Archive of PTB News

Optical atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement devices ever built, and they have become a key technology in fundamental and applied research used, for example, in testing the stability of natural constants or for geodetic height measurements. As part of a collaboration within the QuantumFrontiers Cluster of Excellence, researchers from the QUEST Institute at PTB have developed the...

Within the European series of research projects labeled “Metrology for Earth Observation and Climate”, a new reference blackbody called the Hemispherical Blackbody (HSBB) was developed.

A new processing facility has recently been developed at PTB that allows several crystalline silicon standards to be manufactured at the same time. Used for calibrating scanning probe microscopes, these high-end standards can now be supplied faster and cheaper than before.

Using hyperpolarized xenon in magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows molecular substances to be detected with high sensitivity and accuracy. A new approach has been developed at PTB to also enable a quantitative evaluation of such measurements. The new procedure does not require reference samples and is platform-independent.

To measure the phase noise of radio and microwave frequency signals, the signal to be examined is usually compared with a low-noise reference signal of the same frequency. A system enabling measurements of microwave signals with frequencies up to 100 GHz has been developed at PTB. This new technique uses a “frequency ruler” in the microwave range that makes it possible to obtain the required...

Real-time capable controlling and monitoring systems are necessary when it comes to ensuring the stability of future electrical distribution and transmission grids. Also required are meters that can accurately and with high temporal resolution measure energy flows that are relevant to energy billing. In the future, the measuring equipment needed for this purpose may be based on digital, i.e.,...

As of 1 July 2023, diesel vehicles must at their next emissions test be shown to emit less than 250 000 particles per cubic centimeter of exhaust gas. Measuring this limit value reliably requires particle counters designed specifically for the task. Their measuring range must be adapted to the particle size, the particle concentration and the properties of diesel exhaust gas. Furthermore, they...

The refractivity of pure gases can be used to measure pressure values with the highest accuracy, particularly in the range from 1 Pa to 100 kPa. For this purpose, a special Fabry-Perot resonator has been developed at PTB whose mirrors are arranged so as to minimize deformation. The trick in this setup is to load the resonator mirrors with as little strain as possible and with the same pressure on...

Sensors for investigating the gravitational field of the Earth are used in various fields of geodesy, geophysics and gravimetry. PTB has developed a high-sensitivity differential gradiometer for measuring density inhomogeneities in the surface of the Earth. Conceived as a null indicator, this gradiometer is particularly well suited to determining vertical gravitational gradients while remaining...

Compensating for optical losses is a huge challenge when transmitting optical frequencies per optical fiber link over long distances. Conventional optical amplifiers are sensitive to backscatter and back reflections which lead to unavoidable phase jumps in the transmitted signal. PTB’s new concept is based on a Brillouin amplifier characterized by particularly high optical amplification and small...

Since 1 August 2022, the DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH has reduced the object protection zones around its omnidirectional radio beacons. This represents further potential space for wind farms in Germany – an important contribution to the energy transition. PTB developed the key aspects within the scope of the research project WERAN (“interaction between wind turbines and terrestrial...

In an increasingly digitalized world, quality assurance must also be redefined because it is the foundation of the digital and green transformation of industry. Within the scope of the QI Digital Initiative, which was established by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK), core stakeholders of Germany’s quality infrastructure (QI) have joined interested parties from industry...

The aim in an international research project called AQuRA (Advanced Quantum Clock for Real-World Application) is to build an optical atomic clock that is based on neutral atoms and is both accurate and robust within 3.5 years. With this clock, using complicated laboratory setups or relying on atomic clock specialists will be a thing of the past for everyday practical applications, such as when...

An optical gas sensor specially developed by PTB for the trace water vapor range enables calibration-free, SI-traceable measurements for use in climate research and industry.

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...

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.

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....

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...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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...

“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: h...

Optical atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement devices ever built, and they have become a key technology in fundamental and applied research used, for example, in testing the stability of natural constants or for geodetic height measurements. As part of a collaboration within the QuantumFrontiers Cluster of Excellence, researchers from the QUEST Institute at PTB have developed the...

Within the European series of research projects labeled “Metrology for Earth Observation and Climate”, a new reference blackbody called the Hemispherical Blackbody (HSBB) was developed.

A new processing facility has recently been developed at PTB that allows several crystalline silicon standards to be manufactured at the same time. Used for calibrating scanning probe microscopes, these high-end standards can now be supplied faster and cheaper than before.

Using hyperpolarized xenon in magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows molecular substances to be detected with high sensitivity and accuracy. A new approach has been developed at PTB to also enable a quantitative evaluation of such measurements. The new procedure does not require reference samples and is platform-independent.

To measure the phase noise of radio and microwave frequency signals, the signal to be examined is usually compared with a low-noise reference signal of the same frequency. A system enabling measurements of microwave signals with frequencies up to 100 GHz has been developed at PTB. This new technique uses a “frequency ruler” in the microwave range that makes it possible to obtain the required...

Real-time capable controlling and monitoring systems are necessary when it comes to ensuring the stability of future electrical distribution and transmission grids. Also required are meters that can accurately and with high temporal resolution measure energy flows that are relevant to energy billing. In the future, the measuring equipment needed for this purpose may be based on digital, i.e.,...

As of 1 July 2023, diesel vehicles must at their next emissions test be shown to emit less than 250 000 particles per cubic centimeter of exhaust gas. Measuring this limit value reliably requires particle counters designed specifically for the task. Their measuring range must be adapted to the particle size, the particle concentration and the properties of diesel exhaust gas. Furthermore, they...

The refractivity of pure gases can be used to measure pressure values with the highest accuracy, particularly in the range from 1 Pa to 100 kPa. For this purpose, a special Fabry-Perot resonator has been developed at PTB whose mirrors are arranged so as to minimize deformation. The trick in this setup is to load the resonator mirrors with as little strain as possible and with the same pressure on...

Sensors for investigating the gravitational field of the Earth are used in various fields of geodesy, geophysics and gravimetry. PTB has developed a high-sensitivity differential gradiometer for measuring density inhomogeneities in the surface of the Earth. Conceived as a null indicator, this gradiometer is particularly well suited to determining vertical gravitational gradients while remaining...

Compensating for optical losses is a huge challenge when transmitting optical frequencies per optical fiber link over long distances. Conventional optical amplifiers are sensitive to backscatter and back reflections which lead to unavoidable phase jumps in the transmitted signal. PTB’s new concept is based on a Brillouin amplifier characterized by particularly high optical amplification and small...

Since 1 August 2022, the DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH has reduced the object protection zones around its omnidirectional radio beacons. This represents further potential space for wind farms in Germany – an important contribution to the energy transition. PTB developed the key aspects within the scope of the research project WERAN (“interaction between wind turbines and terrestrial...

In an increasingly digitalized world, quality assurance must also be redefined because it is the foundation of the digital and green transformation of industry. Within the scope of the QI Digital Initiative, which was established by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK), core stakeholders of Germany’s quality infrastructure (QI) have joined interested parties from industry...

The aim in an international research project called AQuRA (Advanced Quantum Clock for Real-World Application) is to build an optical atomic clock that is based on neutral atoms and is both accurate and robust within 3.5 years. With this clock, using complicated laboratory setups or relying on atomic clock specialists will be a thing of the past for everyday practical applications, such as when...

A system for the synthesis of resinbased nanocomposites has been developed at PTB. It guarantees the defined and reproducible adjustment of the desired material composition for the 3D printing of medical phantoms.

A method for calculating the simulation uncertainty of a virtual ultrasonic flowmeter has been developed in PTB's VirtMet Competence Center. This method allows calibration factors relevant to fluid mechanics to be calculated for real measuring devices. The method is based on the comparison of real and virtual measurements and allows the continuous determination of calibration factors with their...

Using four test masses in the form of hollow cylinders from PTB, the space mission MICROSCOPE was able to verify the equivalence principle with unprecedented precision.

Programmable Josephson voltage standards are electrical quantum standards consisting of series arrays with several thousand Josephson junctions. They typically allow the generation of voltages up to 10 volts with fundamental accuracy and are mainly used by national metrology institutes for the realization of the electrical voltage unit. PTB has now succeeded in realizing the world’s first output...

Radiation therapy requires the determination of a large amount of basic data, including numerous dose distributions. Using artificial intelligence (machine learning), it is possible to replace the complex determination of a detector’s dose response function. A new correction method developed at PTB has the potential to be routinely used in hospitals.

At PTB’s Competence Center for Photovoltaics, a new measuring facility has been developed with which the performance of solar modules under standard test conditions can be determined with much greater accuracy compared to previous methods.

As part of preparations for pilot projects in which private households will be supplied with hydrogen via the normal natural gas grid, PTB investigated whether the devices currently used for natural gas metering would also be suitable for hydrogen. The results show that all maximum permissible errors are complied with.

When optical signals with ultrahigh frequency stability are transmitted via optical fibers, phase instabilities of the light occurring due to path length fluctuations have to be compensated. The path stabilization unit enables this phase-stable transmission of optical signals over long distances. The implementation of the setup is efficient and simple. The optical reference signal can be...

Rotary tables are often used for positioning or angle measurements when measuring rotationally symmetric work pieces on coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). Geometric deviations of rotary tables can be directly measured on a CMM in six degrees of freedom by means of a self-calibrating procedure using a ball plate. PTB has developed a new concept designed to significantly reduce the required...

Proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers for stabilizing a process variable are a standard feature in the most common software packages for controlling technical facilities. However, PID controllers are limited by oscillations relating to the noise of an actual value determined in the controlling process. The new stepwise-immediate-follower (SIF) concept enables much smaller control...

Quantum communication promises the tap-free transmission of information. Quantum-based key distribution has been widely researched and, in the meantime, is now ready for the market. In the Innovation Hub for Quantum Communication, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding 36 institutions to connect research institutes with partners from industry. The accompanying...

Experts are needed in order to put the enormous potential that quantum technologies have to offer into practice. Especially for the transfer of research to industry and for product development, there is a lack of qualified staff and no central contact point for further training. To rectify this, the joint “Quantum Technology Courses for Industry” (QTIndu) project was initiated. With the...

PTB is participating in two new large-scale EU projects on artificial intelligence. Both use the abbreviation TEF in their names, which stands for “Testing and Experimentation Facility”. On the one hand, there is the TEF Health project which aims to examine innovative approaches in AI and robotics in healthcare and make them ready for the market more quickly. On the other hand, there is the TEF AI...

In order for the “Made in Germany” label to continue to be a promise of quality in a digital world, the elements of quality infrastructure must also become digital. PTB and the German accreditation body (DAkkS) are working together closely for the introduction of machine- readable calibration certificates (DCCs) with digital national emblems. By doing this, they want to support the German industry...

The need for sustainable cooling and air conditioning is also on the rise due to global warming. Now that climate-damaging chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been banned and their still harmful alternative substances are gradually being reduced, researchers want to investigate a new generation of natural and synthetic coolants with a low potential for global warming. Safety engineering and explosion...

Optical atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement devices ever built, and they have become a key technology in fundamental and applied research used, for example, in testing the stability of natural constants or for geodetic height measurements. As part of a collaboration within the QuantumFrontiers Cluster of Excellence, researchers from the QUEST Institute at PTB have developed the...

Within the European series of research projects labeled “Metrology for Earth Observation and Climate”, a new reference blackbody called the Hemispherical Blackbody (HSBB) was developed.

A new processing facility has recently been developed at PTB that allows several crystalline silicon standards to be manufactured at the same time. Used for calibrating scanning probe microscopes, these high-end standards can now be supplied faster and cheaper than before.

Using hyperpolarized xenon in magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows molecular substances to be detected with high sensitivity and accuracy. A new approach has been developed at PTB to also enable a quantitative evaluation of such measurements. The new procedure does not require reference samples and is platform-independent.

