If you want to make your home as energy-efficient and green as possible, should you use gas or electric for your heating and cooling needs? Gas is the more eco-friendly option–for now–for an energy-efficient home in Maryland. That’s the conclusion of a new economic study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which […]
NIST Researchers Boost Intensity of Nanowire LEDs
Nanowire gurus at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that, thanks to a special type of shell, produce five times higher light intensity than do comparable LEDs based on a simpler shell design. Ultraviolet LEDs are used in a growing number of applications such as polymer curing, […]
Photonic Radiation Sensors Survive Huge Doses Undamaged
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have published landmark test results that suggest a promising class of sensors can be used in high-radiation environments and to advance important medical, industrial and research applications. Photonic sensors convey information with light instead of electric currents in wires. They can measure, transmit and manipulate streams of […]
New Electro-Optic Laser Pulses 100 Times Faster Than Usual Ultrafast Light
Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have used common electronics to build a laser that pulses 100 times more often than conventional ultrafast lasers. The advance could extend the benefits of ultrafast science to new applications such as imaging of biological materials in real time. The technology for making electro-optic lasers […]
New Chip-Sized Device Could Help Manufacturers Measure Laser Power in Real Time
Lasers play roles in many manufacturing processes, from welding car parts to crafting engine components with 3D printers. To control these tasks, manufacturers must ensure that their lasers fire at the correct power. But to date, there has been no way to precisely measure laser power during the manufacturing process in real time, while lasers are cutting […]
Helping The Microchip Industry Go (Very Low) With The Flow
A new study by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has uncovered a source of error in an industry-standard calibration method that could lead microchip manufacturers to lose a million dollars or more in a single fabrication run. The problem is expected to become progressively more acute as chipmakers pack ever […]
NIST Chip Lights Up Optical Neural Network Demo
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made a silicon chip that distributes optical signals precisely across a miniature brain-like grid, showcasing a potential new design for neural networks. The human brain has billions of neurons (nerve cells), each with thousands of connections to other neurons. Many computing research projects aim […]
Drone Forensics Gets Boost With New NIST Data
Aerial drones might someday deliver online purchases to your home. But in some prisons, drone delivery is already a thing. Drones have been spotted flying drugs, cell phones and other contraband over prison walls , and in several cases, drug traffickers have used drones to ferry narcotics across the border. If those drones are captured, […]
NIST Virtual Reality Aims To Win For Public Safety
Virtual reality produces entertaining video games. But it’s also a serious training and testing tool. Pilots test their skill with flight simulators, and the military can practice by playing war games, for example. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) now aim to make virtual reality simulations more of a reality for first responders, […]
Psst! A Whispering Gallery For Light Boosts Solar Cells
Trapping light with an optical version of a whispering gallery, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a nanoscale coating for solar cells that enables them to absorb about 20 percent more sunlight than uncoated devices. The coating, applied with a technique that could be incorporated into manufacturing, opens a […]