Atomic Devices and Instrumentation Group

The NIST Atomic Devices and Instrumentation (ADI) Group seeks to design, build and characterize miniature atomic instruments and sensors based on fabrication techniques traditionally used in the field of microelectronics and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). We are currently building structures (such as those shown above) that are the size of a grain of rice (V < 10 mm3) and could run on a AA battery (dissipate less than 75 mW). Chip-scale atomic clocks, for example, are stable enough that they neither gain nor lose more than ten millionths of a second over the course of one day, and are paving the way for atomic-level timekeeping in portable, battery-operated systems such as global positioning receivers and wireless communication devices. A variety of other instruments are under development including magnetic field sensors competitive with state-of-the-art cryogenic instruments, navigation-grade gyroscopes and highly compact primary frequency standards. The group consists of four staff scientists and about ten postdocs, students, technicians and visiting scientists.

Welcome to the ADI group at NIST

Current projects

Chip-Scale Atomic Magnetometers (CSAM)

Chip-Scale Atomic Gyroscopes (CSAG)

Direct coupling experiment (DC)

Wallcoatings

Previous projects

Chip-Scale Atomic Clocks (CSAC)

Microfabricated Saturated Absorption Spectrometer