To measure the phase noise of radio and microwave frequency signals, the signal to be examined is usually compared with a low-noise reference signal of the same frequency. A system enabling measurements of microwave signals with frequencies up to 100 GHz has been developed at PTB. This new technique uses a “frequency ruler” in the microwave range that makes it possible to obtain the required...

Real-time capable controlling and monitoring systems are necessary when it comes to ensuring the stability of future electrical distribution and transmission grids. Also required are meters that can accurately and with high temporal resolution measure energy flows that are relevant to energy billing. In the future, the measuring equipment needed for this purpose may be based on digital, i.e.,...

As of 1 July 2023, diesel vehicles must at their next emissions test be shown to emit less than 250 000 particles per cubic centimeter of exhaust gas. Measuring this limit value reliably requires particle counters designed specifically for the task. Their measuring range must be adapted to the particle size, the particle concentration and the properties of diesel exhaust gas. Furthermore, they...

The refractivity of pure gases can be used to measure pressure values with the highest accuracy, particularly in the range from 1 Pa to 100 kPa. For this purpose, a special Fabry-Perot resonator has been developed at PTB whose mirrors are arranged so as to minimize deformation. The trick in this setup is to load the resonator mirrors with as little strain as possible and with the same pressure on...

Sensors for investigating the gravitational field of the Earth are used in various fields of geodesy, geophysics and gravimetry. PTB has developed a high-sensitivity differential gradiometer for measuring density inhomogeneities in the surface of the Earth. Conceived as a null indicator, this gradiometer is particularly well suited to determining vertical gravitational gradients while remaining...

Compensating for optical losses is a huge challenge when transmitting optical frequencies per optical fiber link over long distances. Conventional optical amplifiers are sensitive to backscatter and back reflections which lead to unavoidable phase jumps in the transmitted signal. PTB’s new concept is based on a Brillouin amplifier characterized by particularly high optical amplification and small...

Since 1 August 2022, the DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH has reduced the object protection zones around its omnidirectional radio beacons. This represents further potential space for wind farms in Germany – an important contribution to the energy transition. PTB developed the key aspects within the scope of the research project WERAN (“interaction between wind turbines and terrestrial...

In an increasingly digitalized world, quality assurance must also be redefined because it is the foundation of the digital and green transformation of industry. Within the scope of the QI Digital Initiative, which was established by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK), core stakeholders of Germany’s quality infrastructure (QI) have joined interested parties from industry...

The aim in an international research project called AQuRA (Advanced Quantum Clock for Real-World Application) is to build an optical atomic clock that is based on neutral atoms and is both accurate and robust within 3.5 years. With this clock, using complicated laboratory setups or relying on atomic clock specialists will be a thing of the past for everyday practical applications, such as when...

Optical atomic clocks are the most accurate measurement devices ever built, and they have become a key technology in fundamental and applied research used, for example, in testing the stability of natural constants or for geodetic height measurements. As part of a collaboration within the QuantumFrontiers Cluster of Excellence, researchers from the QUEST Institute at PTB have developed the...

Within the European series of research projects labeled “Metrology for Earth Observation and Climate”, a new reference blackbody called the Hemispherical Blackbody (HSBB) was developed.

A new processing facility has recently been developed at PTB that allows several crystalline silicon standards to be manufactured at the same time. Used for calibrating scanning probe microscopes, these high-end standards can now be supplied faster and cheaper than before.

Using hyperpolarized xenon in magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows molecular substances to be detected with high sensitivity and accuracy. A new approach has been developed at PTB to also enable a quantitative evaluation of such measurements. The new procedure does not require reference samples and is platform-independent.

To measure the phase noise of radio and microwave frequency signals, the signal to be examined is usually compared with a low-noise reference signal of the same frequency. A system enabling measurements of microwave signals with frequencies up to 100 GHz has been developed at PTB. This new technique uses a “frequency ruler” in the microwave range that makes it possible to obtain the required...

Real-time capable controlling and monitoring systems are necessary when it comes to ensuring the stability of future electrical distribution and transmission grids. Also required are meters that can accurately and with high temporal resolution measure energy flows that are relevant to energy billing. In the future, the measuring equipment needed for this purpose may be based on digital, i.e.,...

As of 1 July 2023, diesel vehicles must at their next emissions test be shown to emit less than 250 000 particles per cubic centimeter of exhaust gas. Measuring this limit value reliably requires particle counters designed specifically for the task. Their measuring range must be adapted to the particle size, the particle concentration and the properties of diesel exhaust gas. Furthermore, they...

The refractivity of pure gases can be used to measure pressure values with the highest accuracy, particularly in the range from 1 Pa to 100 kPa. For this purpose, a special Fabry-Perot resonator has been developed at PTB whose mirrors are arranged so as to minimize deformation. The trick in this setup is to load the resonator mirrors with as little strain as possible and with the same pressure on...

Sensors for investigating the gravitational field of the Earth are used in various fields of geodesy, geophysics and gravimetry. PTB has developed a high-sensitivity differential gradiometer for measuring density inhomogeneities in the surface of the Earth. Conceived as a null indicator, this gradiometer is particularly well suited to determining vertical gravitational gradients while remaining...

Compensating for optical losses is a huge challenge when transmitting optical frequencies per optical fiber link over long distances. Conventional optical amplifiers are sensitive to backscatter and back reflections which lead to unavoidable phase jumps in the transmitted signal. PTB’s new concept is based on a Brillouin amplifier characterized by particularly high optical amplification and small...

Since 1 August 2022, the DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH has reduced the object protection zones around its omnidirectional radio beacons. This represents further potential space for wind farms in Germany – an important contribution to the energy transition. PTB developed the key aspects within the scope of the research project WERAN (“interaction between wind turbines and terrestrial...

In an increasingly digitalized world, quality assurance must also be redefined because it is the foundation of the digital and green transformation of industry. Within the scope of the QI Digital Initiative, which was established by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK), core stakeholders of Germany’s quality infrastructure (QI) have joined interested parties from industry...

The aim in an international research project called AQuRA (Advanced Quantum Clock for Real-World Application) is to build an optical atomic clock that is based on neutral atoms and is both accurate and robust within 3.5 years. With this clock, using complicated laboratory setups or relying on atomic clock specialists will be a thing of the past for everyday practical applications, such as when...

In many areas of metrology, quantum sensors with cold, neutral atoms have been shifting the limits of what can actually be measured. The core piece of these setups is a magneto-optical trap for trapping and cooling down atoms by means of lasers. If the results of current research programs are to be utilized and marketed for applications, the setups have to become more compact and more robust. This...

Due to the increasing number of industrial ultrasound devices, the airborne ultrasound exposure of employees needs to be measured more and more often. The high-frequency personal ultrasound exposimeter developed at PTB is the first device of this kind that can be worn directly by the person to be monitored and can determine the individual ultrasound exposure of this person.

Within the scope of the new definition of the kilogram – the SI unit of mass –, a procedure for manufacturing nearly perfectly round silicon spheres was developed at PTB. The form errors of these spheres only range from approx. 10 nm to 100 nm, and the spheres must be polished for several weeks. During this period, their form and roughness must be checked on a daily basis. A novel measuring device...

Elections are the basis of a democratic society. In times of crises such as pandemics, war, and other catastrophes, casting a ballot at a polling place may not be possible. Electronic voting (e-voting) presents a solution to this challenge. PTB has developed an approach based on blockchain technology that allows voters to change their vote right up to the election deadline while ensuring that the...

Quantum Hall resistors made of graphene as primary impedance standards were optimized for AC voltage applications in a European metrology research project. They can now be operated with considerably less effort. This means that a larger number of metrology institutes and – beyond that – industrial calibration laboratories are now able to realize the units of resistance, capacitance and inductance.

Hydrogen chloride gas (HCl) occurs as an impurity in biogas/biomethane, stack emissions from combustion processes and in the air of clean rooms and is harmful to health. In particular for legally prescribed measurements, SI traceability has been a problem to this day. The first spectroscopic HCl primary standard worldwide has now been developed and metrologically validated at PTB.

A town called Dorsten and located in the northern part of the Ruhr area is now home to a new high-pressure calibration facility for gas meters. Closed Loop Pigsar is the largest facility of its kind in Germany. It enables testing in a closed circuit and provides enhanced measurement capabilities. This facility is traceable to the national high-pressure cubic meter. The first tests for customers...

Laser interferometers are frequently used for high-precision length measurements on objects having structures in the nanometer range. If precision requirements are high, even slight changes of the refractive index of air have a negative impact. A measurement in vacuum would prevent this impact but is not possible for all measurement objects. Together with the Institut für Mikroelektronik- und...

In trapped-ion quantum computers, light particles (photons) serve to read out the information stored in the ion qubits. Conventional ion traps are equipped with electrodes for generating the trap potential and with separate components for photon detection. With this novel PTB concept, these two components are being combined into an integrated unit for the first time. (Technology Offer 532)

The use of gas sensors and their calibration has become increasingly important for the monitoring of facilities and for health protection. For example, CO₂ sensors are used for monitoring air quality in order to prevent virus transmission. To calibrate these sensors, test gas mixtures are required where the ratio of the relevant component can be dynamically adjusted, especially in the range from...

The federal state of Lower Saxony is promoting the development of an enduring and effective structure to support the founding of deep tech companies in the field of quantum technologies in a program called “High Tech Incubator”. The program is supported by the Quantum Technology Competence Center of PTB together with partner universities from Hannover (Leibniz University) and Braunschweig...

The existing optical fiber link for time and frequency transmission between PTB and Leibniz University Hannover is being upgraded to a test link for quantum communication. The project InterSync, which is receiving 1.5 million euros in funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), is establishing a tap-proof data link between the two facilities which are more than 70 km apart. A team of...

Up to 15 million euros in federal funding will be invested in Lower Saxony’s quantum technology in the coming three years. Special labs called “QVLS-iLabs-Labore” are to link the field of research to industry. The developers from the TU Braunschweig, Leibniz University Hannover and PTB intend to put a quantum computer into operation by 2025.

The Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS) of the TU Braunschweig as well as PTB in Braunschweig have been officially collaborating since 1 June 2022. The objective requirements – units, limiting values and measurement methods – which are valid throughout the world for so-called “biologics” (biopharmaceuticals) are to be researched. This work is useful for cholesterol...

In many areas of metrology, quantum sensors with cold, neutral atoms have been shifting the limits of what can actually be measured. The core piece of these setups is a magneto-optical trap for trapping and cooling down atoms by means of lasers. If the results of current research programs are to be utilized and marketed for applications, the setups have to become more compact and more robust. This...

Due to the increasing number of industrial ultrasound devices, the airborne ultrasound exposure of employees needs to be measured more and more often. The high-frequency personal ultrasound exposimeter developed at PTB is the first device of this kind that can be worn directly by the person to be monitored and can determine the individual ultrasound exposure of this person.

Within the scope of the new definition of the kilogram – the SI unit of mass –, a procedure for manufacturing nearly perfectly round silicon spheres was developed at PTB. The form errors of these spheres only range from approx. 10 nm to 100 nm, and the spheres must be polished for several weeks. During this period, their form and roughness must be checked on a daily basis. A novel measuring device...

Elections are the basis of a democratic society. In times of crises such as pandemics, war, and other catastrophes, casting a ballot at a polling place may not be possible. Electronic voting (e-voting) presents a solution to this challenge. PTB has developed an approach based on blockchain technology that allows voters to change their vote right up to the election deadline while ensuring that the...

Quantum Hall resistors made of graphene as primary impedance standards were optimized for AC voltage applications in a European metrology research project. They can now be operated with considerably less effort. This means that a larger number of metrology institutes and – beyond that – industrial calibration laboratories are now able to realize the units of resistance, capacitance and inductance.

Hydrogen chloride gas (HCl) occurs as an impurity in biogas/biomethane, stack emissions from combustion processes and in the air of clean rooms and is harmful to health. In particular for legally prescribed measurements, SI traceability has been a problem to this day. The first spectroscopic HCl primary standard worldwide has now been developed and metrologically validated at PTB.

