"NIST Unveils Groundbreaking Ultralow Pressure Measurement Standard"

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed and validated a new method called the cold atom vacuum standard (CAVS) for measuring ultralow gas pressures. CAVS can serve as a "primary standard" without needing to be calibrated to reference pressure readings. The technique uses a cold gas of lithium or rubidium atoms trapped in a magnetic field, which fluoresce when illuminated by a laser. The intensity of the glow is measured to determine pressure. The CAVS sensors were tested alongside the traditional gold-standard method and showed the same accuracy and reliability. This new method has potential applications in semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computers, gravitational wave detectors, and particle accelerators.