Logo of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

News from division 7

Foto des neuartigen 300 GHz-Detektors

Until now, it has not been possible to measure the radiated power of millimeter waves in the terahertz spectral range in the so-called H-band with frequencies from 220 GHz to 330 GHz traceable to the International System of Units. The solution to this problem is a new type of terahertz detector, which was developed as part of a Franco-German cooperation project.

[ more ]

The optical constants fully describe how a material transmits, reflects, absorbs, refracts or scatters light. Their precise knowledge is therefore of central importance for optical technology. As part of the European joint projects "Advanced Traceable Metrology for Optical Constants" (ATMOC) and "14 Angstrom CMOS IC technology" (14ACMOS), PTB has started to build up a database of optical constants...

[ more ]

In a cooperation project between the PTB departments “Detector Radiometry and Radiation Thermometry” and “International Cooperation”, the Federal Association for Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) and the Business Scout for Development programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), a simple but effective cooling effect was demonstrated on buildings in...

[ more ]

Reconstructing the spatial electron density of atomic systems not only provides new insights into quantum mechanics, but also advances in areas such as material science and functional surfaces. In the photoelectric effect, photoelectrons are emitted through interaction with light...

[ more ]

Dr. Steffen Rudtsch, Head of Division 7.4 "Temperature" for many years, passed away on January 20, 2024, after a short, serious illness at the age of 61.

Steffen Rudtsch studied physics at the universities of Leipzig and Cottbus, where he obtained his doctorate in 1994. He then worked in the field of thermophysics, from 1999 at the PTB.

In 2002, he moved to the "Thermometry" laboratory at PTB's...

[ more ]

As part of the "Quantum Systems Research Programme", the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the QVac project of the University of Bremen and the PTB. The aim of this project is to develop a compact primary standard for pressure measurements in ultra-high vacuum (pressures < 10-6 Pa) based on cold atoms. For the pressure measurement, about 1 million of...

[ more ]

Primary receiver standards for optical radiant power are used for the metrological traceability of radiometric measurements to the SI system of units. Although the use of absorber-based radiometers at low temperatures is established, it is associated with very high costs. A primary receiver based on photodiodes would offer a much simpler possibility for scale realisation. As an important step in...

[ more ]

In June 2023, a three-year project on the research and development of measurement methods for nanomedicine was started within the European funding program "Partnership on Metrology". The MetrINo (Metrology for innovative Nanotherapeutics) project involves a total of 20 partners from ten European countries, including both research and metrology institutes as well as pharmaceutical companies.

[ more ]
Golden spherical particles in an antique glass vial resting on a table, antique pharmacy equipment in the background

Innovative materials based on nanoscale and submicrometre particles are playing an increasingly important role in the development of new products across many fields. Applications range from battery electrodes to nanomedicine to quantum dots, which recently gained attention through the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 which was awarded for their discovery and synthesis...

[ more ]

Metrology, fundamental research and applications in the spectral range of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV): For 40 years, PTB has been conducting research and measurements using synchrotron radiation as part of collaborations and services for science and industry. For the seventh time, PTB organised a workshop from 13 to 15 November 2023 under the umbrella of the...

[ more ]

A new beamline for radiometry in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral range (VUVR) was successfully commissioned at the Metrology Light Source (MLS). By quickly redirecting the radiation to three different measuring stations, the availability for different measuring tasks is significantly increased...

[ more ]

We introduced a novel approach involving low-rank matrix reconstruction, applied to the sub-diffraction technique of atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR), thereby enabling highly efficient hyperspectral infrared nanoimaging. Its practical utility was demonstrated on Leishmania parasites as a realistic target of biological importance.

[ more ]

The current generation of industrial semiconductor manufacturing uses extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. For more than 25 years, PTB has been offering high-precision measurements of the reflection properties of optical elements at this wavelength, and has thus been significantly involved in the technology development...

[ more ]

At the invitation of Division 7.5, the ISO Technical Committee (TC) 112 on Vacuum Technology met with its three working groups from 21-23 June 2023 at the Institute Berlin. The working groups deal with the topics of vacuum pumps, vacuum instrumentation and vacuum hardware.

[ more ]

Rudolf-Jaeckel-Preis 2023 for Dr. Karl Jousten

Whether for the realization of the low-temperature scale or for processes in the semiconductor industry: Many applications in physics and technology use vacuum technology, and especially the possibility to measure even the smallest pressures precisely and traceably. For his fundamental work in the field of vacuum pressure measurement, Dr. Karl...

[ more ]

On May 23, 2023 this year's QUNOM (Quantification of Uncertainties in Nano Optical Metrology) workshop welcomed participants from different European countries. It was hosted by the XUV group at the University of Twente and co-organized by Dr. Sebastian Heidenreich (PTB Working Group 8.43 Modelling and Simulation) and Dr. Victor Soltwisch (Working Group 7.14 EUV Nanometrology).

[ more ]