A town called Dorsten and located in the northern part of the Ruhr area is now home to a new high-pressure calibration facility for gas meters. Closed Loop Pigsar is the largest facility of its kind in Germany. It enables testing in a closed circuit and provides enhanced measurement capabilities. This facility is traceable to the national high-pressure cubic meter. The first tests for customers...

Laser interferometers are frequently used for high-precision length measurements on objects having structures in the nanometer range. If precision requirements are high, even slight changes of the refractive index of air have a negative impact. A measurement in vacuum would prevent this impact but is not possible for all measurement objects. Together with the Institut für Mikroelektronik- und...

In trapped-ion quantum computers, light particles (photons) serve to read out the information stored in the ion qubits. Conventional ion traps are equipped with electrodes for generating the trap potential and with separate components for photon detection. With this novel PTB concept, these two components are being combined into an integrated unit for the first time. (Technology Offer 532)

The use of gas sensors and their calibration has become increasingly important for the monitoring of facilities and for health protection. For example, CO₂ sensors are used for monitoring air quality in order to prevent virus transmission. To calibrate these sensors, test gas mixtures are required where the ratio of the relevant component can be dynamically adjusted, especially in the range from...

The federal state of Lower Saxony is promoting the development of an enduring and effective structure to support the founding of deep tech companies in the field of quantum technologies in a program called “High Tech Incubator”. The program is supported by the Quantum Technology Competence Center of PTB together with partner universities from Hannover (Leibniz University) and Braunschweig...

The existing optical fiber link for time and frequency transmission between PTB and Leibniz University Hannover is being upgraded to a test link for quantum communication. The project InterSync, which is receiving 1.5 million euros in funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), is establishing a tap-proof data link between the two facilities which are more than 70 km apart. A team of...

Up to 15 million euros in federal funding will be invested in Lower Saxony’s quantum technology in the coming three years. Special labs called “QVLS-iLabs-Labore” are to link the field of research to industry. The developers from the TU Braunschweig, Leibniz University Hannover and PTB intend to put a quantum computer into operation by 2025.

The Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS) of the TU Braunschweig as well as PTB in Braunschweig have been officially collaborating since 1 June 2022. The objective requirements – units, limiting values and measurement methods – which are valid throughout the world for so-called “biologics” (biopharmaceuticals) are to be researched. This work is useful for cholesterol...

In the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to the use of photon momenta in metrology, mainly in the field of radiometry, but also in force and mass measurement. This is due to the fact that photons behave like particles. When they collide with matter, the resulting momentum transfer can be used for measuring optical power or, vice versa, for generating a small force. This method of...

At PTB, optical thin-film materials for extreme ultraviolet lithography are systematically investigated at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. The optical constants (i.e., the refractive index and the extinction coefficient) have now been determined in the wavelength range between 10 nm and 20 nm with small uncertainties based on reflection measurements performed with synchrotron radiation.

Which UV-C air purifier is effective against coronaviruses? Under which conditions? Are these devices safe to use? A publication developed by the DIN institute in collaboration with PTB ensures more safety for manufacturers, potential users and planners. Particular attention is paid to the safety of these devices, especially as concerns their use in schools or daycare facilities.

In conventional gear and screw thread metrology, measurements for evaluating the quality of components are performed only pointwise or linewise in selected transverse and axial sections, respectively. In light of tighter manufacturing tolerances and new challenges brought on by modern production processes, this procedure is not sufficient. At PTB, a universal procedure has been developed to...

The highly accurate form measurement of optical aspheres and free-form surfaces represents a great challenge in metrology. A new method uses artificial intelligence (AI) – i.e., deep neural networks – to reconstruct optical surfaces from the measurement data of a tilted-wave interferometer. In addition, this method quantifies the uncertainty of the prediction.

Due to their higher reference frequency, optical clocks enable measurements that are even more accurate than those of conventional atomic clocks. Until now, however, optical clocks could only be operated by experts in special laboratories. Within the scope of Opticlock, an industry-led pilot project for quantum technologies, a demonstrator of an optical clock has been built. This demonstrator...

German government planning foresees the installation of one million public charging stations for electric vehicles in Germany by 2030. Whereas the correct metering and billing of fuel is reliable and a matter of course at conventional filling stations, the measurement technology used in particular for fast charging stations is still new and constantly being improved. A mobile measuring system...

The ability to measure even the smallest grip forces, in particular for the nondestructive handling and manipulation of highly sensitive materials such as biological cells, is indispensable in medical research and the pharmaceutical industry.

A novel procedure for determining surface topographies includes an interferometer as its core element.

In biomedical research and clinical care, it is becoming ever more important to detect biomarkers (pathogenic proteins and cells) quantitatively in order to understand systemic processes or to make decisions as regards diagnostics and therapy.

The new Walther Meissner Building was officially dedicated at PTB’s site in Berlin-Charlottenburg on 22 April 2022. Work will be carried out on quantum and cryosensors, cryo- and primary thermometry and photonic pressure measurements in this research building. One focus is the development, manufacturing and application of PTB’s world leading highly sensitive superconducting quantum interference...

An initiative called “Calidena” (a blend of the Spanish words “calidad”, quality, and “cadena”, chain) is supporting developing countries and countries in transition in improving their quality infrastructure – especially in the agrarian sector – for 18 months. Through its participative approach, this initiative which was launched at PTB brings together producers, buyers, trade chambers, government...

The nationwide joint project titled QSolid intends to develop a collaboration platform for a quantum computer based on superconducting circuits within the next five years. It is also planned that a demonstrator system will be set up within this context. For this project, PTB’s work will include developing particularly low-noise, next-generation superconducting and methods to improve the control...

Over the next seven years, the EU will provide 300 million euros in funding for a new metrology research program called the “European Partnership on Metrology”. The Member States will contribute at least the same amount. EURAMET e.V. is implementing the program and has already launched a call so that selected projects can start as of mid-2022. As the national metrology institute of Germany, PTB...

The former President of PTB, Prof. Dr. Joachim Ullrich, passed the baton to Prof. Dr. Cornelia Denz on 1 May 2022. She is the first female president in PTB’s more than 135-year history. Before taking on this post, Cornelia Denz headed the Institute of Applied Physics at the Westfälische Wilhelms- Universität Münster for seven years. Because she has been a member of the “Kuratorium” (Advisory...

In the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to the use of photon momenta in metrology, mainly in the field of radiometry, but also in force and mass measurement. This is due to the fact that photons behave like particles. When they collide with matter, the resulting momentum transfer can be used for measuring optical power or, vice versa, for generating a small force. This method of...

At PTB, optical thin-film materials for extreme ultraviolet lithography are systematically investigated at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. The optical constants (i.e., the refractive index and the extinction coefficient) have now been determined in the wavelength range between 10 nm and 20 nm with small uncertainties based on reflection measurements performed with synchrotron radiation.

Which UV-C air purifier is effective against coronaviruses? Under which conditions? Are these devices safe to use? A publication developed by the DIN institute in collaboration with PTB ensures more safety for manufacturers, potential users and planners. Particular attention is paid to the safety of these devices, especially as concerns their use in schools or daycare facilities.

In conventional gear and screw thread metrology, measurements for evaluating the quality of components are performed only pointwise or linewise in selected transverse and axial sections, respectively. In light of tighter manufacturing tolerances and new challenges brought on by modern production processes, this procedure is not sufficient. At PTB, a universal procedure has been developed to...

The highly accurate form measurement of optical aspheres and free-form surfaces represents a great challenge in metrology. A new method uses artificial intelligence (AI) – i.e., deep neural networks – to reconstruct optical surfaces from the measurement data of a tilted-wave interferometer. In addition, this method quantifies the uncertainty of the prediction.

Due to their higher reference frequency, optical clocks enable measurements that are even more accurate than those of conventional atomic clocks. Until now, however, optical clocks could only be operated by experts in special laboratories. Within the scope of Opticlock, an industry-led pilot project for quantum technologies, a demonstrator of an optical clock has been built. This demonstrator...

German government planning foresees the installation of one million public charging stations for electric vehicles in Germany by 2030. Whereas the correct metering and billing of fuel is reliable and a matter of course at conventional filling stations, the measurement technology used in particular for fast charging stations is still new and constantly being improved. A mobile measuring system...

The ability to measure even the smallest grip forces, in particular for the nondestructive handling and manipulation of highly sensitive materials such as biological cells, is indispensable in medical research and the pharmaceutical industry.

A novel procedure for determining surface topographies includes an interferometer as its core element.

The former President of PTB, Prof. Dr. Joachim Ullrich, passed the baton to Prof. Dr. Cornelia Denz on 1 May 2022. She is the first female president in PTB’s more than 135-year history. Before taking on this post, Cornelia Denz headed the Institute of Applied Physics at the Westfälische Wilhelms- Universität Münster for seven years. Because she has been a member of the “Kuratorium” (Advisory...

Over the next seven years, the EU will provide 300 million euros in funding for a new metrology research program called the “European Partnership on Metrology”. The Member States will contribute at least the same amount. EURAMET e.V. is implementing the program and has already launched a call so that selected projects can start as of mid-2022. As the national metrology institute of Germany, PTB...

In biomedical research and clinical care, it is becoming ever more important to detect biomarkers (pathogenic proteins and cells) quantitatively in order to understand systemic processes or to make decisions as regards diagnostics and therapy.

The nationwide joint project titled QSolid intends to develop a collaboration platform for a quantum computer based on superconducting circuits within the next five years. It is also planned that a demonstrator system will be set up within this context. For this project, PTB’s work will include developing particularly low-noise, next-generation superconducting and methods to improve the control...

An initiative called “Calidena” (a blend of the Spanish words “calidad”, quality, and “cadena”, chain) is supporting developing countries and countries in transition in improving their quality infrastructure – especially in the agrarian sector – for 18 months. Through its participative approach, this initiative which was launched at PTB brings together producers, buyers, trade chambers, government...

The new Walther Meissner Building was officially dedicated at PTB’s site in Berlin-Charlottenburg on 22 April 2022. Work will be carried out on quantum and cryosensors, cryo- and primary thermometry and photonic pressure measurements in this research building. One focus is the development, manufacturing and application of PTB’s world leading highly sensitive superconducting quantum interference...

Laser excitation in plasmas may enable compact particle accelerators to be realized in the near future. Such accelerators are an alternative to current accelerator facilities that often extend over kilometers. A diagnostic procedure has therefore been developed at the Metrology Light Source. It can be applied to the geometric beam parameters of the electron bunches needed for this purpose.

In patients with a heart condition, magnetic resonance imaging allows parameters such as the pumping capacity of the heart to be determined. This method, however, has a disadvantage: data acquisition is time-consuming. At PTB, a physical model was combined with a neural network to develop a procedure that requires only a small amount of measurement data (and thus only a short measuring time) to...

A new method to cool protons by means of laser-cooled ions – in this case, beryllium ions – has been successfully implemented for the first time worldwide. What is new about this method is that the cooling power can now be transmitted via a resonant electric circuit, covering an enhanced distance of 9 cm from one trap to the other. In this way, the proton in one of the traps can be cooled down to...

With its interactive software that can be used to correct measured ultrasound signals, PTB is intending to make its signal deconvolution procedure available to a larger group of users and thus to make a contribution to quality assurance in ultrasound metrology. This open-source software program is available free of charge and can be adapted to individual requirements.

A classical measurement system for measuring magnetic field distributions, which vary spatially on the nanometer scale, was calibrated by means of an atomic quantum sensor for the first time. This new calibration procedure does not depend on simplifying model assumptions and allows more reliable measurements of magnetic field distributions with high spatial resolution.

Nanoparticles can be used, for example, to deliver vaccines or drugs deep into the human body to precisely where they are needed. To determine the dose, it is essential to acquire the most accurate information possible on the concentration of these minute particles. A very accurate and fast analytical system measures particle sizes stretching from nanoparticles of approx. 40 nm to microparticles...

