents cryogenic packaging system constructed at NIST for the single-photon detector used in a record-setting quantum key distribution experiment. Orange area represents a … more

[Top] Micrograph of a complete nanowire LED with the end contact. The long nanowire (A) is about 110 micrometers long, a shorter nanowire (B) crosses it. The bright circular section is … more

[Top] The room-sized Standards Eastern Automatic more

Imagine being able to rapidly identify tiny biological molecules such as DNA and toxins using less than a drop of salt water in a system that can fit on a microchip. It’s closer than you … more

CNST and its Nanofabrication Facility are housed in NIST’s new Advanced Measurement Laboratory, one of the most advanced research facilities in the world. Photo courtesy HDR … more

Gaithersburg, MD – Retailers, manufacturers, hospitals, federal agencies and other organizations planning to use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to improve their … more

(a) Schematic of NIST single nanowire manipulation system.(b) Scanning electron microscope image shows a single silicon nanowire positioned in an etched trench using NIST's nanowire … more

Statement from Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski on the NIST-MCPS Agreement GAITHERSBURG, MD—The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and … more

DNA-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) shorter than about 200 nanometers readily enter into human lung cells and so may pose an increased risk to health, according to scientists at the … more

A new nanoscale apparatus developed at JILA—a tiny gold beam whose 40 million vibrations per second are measured by hopping electrons—offers the potential for a 500-fold … more

William Jeffrey, director of the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has named 15 distinguished academic, industry and government experts to … more

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—A new report based on an analysis of more than 700 scientific and technical measurement challenges facing U.S. industry today, calls on the public and private sectors to … more

Technique Reveals Colors and Intensity of All Lightwaves Simultaneously False-color images of the "fingerprints" of molecular iodine, each taken under different experimental … more

Good afternoon. This is a great day for NIST. The President’s 2008 budget request calls for an 11 percent increase in funding for the NIST core (which consists of our research and … more

Budget table Opening Statement from FY 2008 NIST Budget Press Briefing Teleconference by William Jeffrey, Director, NIST Washington, D.C. — President George W. Bush’s fiscal … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) yesterday issued a draft profile that will assist federal agencies in developing plans to acquire and deploy products that implement … more