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PTB News

Three times a year, PTB News provides topical information from the varied spectrum of activities of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) consisting of fundamental research, legal metrology and PTB's various activities in the service of the economy.

PTB-News 3.2023 - SCIENTIFIC NEWS

For 25 years now, PTB has been supporting the development of extreme ultraviolet lithography in Europe by characterizing optical coatings. Since 2019, this European technology has been used in the mass production of high-quality semiconductor components. With this application, the requirements placed on the quality of the measurements have once again significantly increased. To meet this...

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Since December 2022, cash gaming machines have been approved by PTB in digital form only. The transition to digital processes increases efficiency and saves time in the approval procedure for both PTB and applicants.

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Highly reflecting mirrors are an essential component of the most precise optical interferometers, which are used, for example, for the detection of gravitational waves or in optical atomic clocks (to reduce the linewidth of lasers). These applications are inherently limited by Brownian noise, where the thermal motion of the particles in the mirror leads to fluctuations of the reflected light wave....

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Working within an industrial cooperation project, PTB has developed a novel metrology system for the quantum-based generation and measurement of voltage signals. The system is based on a pulse-driven Josephson standard, the Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizer (JAWS), and has been designed for deployment in a wide variety of applications. This system can be used not only as a quantum-based...

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In geochronological sciences, for example when determining the age of rocks, potassium-40 is known to be one of the most important tools. To this end, its half-life and further decay data must be known as accurately as possible. These have been redetermined in sophisticated experiments.

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PTB has determined the surface of a life-size cow model. This has enhanced the experience in the dimensional measurement of natural or near-natural material, which will be beneficial to future metrological challenges.

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PTB-News 3.2023 - TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Cryostats are devices in which defined and spatially limited areas or components are cooled down to a predefined and very low temperature, e.g. below -269 °C (4.2 K). A novel device designed for the variable temperature adjustment of special flow cryostats based on pneumatic motors made of plastic and of other components made of non-magnetic materials can minimize electromagnetic interference...

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Kibble balances weigh using a voice coil actuator with electromagnetic force compensation. For the calibration of Kibble balances with a larger measuring range (from grams to kilograms), optical methods are used. A new method developed at PTB allows the correction of errors caused by tilting mirrors, the so-called Abbe errors. This calibration procedure has been tested at PTB and can also be used...

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Single-photon detectors are being used more and more frequently for applications such as quantum communication, quantum computing and quantum imaging as well as for experiments in the fields of astrophysics and materials science. To detect the single photons, PTB’s concept requires the detector to be constructed from a two-dimensional superconductor. A hole pattern of non-superconducting areas...

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PTB-News 3.2023 - MISCELLANEOUS

Siegfried Hackel, Shanna Schönhals, Lutz Doering, Benjamin Gloger
(Foto: Andreas Rudolph) These staff members of Division 1, Mechanics and Acoustics, have received the special prize from Braunschweig’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for developing the Digital Calibration Certificate (DCC).

Karl Jousten
Karl Jousten, Head of Department 7.5, Heat and Vacuum, has received the Rudolf...

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In the recently launched project “TruePA” (Truly Resilient Quantum Limited Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers), researchers from PTB and seven European partner institutions are jointly developing the next generation of parametric amplifiers, or TWPAs for short. Due to their extremely low noise, they are significant for the detection of weak electromagnetic signals at microwave frequencies of...

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ELMEC Guide 7.2, “Software”, is the most widely used WELMEC manual. It is now available in an updated and revised 2023 version. This guide offers European notified bodies, manufacturers of measuring instruments and supervisory authorities harmonized technical interpretations of the fundamental demands of the European Measuring Instruments Directive (MID and of NAWID;31/2014/EU and 32/2014/EU). It...

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“Think Metrology” is the motto from 26-29 August 2024 at the World Congress of the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO). It will be a summit meeting for the world’s leading metrologists. More than 700 researchers and users will report on innovations and current topics stemming from the expansive field of metrology. You can already register and submit your paper.

Further information: Opens external link in new windowh...

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