The measurement responses of optical measuring devices to surface topography can be described by the instrument transfer function (ITF). At PTB, a novel material measure has been developed to characterize two-dimensional instrument transfer functions (2D-ITF) of optical measuring instruments. This material measure is flexible and easy to use. Moreover, it shows high reproducibility and robustness.

Magnetic scales are used in various technological areas to measure positions and angles. PTB’s invention allows magnetic scales for precision positioning to be manufactured fast and at low cost. This novel procedure mainly consists in patterning the magnetic film defining the scale by means of a laser. Structure sizes in the micrometer range and sharp transitions between the magnetic domains allow...

An innovative concept for improving the sensitivity of a quantum sensor for velocity measurement has made versatile applications in the aerospace industry possible. The new procedure allows high velocities to be recorded quickly with high accuracy and in a large dynamic range. For this purpose, a conventional Doppler measurement is complemented by an additional element of a rubidium cell, and the...

At many workplaces, the prevailing sound exposure is caused by sound in the high-frequency audible range or even by ultrasound. It has to be possible to detect noise exposure with a small measurement uncertainty even in this frequency range. PTB’s concept of a mobile high-frequency personal sound exposure meter is suited to measuring a large number of quantities that are typical of the audible...

The new European Metrology Network (EMN) for Radiation Protection was launched on 16 September 2021. The expertise of 16 metrology institutes, two national radiation protection institutes and one European radiation protection organization which are now members is gathered here under the umbrella of EURAMET.

(Contact: Annette Röttger, +49 531 592-6010, annette.roettger(at)ptb.de)

An additional new European Metrology Network (EMN), also under the umbrella of EURAMET, took up work at the beginning of October 2021. Here, 14 metrology organizations which are currently members are working on utilizing the full potential of advanced manufacturing with the aid of improved measuring technologies. (Contact: Harald Bosse, +49 531 592-5010, harald.bosse(at)ptb.de)

In the new joint project “ATIQ – Quantencomputer mit gespeicherten Ionen für Anwendungen” (quantum computers with stored ions for applications), 25 partners are aiming to develop the first generation of reliable and user-friendly quantum computer demonstrators with around-the-clock availability on the basis of ion trap technology within 30 months. To achieve this, the leading ion trap research...

For PTB, the long-wave transmitter DCF77 is still the most important medium for the dissemination of legal time in Germany. Millions of radio-controlled clocks throughout Europe receive the time signals that are broadcast at 77.5 kHz. PTB’s contract with the company Media Broadcast GmbH for it to operate the transmitter has just been extended to 2031. Due to continuous modernization of the...

Laser excitation in plasmas may enable compact particle accelerators to be realized in the near future. Such accelerators are an alternative to current accelerator facilities that often extend over kilometers. A diagnostic procedure has therefore been developed at the Metrology Light Source. It can be applied to the geometric beam parameters of the electron bunches needed for this purpose.

In patients with a heart condition, magnetic resonance imaging allows parameters such as the pumping capacity of the heart to be determined. This method, however, has a disadvantage: data acquisition is time-consuming. At PTB, a physical model was combined with a neural network to develop a procedure that requires only a small amount of measurement data (and thus only a short measuring time) to...

A new method to cool protons by means of laser-cooled ions – in this case, beryllium ions – has been successfully implemented for the first time worldwide. What is new about this method is that the cooling power can now be transmitted via a resonant electric circuit, covering an enhanced distance of 9 cm from one trap to the other. In this way, the proton in one of the traps can be cooled down to...

With its interactive software that can be used to correct measured ultrasound signals, PTB is intending to make its signal deconvolution procedure available to a larger group of users and thus to make a contribution to quality assurance in ultrasound metrology. This open-source software program is available free of charge and can be adapted to individual requirements.

A classical measurement system for measuring magnetic field distributions, which vary spatially on the nanometer scale, was calibrated by means of an atomic quantum sensor for the first time. This new calibration procedure does not depend on simplifying model assumptions and allows more reliable measurements of magnetic field distributions with high spatial resolution.

Nanoparticles can be used, for example, to deliver vaccines or drugs deep into the human body to precisely where they are needed. To determine the dose, it is essential to acquire the most accurate information possible on the concentration of these minute particles. A very accurate and fast analytical system measures particle sizes stretching from nanoparticles of approx. 40 nm to microparticles...

The measurement responses of optical measuring devices to surface topography can be described by the instrument transfer function (ITF). At PTB, a novel material measure has been developed to characterize two-dimensional instrument transfer functions (2D-ITF) of optical measuring instruments. This material measure is flexible and easy to use. Moreover, it shows high reproducibility and robustness.

Magnetic scales are used in various technological areas to measure positions and angles. PTB’s invention allows magnetic scales for precision positioning to be manufactured fast and at low cost. This novel procedure mainly consists in patterning the magnetic film defining the scale by means of a laser. Structure sizes in the micrometer range and sharp transitions between the magnetic domains allow...

An innovative concept for improving the sensitivity of a quantum sensor for velocity measurement has made versatile applications in the aerospace industry possible. The new procedure allows high velocities to be recorded quickly with high accuracy and in a large dynamic range. For this purpose, a conventional Doppler measurement is complemented by an additional element of a rubidium cell, and the...

At many workplaces, the prevailing sound exposure is caused by sound in the high-frequency audible range or even by ultrasound. It has to be possible to detect noise exposure with a small measurement uncertainty even in this frequency range. PTB’s concept of a mobile high-frequency personal sound exposure meter is suited to measuring a large number of quantities that are typical of the audible...

The new European Metrology Network (EMN) for Radiation Protection was launched on 16 September 2021. The expertise of 16 metrology institutes, two national radiation protection institutes and one European radiation protection organization which are now members is gathered here under the umbrella of EURAMET.

(Contact: Annette Röttger, +49 531 592-6010, annette.roettger(at)ptb.de)

An additional new European Metrology Network (EMN), also under the umbrella of EURAMET, took up work at the beginning of October 2021. Here, 14 metrology organizations which are currently members are working on utilizing the full potential of advanced manufacturing with the aid of improved measuring technologies. (Contact: Harald Bosse, +49 531 592-5010, harald.bosse(at)ptb.de)

In the new joint project “ATIQ – Quantencomputer mit gespeicherten Ionen für Anwendungen” (quantum computers with stored ions for applications), 25 partners are aiming to develop the first generation of reliable and user-friendly quantum computer demonstrators with around-the-clock availability on the basis of ion trap technology within 30 months. To achieve this, the leading ion trap research...

For PTB, the long-wave transmitter DCF77 is still the most important medium for the dissemination of legal time in Germany. Millions of radio-controlled clocks throughout Europe receive the time signals that are broadcast at 77.5 kHz. PTB’s contract with the company Media Broadcast GmbH for it to operate the transmitter has just been extended to 2031. Due to continuous modernization of the...

Our brains process information via slow and fast brain currents. Up to now, it has been necessary to introduce electrodes into the brain to examine the latter. Within a cooperation between PTB and the Charité, these fast brain signals have been made visible from the outside for the first time – and a surprising variability has been observed. The measurements of these extremely small magnetic...

Internally, antiferromagnetic materials are magnetic, but the order of their microscopic moments changes directions between individual elementary magnets. This is why there is no net magnetic moment. The magnetic state of an antiferromagnet has now become measurable using magneto-Seebeck microscopy. This magnetic state can be used in applications such as spintronics.

At PTB, absolute length measurements on a single-crystal silicon gauge block have been performed using imaging interferometry. These measurements have a smaller measurement uncertainty than all previous measurements. They provide more accurate values for the CODATA reference data and are valuable for a new secondary realization of the meter.

In collaboration with an industrial partner, PTB has developed and assessed a very compact wavelength standard. This standard is based on a diode laser whose frequency is stabilized to transitions of the iodine molecule. In the future, this type of lasers could replace power-intensive and bulky helium-neon lasers as a wavelength standard for interferometric length measurement.

Manipulating individual electrons with the goal of employing quantum effects promises qualitatively new applications in electronics. However, these single-electron circuits, which are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, exhibit statistical deviations from error-free operation. This results in a fundamental uncertainty that is essential to understand and to quantify for further developments....

Ultrashort pulse lasers in which an individual pulse only lasts a few picoseconds are increasingly being used in materials processing. Since these devices may generate undesired X-rays, the German Radiation Protection Act has made them subject to prior authorization since 20 May 2021. PTB has contributed to this legal amendment by performing exhaustive radiation protection measurements on its new...

At present, lithium-sulfur batteries cannot reach their theoretical maximum capacity and lifetime. According to time-resolved, species sensitive and traceable measurements performed for sulfur at the BESSY II synchrotron radiation source, the accumulation of polysulfides at the anode could be the main reason for these shortcomings.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing the MIQRO joint project with 15.8 million euros in funding. In this project, a quantum computer is to be developed which is based on high-frequency-controlled ions. In addition to PTB, Leibniz University Hannover, the University of Siegen, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and the QUARTIQ and eleQtron companies are also...

The hydrogen innovation laboratory called “Nachhaltige Verbrennungskonzepte” (sustainable combustion concepts) has been launched. The project is entering its threeyear implementation phase with funding provided by Lower Saxony’s Ministry of Science and Culture totaling 1.2 million euros. PTB is participating alongside Leibniz University Hannover, TU Braunschweig, TU Clausthal and Jade University...

UDO, PTB’s underground laboratory, has now been in existence for 30 years. As it has one of the lowest radiation levels in the world, it offers optimum conditions for environmental radioactivity monitoring and, thus, also indirectly has optimum conditions for the observation of climate change and its parameters by means of the radon tracer method. Originally, the laboratory was set up in the Asse...

Our brains process information via slow and fast brain currents. Up to now, it has been necessary to introduce electrodes into the brain to examine the latter. Within a cooperation between PTB and the Charité, these fast brain signals have been made visible from the outside for the first time – and a surprising variability has been observed. The measurements of these extremely small magnetic...

Internally, antiferromagnetic materials are magnetic, but the order of their microscopic moments changes directions between individual elementary magnets. This is why there is no net magnetic moment. The magnetic state of an antiferromagnet has now become measurable using magneto-Seebeck microscopy. This magnetic state can be used in applications such as spintronics.

At PTB, absolute length measurements on a single-crystal silicon gauge block have been performed using imaging interferometry. These measurements have a smaller measurement uncertainty than all previous measurements. They provide more accurate values for the CODATA reference data and are valuable for a new secondary realization of the meter.

In collaboration with an industrial partner, PTB has developed and assessed a very compact wavelength standard. This standard is based on a diode laser whose frequency is stabilized to transitions of the iodine molecule. In the future, this type of lasers could replace power-intensive and bulky helium-neon lasers as a wavelength standard for interferometric length measurement.

Manipulating individual electrons with the goal of employing quantum effects promises qualitatively new applications in electronics. However, these single-electron circuits, which are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, exhibit statistical deviations from error-free operation. This results in a fundamental uncertainty that is essential to understand and to quantify for further developments....

Ultrashort pulse lasers in which an individual pulse only lasts a few picoseconds are increasingly being used in materials processing. Since these devices may generate undesired X-rays, the German Radiation Protection Act has made them subject to prior authorization since 20 May 2021. PTB has contributed to this legal amendment by performing exhaustive radiation protection measurements on its new...

At present, lithium-sulfur batteries cannot reach their theoretical maximum capacity and lifetime. According to time-resolved, species sensitive and traceable measurements performed for sulfur at the BESSY II synchrotron radiation source, the accumulation of polysulfides at the anode could be the main reason for these shortcomings.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing the MIQRO joint project with 15.8 million euros in funding. In this project, a quantum computer is to be developed which is based on high-frequency-controlled ions. In addition to PTB, Leibniz University Hannover, the University of Siegen, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and the QUARTIQ and eleQtron companies are also...

The hydrogen innovation laboratory called “Nachhaltige Verbrennungskonzepte” (sustainable combustion concepts) has been launched. The project is entering its threeyear implementation phase with funding provided by Lower Saxony’s Ministry of Science and Culture totaling 1.2 million euros. PTB is participating alongside Leibniz University Hannover, TU Braunschweig, TU Clausthal and Jade University...

UDO, PTB’s underground laboratory, has now been in existence for 30 years. As it has one of the lowest radiation levels in the world, it offers optimum conditions for environmental radioactivity monitoring and, thus, also indirectly has optimum conditions for the observation of climate change and its parameters by means of the radon tracer method. Originally, the laboratory was set up in the Asse...

The new “Quantum Valley Lower Saxony” research alliance has set itself the goal of developing a quantum computer within a period of five years. The German federal state of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation are providing 25 million euros of funding for this alliance, which pools excellent research projects and research capabilities in Lower Saxony. This initiative aims to exploit the...

A novel ionization vacuum gauge offers a solution for the stability of commercially available devices that has been insufficient so far and enables predictable sensitivities. This is made possible by leading the electrons on a straight path through the ionization space.

How can you superimpose light beams in such a way that they propagate spatially in the same direction as perfectly as possible while maintaining important properties such as polarization and spatial coherence? In a systematic investigation of several commercially available optical waveguides, auxiliary means that help master this demanding challenge has been found. This method enables technologies...

PTB has developed a measuring instrument that can already characterize the magnetic properties of magnetic nanoparticles reliably during their synthesis. The demonstrator developed within the scope of PTB’s technology transfer program titled TransMeT has now undergone its first functional testing. With this device, it is planned to support the manufacturing of new reference materials for magnetic...

PTB offers users from industry a new service. It can now validate whether measurement data that are transmitted within IoT networks comply with essential metrological requirements. For this purpose, PTB’s TraCIM service, which has already been established for many years, has been enhanced.

Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizers (JAWS) allow quantized AC voltages to be synthesized with arbitrary and spectrally pure waveforms. At PTB, a pulse-driven Josephson standard for the generation of AC voltages with series arrays has been realized. These arrays are based on stacks of up to five Josephson junctions. This new technology has allowed the integration density of the circuits – and...

A natural constant should always have the same value, regardless of when or where it has been determined. Einstein’s famous general theory of relativity exploits this fundamental assumption, which is known as local position invariance (LPI). The validity of this assumption has now been confirmed by means of a comparison of optical ytterbium clocks at PTB with an accuracy increased by a factor of...

Die Rasterkraftmikroskopie steht vor der Herausforderung, dreidimensionale Strukturen schnell und präzise zu messen. Diese schnelle Inspektion auf größere Flächen auszudehnen ist Ziel eines neuen hybriden Messsystems. 

Ein neues Konzept aus der PTB für die additive Fertigung (auch 3D-Druck genannt) beschreibt eine zeitsparende, präzise Erzeugung von Bauteilen, die gezielt mit magnetischen Nanopartikeln als Zusatzstoffen angereichert sind. 

The master’s thesis by Felix Witt was awarded the Karl-Doetsch-Nachwuchspreis (an award for junior scientists) from the Aeronautics Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFL). Within the scope of a cooperation project between the Institute of Flight Guidance (IFF) of the TU Braunschweig and PTB᾽s Department 3.4, Analytical Chemistry of the Gas Phase, he developed a very rapid hygrometer for the absolute,...

In der industriellen Fertigung werden häufig Markerstrukturen genutzt, um die relative Lage zweier Objekte zueinander zu ermitteln. Eine neue Messmethode der PTB hat durch die Kombination von optischem Imaging und Scatterometrie eine Auflösung der räumlichen Überlagerung von unter 1 nm erreicht und ist dabei besonders schnell. 

PTB and the company Salzgitter Flachstahl have concluded a cooperation agreement to test hydrogen volume measurement technology which is already available and to develop measurement procedures further. PTB will use a measurement section at the Salzgitter Flachstahl site to test measurement devices under real conditions. The experiments supplement PTB’s research activities related to the...

A new research project called MELANI is investigating how several tenants in an apartment building could share a photovoltaic system and a storage battery. The Naturstrom and SMA Solar Technology AG companies as well as the elenia Institute for High Voltage Technology and Power Systems of the TU Braunschweig and PTB are participating in the project which is being funded with 2.3 million euros by...

The International Cooperation Group of PTB is helping its partner countries during the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen their quality infrastructure, for example in the certification of protective clothing for medical use, in the calibration of infrared thermometers or in testing ventilators. In an interdisciplinary task force, experts are working on optimizing virtual work processes so that PTB’s...

In a three-year research project that started in October 2020, the departmental research institutes of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) are having their pasts during the national socialist (Nazi) period and the post-war era examined. PTB as well as the BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources...

In an administrative agreement, PTB and the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) have reformed the deployment of PTB staff as assessors to the DAkkS. This reform ensures that assessors will continue to be independent and impartial even in changing conditions, for example due to the Data Security Regulation or the revision of DIN EN ISO/IEC 17011 and DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.

(Contact: Michael Wolf, +49...

In a new cross-institutional working group called “Advanced Materials” under the leadership of the Bundesanstalt für Risikobewertung (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, BfR), an expert committee which includes experts from PTB will assess the potential health and environmental risks of advanced materials. The committee is intended to shed light on the future handling of advanced materials, new...

The new “Quantum Valley Lower Saxony” research alliance has set itself the goal of developing a quantum computer within a period of five years. The German federal state of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation are providing 25 million euros of funding for this alliance, which pools excellent research projects and research capabilities in Lower Saxony. This initiative aims to exploit the...

A novel ionization vacuum gauge offers a solution for the stability of commercially available devices that has been insufficient so far and enables predictable sensitivities. This is made possible by leading the electrons on a straight path through the ionization space.

How can you superimpose light beams in such a way that they propagate spatially in the same direction as perfectly as possible while maintaining important properties such as polarization and spatial coherence? In a systematic investigation of several commercially available optical waveguides, auxiliary means that help master this demanding challenge has been found. This method enables technologies...

PTB has developed a measuring instrument that can already characterize the magnetic properties of magnetic nanoparticles reliably during their synthesis. The demonstrator developed within the scope of PTB’s technology transfer program titled TransMeT has now undergone its first functional testing. With this device, it is planned to support the manufacturing of new reference materials for magnetic...

PTB offers users from industry a new service. It can now validate whether measurement data that are transmitted within IoT networks comply with essential metrological requirements. For this purpose, PTB’s TraCIM service, which has already been established for many years, has been enhanced.

Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizers (JAWS) allow quantized AC voltages to be synthesized with arbitrary and spectrally pure waveforms. At PTB, a pulse-driven Josephson standard for the generation of AC voltages with series arrays has been realized. These arrays are based on stacks of up to five Josephson junctions. This new technology has allowed the integration density of the circuits – and...

A natural constant should always have the same value, regardless of when or where it has been determined. Einstein’s famous general theory of relativity exploits this fundamental assumption, which is known as local position invariance (LPI). The validity of this assumption has now been confirmed by means of a comparison of optical ytterbium clocks at PTB with an accuracy increased by a factor of...

Die Rasterkraftmikroskopie steht vor der Herausforderung, dreidimensionale Strukturen schnell und präzise zu messen. Diese schnelle Inspektion auf größere Flächen auszudehnen ist Ziel eines neuen hybriden Messsystems. 

Ein neues Konzept aus der PTB für die additive Fertigung (auch 3D-Druck genannt) beschreibt eine zeitsparende, präzise Erzeugung von Bauteilen, die gezielt mit magnetischen Nanopartikeln als Zusatzstoffen angereichert sind. 

In der industriellen Fertigung werden häufig Markerstrukturen genutzt, um die relative Lage zweier Objekte zueinander zu ermitteln. Eine neue Messmethode der PTB hat durch die Kombination von optischem Imaging und Scatterometrie eine Auflösung der räumlichen Überlagerung von unter 1 nm erreicht und ist dabei besonders schnell. 

The master’s thesis by Felix Witt was awarded the Karl-Doetsch-Nachwuchspreis (an award for junior scientists) from the Aeronautics Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFL). Within the scope of a cooperation project between the Institute of Flight Guidance (IFF) of the TU Braunschweig and PTB᾽s Department 3.4, Analytical Chemistry of the Gas Phase, he developed a very rapid hygrometer for the absolute,...

PTB and the company Salzgitter Flachstahl have concluded a cooperation agreement to test hydrogen volume measurement technology which is already available and to develop measurement procedures further. PTB will use a measurement section at the Salzgitter Flachstahl site to test measurement devices under real conditions. The experiments supplement PTB’s research activities related to the...

A new research project called MELANI is investigating how several tenants in an apartment building could share a photovoltaic system and a storage battery. The Naturstrom and SMA Solar Technology AG companies as well as the elenia Institute for High Voltage Technology and Power Systems of the TU Braunschweig and PTB are participating in the project which is being funded with 2.3 million euros by...

The International Cooperation Group of PTB is helping its partner countries during the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen their quality infrastructure, for example in the certification of protective clothing for medical use, in the calibration of infrared thermometers or in testing ventilators. In an interdisciplinary task force, experts are working on optimizing virtual work processes so that PTB’s...

In a three-year research project that started in October 2020, the departmental research institutes of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) are having their pasts during the national socialist (Nazi) period and the post-war era examined. PTB as well as the BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources...

In an administrative agreement, PTB and the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) have reformed the deployment of PTB staff as assessors to the DAkkS. This reform ensures that assessors will continue to be independent and impartial even in changing conditions, for example due to the Data Security Regulation or the revision of DIN EN ISO/IEC 17011 and DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.

(Contact: Michael Wolf, +49...

In a new cross-institutional working group called “Advanced Materials” under the leadership of the Bundesanstalt für Risikobewertung (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, BfR), an expert committee which includes experts from PTB will assess the potential health and environmental risks of advanced materials. The committee is intended to shed light on the future handling of advanced materials, new...

PTB has developed a new procedure for dimensional metrology. This procedure is suited to manufacture standards with deep grooves and sharp edges. 

Droplet digital PCR has been used in international comparison measurements to ensure the quality of SARSCoV- 2 tests for the first time. Hereby, this method proved particularly successful to quantify the RNA concentration.

Ball plates and hole plates are measurement standards typically used to ensure the traceability of coordinate measuring machines. To arrange the plates vertically, one single supporting stand is often used that is placed laterally to the standard. Numerical simulations based on the finite-element method that were performed at PTB have shown that such an arrangement no longer fulfills the ever...

In a cooperation project between PTB and TU Berlin, the experimentally observed turbulence formation in the novel class of active fluids was successfully described, and motion in such fluids was controlled.

Optical clocks such as the strontium lattice clock are used for the secondary realization of the SI unit second and are now being envisaged as potential candidates for the redefinition of the unit of time. To ensure a seamless transition, it is necessary to know the strontium transition frequency in the present system, which is determined by caesium atomic clocks. The two types of clocks were...

Emission spectra of radionuclides can be measured with metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs). An MMC spectrometer was set up at PTB which allows fundamental radionuclide data to be determined with previously unachieved accuracy. These data are of paramount importance as input quantities for certain activity determination methods for the unit becquerel to be disseminated with smaller uncertainties...

The growing number of infrasound sources in our environment is increasingly attracting society’s attention. Together with the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, PTB has investigated how humans perceive infrasound with their ears and whether the detection threshold of an infrasonic signal depends on whether it is composed of one or of several tones. This allows conclusions to be drawn as to...

Photodiodes for the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range are used in a large number of applications such as spectroscopy, imaging, flame detection, water treatment and biotechnologies. So far, loss processes have considerably limited their responsivity. A novel photodiode allowed the quantum efficiency to increase from roughly 80 % to more than 130 %.

A magneto-optical trap (MOT) aims to reliably capture and cool down atoms by means of laser light. 

The transfer from AC to DC voltage has so far been effected by means of thermal converters.

The project “Die rundesten Kugeln der Welt – der deutsche Mittelstand und die PTB Hand in Hand” (The roundest spheres in the world – German SMEs and PTB working hand in hand) was awarded the Seifriz Prize which is awarded to projects in all of Germany by the Technologietransfer Handwerk e.V. association in Baden-Württemberg. 

The Federal State of Lower Saxony, together with universities and research institutes in Lower Saxony, aims to develop a quantum computer in Germany by 2025.

In the GEMIMEG-II project, which is being funded with 12 million euros by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), 

PTB's close cooperation with ZEISS which has existed since 1998 is being extended until 2024.

The synchronization of clocks from connected computers and digital devices is a fundamental precondition for many distributed applications. The “Network Time Protocol” (NTP) which PTB also uses to disseminate “its” UTC(PTB) time is used especially often.

At the new Collaborative Research Center “TerraQ – Relativistic and Quantum-Based Geodesy” which is initially being funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with 9.6 million euros until 2024, about 60 scientists from the fields of geodesy and physics are developing fundamentally new measurement technology, sensors and analysis methods for measurements in space and on Earth.

Droplet digital PCR has been used in international comparison measurements to ensure the quality of SARSCoV- 2 tests for the first time. Hereby, this method proved particularly successful to quantify the RNA concentration.

Ball plates and hole plates are measurement standards typically used to ensure the traceability of coordinate measuring machines. To arrange the plates vertically, one single supporting stand is often used that is placed laterally to the standard. Numerical simulations based on the finite-element method that were performed at PTB have shown that such an arrangement no longer fulfills the ever...

In a cooperation project between PTB and TU Berlin, the experimentally observed turbulence formation in the novel class of active fluids was successfully described, and motion in such fluids was controlled.

Optical clocks such as the strontium lattice clock are used for the secondary realization of the SI unit second and are now being envisaged as potential candidates for the redefinition of the unit of time. To ensure a seamless transition, it is necessary to know the strontium transition frequency in the present system, which is determined by caesium atomic clocks. The two types of clocks were...

Emission spectra of radionuclides can be measured with metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs). An MMC spectrometer was set up at PTB which allows fundamental radionuclide data to be determined with previously unachieved accuracy. These data are of paramount importance as input quantities for certain activity determination methods for the unit becquerel to be disseminated with smaller uncertainties...

The growing number of infrasound sources in our environment is increasingly attracting society’s attention. Together with the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, PTB has investigated how humans perceive infrasound with their ears and whether the detection threshold of an infrasonic signal depends on whether it is composed of one or of several tones. This allows conclusions to be drawn as to...

Photodiodes for the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range are used in a large number of applications such as spectroscopy, imaging, flame detection, water treatment and biotechnologies. So far, loss processes have considerably limited their responsivity. A novel photodiode allowed the quantum efficiency to increase from roughly 80 % to more than 130 %.

PTB has developed a new procedure for dimensional metrology. This procedure is suited to manufacture standards with deep grooves and sharp edges. 

A magneto-optical trap (MOT) aims to reliably capture and cool down atoms by means of laser light. 

The transfer from AC to DC voltage has so far been effected by means of thermal converters.

The project “Die rundesten Kugeln der Welt – der deutsche Mittelstand und die PTB Hand in Hand” (The roundest spheres in the world – German SMEs and PTB working hand in hand) was awarded the Seifriz Prize which is awarded to projects in all of Germany by the Technologietransfer Handwerk e.V. association in Baden-Württemberg. 

The Federal State of Lower Saxony, together with universities and research institutes in Lower Saxony, aims to develop a quantum computer in Germany by 2025.

In the GEMIMEG-II project, which is being funded with 12 million euros by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), 

PTB's close cooperation with ZEISS which has existed since 1998 is being extended until 2024.

The synchronization of clocks from connected computers and digital devices is a fundamental precondition for many distributed applications. The “Network Time Protocol” (NTP) which PTB also uses to disseminate “its” UTC(PTB) time is used especially often.

At the new Collaborative Research Center “TerraQ – Relativistic and Quantum-Based Geodesy” which is initially being funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with 9.6 million euros until 2024, about 60 scientists from the fields of geodesy and physics are developing fundamentally new measurement technology, sensors and analysis methods for measurements in space and on Earth.

Within the scope of an international cooperation project, PTB is participating in the development of a low-cost MRI scanner whose technological details will all be published as open-source hardware (OSH). The first images recorded by means of such OSH-MRI scanners are now available.

Methods for the element-specific reconstruction of periodically nanostructured surfaces have been optimized at PTB. Such surfaces are used to manufacture ultra-modern integrated circuits. Measurements have shown that it is possible to characterize the spatial distribution of different atoms in nanostructures by analyzing X-ray fluorescence radiation.

The novel picoindenter ‘made at PTB’ uses the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as an indenter to characterize nanomaterials dimensionally and mechanically. This indenter has now been considerably enhanced: in the Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology (LENA), a focused ion beam was used to produce pyramidal Berkovich tips on AFM cantilevers which can also be used in the picoindenter....

Single-photon sources are so-called nonclassical light sources. In contrast to lasers or incandescent lamps, these sources emit light only as single quanta (photons). Applications of such sources are found in many areas of quantum technologies such as quantum-based imaging, quantum computing, quantum key distribution and quantum-enhanced optical measurements. Moreover, they are ideal for certain...

Within the scope of a European metrology research project, PTB is investigating the utilizability of novel quantum Hall resistance standards based on graphene for impedance metrology. The activities aim to develop quantum-based impedance bridges to simplify the calibration of electrical AC voltage quantities for practice-oriented, flexible and efficient use, e.g. in calibration laboratories or in...

A database developed at PTB provides more than 20 000 ECG images, machine-readable diagnostic findings and comments of cardiologists. This database was prepared primarily for the development of machine learning and is structured into training and test sections for comparability. The database, named PTB-XL, is publicly available at PhysioNet.

Emitter and receiver antennas of future communication systems in the millimeter wave band and terahertz frequency range have to be oriented exactly towards each other to be able to communicate with each other. A new concept elaborated by PTB plans to combine two very high frequency omnidirectional radio range beacons that are oriented orthogonally to each other and are similar to those used in...

PTB has developed a cost-efficient and very simple procedure to measure roll angles in high-precision translation stages in optical metrology and industrial production. This procedure is based on two single-mode fiber optics and a conventional image sensor and requires no further optics. The two ends of the fiber optics whose ends have a fixed position to each other are located on the object in...

Dr.-Ing. Prof. h.c. Frank Härtig ist neuer Vizepräsident der PTB. Er löst damit Hon.-Prof. Dr. Roman Schwartz ab, der das Amt sechs Jahre lang innehatte. 

A research association made up of Leibnitz Universität Hannover (LUH), TU Braunschweig, TU Clausthal, Jade Hochschule Wilhelmshaven and PTB has been receiving support from the Federal State of Lower Saxony since July 2020 initially for 15 months to set up an innovation laboratory for hydrogen technology. After a conceptual phase, the most successful innovation laboratories will be selected for a...

The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) is extending the Collaborative Research Center of the Leibniz Universität Hannover and PTB, “Designed Quantum States of Matter (DQ-mat) – generation, manipulation and detection for metrological applications and tests of fundamental physics”, for another four years with approximately 9.2 million euros in funding. (Contact: Piet...

A consortium of European National Metrology Institutes, the University of Bonn and highly specialized companies which shall be called “Clock Optical Network Services – Design Study” (CLONETS-DS) is to develop a design study for a future network for the distribution of high-precision optical frequencies and time signals starting on 1 October. The European Union will fund the project with 3 million...

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), PTB has been supporting the establishment of quality infrastructure in emerging and developing countries for about 60 years. In May 2020, BMZ and PTB ratified a new agreement which significantly expands PTB's task. The volume for establishing quality infrastructure in countries partnered with German...

Within the scope of an international cooperation project, PTB is participating in the development of a low-cost MRI scanner whose technological details will all be published as open-source hardware (OSH). The first images recorded by means of such OSH-MRI scanners are now available.

Methods for the element-specific reconstruction of periodically nanostructured surfaces have been optimized at PTB. Such surfaces are used to manufacture ultra-modern integrated circuits. Measurements have shown that it is possible to characterize the spatial distribution of different atoms in nanostructures by analyzing X-ray fluorescence radiation.

The novel picoindenter ‘made at PTB’ uses the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as an indenter to characterize nanomaterials dimensionally and mechanically. This indenter has now been considerably enhanced: in the Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology (LENA), a focused ion beam was used to produce pyramidal Berkovich tips on AFM cantilevers which can also be used in the picoindenter....

Single-photon sources are so-called nonclassical light sources. In contrast to lasers or incandescent lamps, these sources emit light only as single quanta (photons). Applications of such sources are found in many areas of quantum technologies such as quantum-based imaging, quantum computing, quantum key distribution and quantum-enhanced optical measurements. Moreover, they are ideal for certain...

Within the scope of a European metrology research project, PTB is investigating the utilizability of novel quantum Hall resistance standards based on graphene for impedance metrology. The activities aim to develop quantum-based impedance bridges to simplify the calibration of electrical AC voltage quantities for practice-oriented, flexible and efficient use, e.g. in calibration laboratories or in...

A database developed at PTB provides more than 20 000 ECG images, machine-readable diagnostic findings and comments of cardiologists. This database was prepared primarily for the development of machine learning and is structured into training and test sections for comparability. The database, named PTB-XL, is publicly available at PhysioNet.

Emitter and receiver antennas of future communication systems in the millimeter wave band and terahertz frequency range have to be oriented exactly towards each other to be able to communicate with each other. A new concept elaborated by PTB plans to combine two very high frequency omnidirectional radio range beacons that are oriented orthogonally to each other and are similar to those used in...

PTB has developed a cost-efficient and very simple procedure to measure roll angles in high-precision translation stages in optical metrology and industrial production. This procedure is based on two single-mode fiber optics and a conventional image sensor and requires no further optics. The two ends of the fiber optics whose ends have a fixed position to each other are located on the object in...

Dr.-Ing. Prof. h.c. Frank Härtig ist neuer Vizepräsident der PTB. Er löst damit Hon.-Prof. Dr. Roman Schwartz ab, der das Amt sechs Jahre lang innehatte. 

A research association made up of Leibnitz Universität Hannover (LUH), TU Braunschweig, TU Clausthal, Jade Hochschule Wilhelmshaven and PTB has been receiving support from the Federal State of Lower Saxony since July 2020 initially for 15 months to set up an innovation laboratory for hydrogen technology. After a conceptual phase, the most successful innovation laboratories will be selected for a...

The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) is extending the Collaborative Research Center of the Leibniz Universität Hannover and PTB, “Designed Quantum States of Matter (DQ-mat) – generation, manipulation and detection for metrological applications and tests of fundamental physics”, for another four years with approximately 9.2 million euros in funding. (Contact: Piet...

A consortium of European National Metrology Institutes, the University of Bonn and highly specialized companies which shall be called “Clock Optical Network Services – Design Study” (CLONETS-DS) is to develop a design study for a future network for the distribution of high-precision optical frequencies and time signals starting on 1 October. The European Union will fund the project with 3 million...

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), PTB has been supporting the establishment of quality infrastructure in emerging and developing countries for about 60 years. In May 2020, BMZ and PTB ratified a new agreement which significantly expands PTB's task. The volume for establishing quality infrastructure in countries partnered with German...

In the course of the revision of the International System of Units (SI), which entered into force on 20 May 2019, the international Metre Convention, upon a proposal from the Consultative Committee for Length (CCL), endorsed the use of the lattice parameter of the silicon crystal (i.e. the spacing between the atomic layers) as a basis of the secondary realization of the meter in the nanometer...

A foot camera makes the blood circulation within the forefoot visible and helps physicians diagnose rheumatic diseases earlier.

Each mobile telecommunications network requires synchronization between its components. Deutsche Telekom Technik AG has decided to test a method developed by the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland, for the future monitoring of selected points in its network. It is based on optical time transmission (OTT), which has been tested in cooperation with PTB, among others, on glass...

In cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Tsinghua University Beijing, it has been successfully demonstrated at the Metrology Light Source (MLS), PTB's electron storage ring in Berlin, that the first step of so-called steady-state microbunching (SSMB) is feasible. This paves the way for future synchrotron radiation sources with higher intensities.

PTB has provided evidence that on-wafer calibration structures manufactured on commercially available substrates may be used as transfer standards for reference calibrations. This will enable traceable planar scattering measurements in industrial applications for the first time.

After the commencement of the Radiation Protection Act (StrlSchG) on 31 December 2018, the limit values for the dose to the eye lens have been considerably reduced. In order to prove and comply with these new limit values reliably, it is necessary to assess whether the existing radiation protection measures are sufficient and whether additional monitoring of the staff is required. A suitable...

So far, no internationally standardized measurement procedures have been available to measure magnetic field distributions that vary spatially on the nanometer scale. The NanoMag EMPIR metrology research project, which was spearheaded by PTB and has recently been completed with success, bridges this gap and will allow internationally comparable measurements of magnetic field distributions with...

Nearly perfect spheres are used in various branches of industry, such as optics or industrial metrology. Conventional procedures to measure form error are, however, much too slow and tedious for the industrial manufacturing of such spheres. A new measuring device developed by PTB is reliable and more economical than existing systems and provides fast results. This device consists of two collinear...

The high-precision Planck-Balance, developed by PTB in cooperation with TU Ilmenau, measures over a continuous mass range and works according to the principle of electromagnetic force compensation. To put it more simply: a weight placed on the one side of the balance for weighing is compensated for on the other side by an electric force. This electric force is inextricably linked to Planck᾽s...

Acousto-optic modulator systems (AOMs) are used to modulate the frequency and the intensity of laser radiation. If a beam passes twice through an AOM, this allows the frequency shift to be doubled while at the same time suppressing the primary beam frequency adequately. Such a setup is called a double-pass arrangement. Our new PTB design is based on a specific convolution of the beam path for use...

Faster, further, better – this development will continue even after 5G is introduced. A DFG project called “Metrology for THz communications” (Meteracom) is researching what concepts could look like for even higher transmission rates. The focus is on the terahertz frequency range in which more than 100 gigabits could be transferred per second in the future. That is approximately ten to one hundred...

PTB has implemented numerous measures to fight the coronavirus (SARSCoV- 2); for example, nearly all events planned for the near future have been cancelled, as have official trips – including those between PTB’s sites. All staff members working on site at PTB Braunschweig and PTB Berlin must follow strict hygiene and conduct regulations. Lastly, most PTB staff members are now working from home....

In the course of the revision of the International System of Units (SI), which entered into force on 20 May 2019, the international Metre Convention, upon a proposal from the Consultative Committee for Length (CCL), endorsed the use of the lattice parameter of the silicon crystal (i.e. the spacing between the atomic layers) as a basis of the secondary realization of the meter in the nanometer...

A foot camera makes the blood circulation within the forefoot visible and helps physicians diagnose rheumatic diseases earlier.

Each mobile telecommunications network requires synchronization between its components. Deutsche Telekom Technik AG has decided to test a method developed by the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland, for the future monitoring of selected points in its network. It is based on optical time transmission (OTT), which has been tested in cooperation with PTB, among others, on glass...

In cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Tsinghua University Beijing, it has been successfully demonstrated at the Metrology Light Source (MLS), PTB's electron storage ring in Berlin, that the first step of so-called steady-state microbunching (SSMB) is feasible. This paves the way for future synchrotron radiation sources with higher intensities.

PTB has provided evidence that on-wafer calibration structures manufactured on commercially available substrates may be used as transfer standards for reference calibrations. This will enable traceable planar scattering measurements in industrial applications for the first time.

After the commencement of the Radiation Protection Act (StrlSchG) on 31 December 2018, the limit values for the dose to the eye lens have been considerably reduced. In order to prove and comply with these new limit values reliably, it is necessary to assess whether the existing radiation protection measures are sufficient and whether additional monitoring of the staff is required. A suitable...

So far, no internationally standardized measurement procedures have been available to measure magnetic field distributions that vary spatially on the nanometer scale. The NanoMag EMPIR metrology research project, which was spearheaded by PTB and has recently been completed with success, bridges this gap and will allow internationally comparable measurements of magnetic field distributions with...

Nearly perfect spheres are used in various branches of industry, such as optics or industrial metrology. Conventional procedures to measure form error are, however, much too slow and tedious for the industrial manufacturing of such spheres. A new measuring device developed by PTB is reliable and more economical than existing systems and provides fast results. This device consists of two collinear...

The high-precision Planck-Balance, developed by PTB in cooperation with TU Ilmenau, measures over a continuous mass range and works according to the principle of electromagnetic force compensation. To put it more simply: a weight placed on the one side of the balance for weighing is compensated for on the other side by an electric force. This electric force is inextricably linked to Planck᾽s...

Acousto-optic modulator systems (AOMs) are used to modulate the frequency and the intensity of laser radiation. If a beam passes twice through an AOM, this allows the frequency shift to be doubled while at the same time suppressing the primary beam frequency adequately. Such a setup is called a double-pass arrangement. Our new PTB design is based on a specific convolution of the beam path for use...

Faster, further, better – this development will continue even after 5G is introduced. A DFG project called “Metrology for THz communications” (Meteracom) is researching what concepts could look like for even higher transmission rates. The focus is on the terahertz frequency range in which more than 100 gigabits could be transferred per second in the future. That is approximately ten to one hundred...

PTB has implemented numerous measures to fight the coronavirus (SARSCoV- 2); for example, nearly all events planned for the near future have been cancelled, as have official trips – including those between PTB’s sites. All staff members working on site at PTB Braunschweig and PTB Berlin must follow strict hygiene and conduct regulations. Lastly, most PTB staff members are now working from home....

In cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, the QUEST Institute at PTB has succeeded for the first time in performing precision spectroscopy on highly charged ions. This pioneering experiment makes the field of highly charged ions accessible for research on novel atomic clocks and tests of fundamental physics.

Within the framework of a technology transfer project, an optical singleparticle counter has been developed at PTB to detect and determine the size of micro- and nanoparticles in suspension. The resulting prototype covers a dynamic measuring range that allows polystyrene particles from 80 nm to 8 μm in diameter to be detected.

Within the scope of an industrial cooperation project, PTB has developed new readout electronics for dc-SQUID multi-channel systems. They are highly scalable and flexible and allow up to several thousand channels to be read out simultaneously.

For the first time, PTB has succeeded in determining the specific activity of a thorium-227 solution very accurately by means of liquid scintillation counters. This means that traceable activity measurements of this radionuclide, which is being tested for radioimmunotherapy in nuclear medicine, are now possible. Also, the half-life of thorium-227 was determined by means of two measurement methods.

Within the scope of the work on the redefinition of the base unit kelvin, PTB developed a new method for pressure measurement based on the capacitance measurement of helium gas. From the first attempt, it was almost as good as the world᾽s best method for pressure measurement with a piston manometer.

For the first time worldwide, PTB has succeeded in showing how, to what extent and under which conditions wind turbines influence the signal integrity of air navigation systems. These findings have made a forecasting tool possible that could speed up the decision- making process for hundreds of building applications that are stuck in the ”approval backlog“.

Non-spherical optical surfaces, i.e. aspheres and freeform surfaces, are nowadays essential components of many modern imaging systems in industry and research. To test high-precision measuring instruments for the measurement of aspheres and freeform surfaces, special reference surfaces have been developed which consist of several spherical segments with differing radii. The first prototypes have...

Thin-film sensors enable the high-precision and spatially resolved measurement of various physical states, especially in particularly small places that are difficult to access, and under harsh environmental conditions. In thin-film sensor production, possible defects such as vias caused by pinholes in the insulation are particularly unwelcome as they may make the thin-film sensors applied useless....

New challenges are arising for modern optical measuring systems with regard to the simulation and optimization of the measuring systems and assessment procedures. This is particularly true of form measurement systems for aspheres, freeform surfaces and the simulation of optical systems such as those used in modern camera systems, and complex optical measuring systems. Optimizing procedures which...

A detector developed at PTB measures the mean energy and charge of charged particles. These measurements are pulseresolved and take place in real time. The device, which delivers up to 10 measurements per second, is also suitable for continuous ion radiation and electron radiation . Moreover , its principle allows the energy of particle radiation of very low intensity to be determined. The device...

Rudolf Meeß, Thomas Wiedenhöfer, Frank Härtig and Katharina Lehrmann The team of PTB scientists was awarded the Technology Transfer Prize of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Braunschweig for successfully passing on a masterpiece of metrological and product engineering from research to industry, namely ultrapure, extremely round silicon spheres which represent the new definition of the...

Für die Entwicklung einer völlig neuen Atomuhr haben PTB-Forscher zusammen mit internationalen Kollegen einen prestigeträchtigen Synergy Grant des europäischen Forschungsrates ERC eingeworben. Ziel des Projektes, das für sechs Jahre mit insgesamt 13,8 Millionen Euro gefördert wird, ist die Entwicklung eines völlig neuen Typs Atomuhr:

As of now, the CS1 atomic clock – a major quantum standard of PTB – has been ticking for 50 years. 

In cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, the QUEST Institute at PTB has succeeded for the first time in performing precision spectroscopy on highly charged ions. This pioneering experiment makes the field of highly charged ions accessible for research on novel atomic clocks and tests of fundamental physics.

Within the framework of a technology transfer project, an optical singleparticle counter has been developed at PTB to detect and determine the size of micro- and nanoparticles in suspension. The resulting prototype covers a dynamic measuring range that allows polystyrene particles from 80 nm to 8 μm in diameter to be detected.

Within the scope of an industrial cooperation project, PTB has developed new readout electronics for dc-SQUID multi-channel systems. They are highly scalable and flexible and allow up to several thousand channels to be read out simultaneously.

For the first time, PTB has succeeded in determining the specific activity of a thorium-227 solution very accurately by means of liquid scintillation counters. This means that traceable activity measurements of this radionuclide, which is being tested for radioimmunotherapy in nuclear medicine, are now possible. Also, the half-life of thorium-227 was determined by means of two measurement methods.

Within the scope of the work on the redefinition of the base unit kelvin, PTB developed a new method for pressure measurement based on the capacitance measurement of helium gas. From the first attempt, it was almost as good as the world᾽s best method for pressure measurement with a piston manometer.

For the first time worldwide, PTB has succeeded in showing how, to what extent and under which conditions wind turbines influence the signal integrity of air navigation systems. These findings have made a forecasting tool possible that could speed up the decision- making process for hundreds of building applications that are stuck in the ”approval backlog“.

Non-spherical optical surfaces, i.e. aspheres and freeform surfaces, are nowadays essential components of many modern imaging systems in industry and research. To test high-precision measuring instruments for the measurement of aspheres and freeform surfaces, special reference surfaces have been developed which consist of several spherical segments with differing radii. The first prototypes have...

Thin-film sensors enable the high-precision and spatially resolved measurement of various physical states, especially in particularly small places that are difficult to access, and under harsh environmental conditions. In thin-film sensor production, possible defects such as vias caused by pinholes in the insulation are particularly unwelcome as they may make the thin-film sensors applied useless....

New challenges are arising for modern optical measuring systems with regard to the simulation and optimization of the measuring systems and assessment procedures. This is particularly true of form measurement systems for aspheres, freeform surfaces and the simulation of optical systems such as those used in modern camera systems, and complex optical measuring systems. Optimizing procedures which...

A detector developed at PTB measures the mean energy and charge of charged particles. These measurements are pulseresolved and take place in real time. The device, which delivers up to 10 measurements per second, is also suitable for continuous ion radiation and electron radiation . Moreover , its principle allows the energy of particle radiation of very low intensity to be determined. The device...

Rudolf Meeß, Thomas Wiedenhöfer, Frank Härtig and Katharina Lehrmann The team of PTB scientists was awarded the Technology Transfer Prize of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Braunschweig for successfully passing on a masterpiece of metrological and product engineering from research to industry, namely ultrapure, extremely round silicon spheres which represent the new definition of the...

Für die Entwicklung einer völlig neuen Atomuhr haben PTB-Forscher zusammen mit internationalen Kollegen einen prestigeträchtigen Synergy Grant des europäischen Forschungsrates ERC eingeworben. Ziel des Projektes, das für sechs Jahre mit insgesamt 13,8 Millionen Euro gefördert wird, ist die Entwicklung eines völlig neuen Typs Atomuhr:

As of now, the CS1 atomic clock – a major quantum standard of PTB – has been ticking for 50 years. 

Medicine is placing high expectations on implants and auxiliary materials that are manufactured specifically for each individual patient. This can be done by means of additive manufacturing (3D printing), which allows nearly any complex shape to be produced. Before starting to use such implants widely, the medical sector and certification bodies demand proof of the fact that their high quality is...

Within the scope of the mammography screening program, approved devices must ensure that radiologists are able to reliably detect even small contrasts. The imaging quality of each device is therefore checked every year by means of monitoring measurements. For this purpose, test images of phantoms are taken and assessed by means of procedures of data analysis. PTB has developed a simulation...

At PTB, the reference radiation source of the EnMAP satellite for the remote sensing of the Earth has been calibrated with high resolution. This ensures the long-term comparability and traceability of its global measurement data from the fields of geobiology, geochemistry and geophysics.

PTB's two caesium fountain clocks, CSF1 and CSF2, have been established as primary frequency standards and as the basis of PTB᾽s time scale for a long time. Exhaustive investigations have now allowed the uncertainties of these two clocks to be reduced by a factor of 5 (CSF1) and 2.4 (CSF2). With relative uncertainties of 2.7 ⋅ 10^–16 reached for CSF1 and 1.7 ⋅ 10^–16 for CSF2, these two clocks range...

At PTB, a pulse-driven Josephson standard for the generation of AC voltages has been realized where the voltage pulses are synthesized by means of optical components. This has advantages compared to the conventional operating procedure where the driving voltage pulses are conducted onto the superconducting chip via RF conductors.

Within the scope of a research consortium, researchers from PTB have succeeded in advancing as far as to reach a new regime of relativistic light/matter interaction. In the context of a compact laboratory experiment, extremely hot and dense plasmas were generated. These plasmas open up new perspectives for experiments on laser-induced nuclear physics and laboratory astrophysics.

Integrating spheres are used to measure luminous flux; the same applies to the transmission measurement of microscope lenses. These transmission measurements can now be made more accurate thanks to a new additional element. The special insert developed at PTB serves as an adaptor between the aperture of the integrating sphere and the lens. Thanks to the insert, the lens is no longer in the...

Battery cells must be tested with regard to their efficiency and operational reliability from the designing phase to the production process. For the thermal monitoring of batteries, a modular calorimeter has been developed at PTB. It consists of a variable number of practically identical components and allows the most diverse battery cell sizes to be examined. The modules are easily scalable with...

To measure small angular changes in objects, autocollimators are used. The detector used for this purpose, often a two-dimensional CCD sensor, is illuminated by a linear reticle pattern. Its position on the sensor is detected and has a limited resolution due to the pixel size. In the new procedure, this reticle is projected onto the sensor at an angle set specifically for this sensor, relative to...

Forty years of successful cooperation between Germany and China were celebrated during a three-day official ceremony in Peking and sent on to the next stage: On 21 August, representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the continuation of the cooperation...

Medical data which can be life-saving in the case of an accident have so far been saved at different places and independently of each other. A project which is initially planned for three years and is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Research and the Volkswagen Foundation with a budget of 1.2 million euros is intended to change that. In the project, TU Braunschweig, MHH (Hannover Medical...

A new EURAMET metrology network called "Smart Electricity Grids" is dedicated to coordinating research activities related to intelligent power grids and establishing a sustainable European metrology research structure in this field. PTB is participating in operative efforts and is represented in the governing committees of the network.

A further new EURAMET network is intended to establish Europe-wide uniform structures related to quality assurance in laboratory medicine and to guarantee the metrological traceability of important quantities in this field. In this way, the requirements of a new EU regulation on in-vitro diagnostics will be implemented.

Medicine is placing high expectations on implants and auxiliary materials that are manufactured specifically for each individual patient. This can be done by means of additive manufacturing (3D printing), which allows nearly any complex shape to be produced. Before starting to use such implants widely, the medical sector and certification bodies demand proof of the fact that their high quality is...

Within the scope of the mammography screening program, approved devices must ensure that radiologists are able to reliably detect even small contrasts. The imaging quality of each device is therefore checked every year by means of monitoring measurements. For this purpose, test images of phantoms are taken and assessed by means of procedures of data analysis. PTB has developed a simulation...

At PTB, the reference radiation source of the EnMAP satellite for the remote sensing of the Earth has been calibrated with high resolution. This ensures the long-term comparability and traceability of its global measurement data from the fields of geobiology, geochemistry and geophysics.

PTB's two caesium fountain clocks, CSF1 and CSF2, have been established as primary frequency standards and as the basis of PTB᾽s time scale for a long time. Exhaustive investigations have now allowed the uncertainties of these two clocks to be reduced by a factor of 5 (CSF1) and 2.4 (CSF2). With relative uncertainties of 2.7 ⋅ 10^–16 reached for CSF1 and 1.7 ⋅ 10^–16 for CSF2, these two clocks range...

At PTB, a pulse-driven Josephson standard for the generation of AC voltages has been realized where the voltage pulses are synthesized by means of optical components. This has advantages compared to the conventional operating procedure where the driving voltage pulses are conducted onto the superconducting chip via RF conductors.

Within the scope of a research consortium, researchers from PTB have succeeded in advancing as far as to reach a new regime of relativistic light/matter interaction. In the context of a compact laboratory experiment, extremely hot and dense plasmas were generated. These plasmas open up new perspectives for experiments on laser-induced nuclear physics and laboratory astrophysics.

Integrating spheres are used to measure luminous flux; the same applies to the transmission measurement of microscope lenses. These transmission measurements can now be made more accurate thanks to a new additional element. The special insert developed at PTB serves as an adaptor between the aperture of the integrating sphere and the lens. Thanks to the insert, the lens is no longer in the...

Battery cells must be tested with regard to their efficiency and operational reliability from the designing phase to the production process. For the thermal monitoring of batteries, a modular calorimeter has been developed at PTB. It consists of a variable number of practically identical components and allows the most diverse battery cell sizes to be examined. The modules are easily scalable with...

To measure small angular changes in objects, autocollimators are used. The detector used for this purpose, often a two-dimensional CCD sensor, is illuminated by a linear reticle pattern. Its position on the sensor is detected and has a limited resolution due to the pixel size. In the new procedure, this reticle is projected onto the sensor at an angle set specifically for this sensor, relative to...

Forty years of successful cooperation between Germany and China were celebrated during a three-day official ceremony in Peking and sent on to the next stage: On 21 August, representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the continuation of the cooperation...

Medical data which can be life-saving in the case of an accident have so far been saved at different places and independently of each other. A project which is initially planned for three years and is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Research and the Volkswagen Foundation with a budget of 1.2 million euros is intended to change that. In the project, TU Braunschweig, MHH (Hannover Medical...

A new EURAMET metrology network called "Smart Electricity Grids" is dedicated to coordinating research activities related to intelligent power grids and establishing a sustainable European metrology research structure in this field. PTB is participating in operative efforts and is represented in the governing committees of the network.

A further new EURAMET network is intended to establish Europe-wide uniform structures related to quality assurance in laboratory medicine and to guarantee the metrological traceability of important quantities in this field. In this way, the requirements of a new EU regulation on in-vitro diagnostics will be implemented.

The first long-term comparison of two optical ytterbium clocks has provided reliable results concerning their accuracy and stability at the limit of what has been measurable to date. At the same time, the Lorentz symmetry was confirmed for electrons in even tighter experimental limits.

High-precision angle measurements carried out by means of autocollimators are significantly influenced by the refractive index of air – and thus in particular by the ambient pressure. When comparing measurements that have been carried out at different locations, it is therefore necessary to take changes in pressure into account. PTB has developed suitable strategies both to correct the measurement...

The announcement made by the large semiconductor manufacturers Samsung and TSMC in fall 2018 that they would start using EUV lithography (EUVL) to manufacture high-end processors marks the commercial breakthrough of this technology after a long research phase. For as many as 20 years, PTB has been supporting the development of projection lenses for EUVL by means of at-wavelength metrology with...

PTB has recently started using an LEDbased solar simulator that is capable of varying the spectral composition, the brightness and the duration of the simulated solar irradiance independently of each other. The instrument thus provides decisive advantages over its conventional xenon counterparts. At PTB, solar modules can now be examined with a broad array of tests that are closer to real...

A microscope for the imaging of magnetic nanostructures has been developed at PTB. This microscope allows the magnetic field distributions to be determined quantitatively for the first time with nanometer resolution over sample areas of up to a few centimeters.

Depending on the type of examination performed, the radiation burden incurred by patients due to CT imaging can be considerable. PTB has developed a mobile measuring device aimed at indicating the individual effective dose of a patient on a CT display within just a few minutes after a scan. Within approximately two minutes, this device is able to determine the characteristics of the CT X-ray beam...

The regular inspection of motor vehicle emissions became more stringent in several ways at the end of 2017. This required exhaustive research activities, and numerous type examination certificates for exhaust meters had to be issued or renewed promptly. For this purpose, a new building was planned, erected and commissioned within just one year in order to accommodate a new certification...

Scanning force microscopes are used not only to measure nanostructures and fine roughness, but also as force sensors in pharmacy and in materials research. To measure force precisely, it is important to determine the bending stiffness of the cantilever with great accuracy. Until recently, suitable measurement procedures did not exist. PTB᾽s new transfer standard calibrates the smallest of forces...

Microstructured ion traps are the technological basis for a future quantum computer based on single ions as qubits. In such ion traps, ions are trapped by means of inhomogeneous electric fields above the surface. Several procedures developed by PTB for manufacturing multilayer thick-film structures with interconnects fulfill the stringent requirements set by the application. These procedures allow...

Until recently, size distributions and the wavelength-dependent refractive index of microparticles could only be determined with great effort. PTB has now developed a new procedure that simplifies such measurements. The spectral extinction cross section is derived from the transmission spectrum of particles in suspensions, emulsions or aerosols and is then analyzed by means of a mathematical...

On 20 May 2019, World Metrology Day, the revised International System of Units (SI) entered into force. On 16 November 2018, the revision was adopted unanimously by the representatives of all member states of the Metre Convention at the 26th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) held in Versailles. Since 20 May 2019, all SI units are based on a set of 7 defining natural constants....

The NanoMet Research Training Group, which has been managed jointly by TU Braunschweig and PTB since 2014, will be funded for another four and a half years by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Within the scope of this Research Training Group, doctoral theses on three topics from the field of nanometrology (“Complex Systems”, “Quantum Systems” and “Biological Systems”) have been mentored....

In 2018, PTB issued the first type-examination certificate for electric vehicle charging stations. This confirms that the stations meet all of the requirements of the measuring and verification legislation of Germany and not only guarantee exact measurements, but also a charging process that is transparent and comprehensible to the customers. This system also states explicitly when, where and how...

For the first time, three Smart Meter Gateways have obtained a type-examination certificate from PTB. The Smart Meter Gateway is a key technology for digitalization in the context of the energy transition. Together with a modern power meter, it forms a smart measuring system that will soon be playing a central role in the energy-supply industry. Complying with the most stringent data security and...