NIST Tech Beat for July 23, 2013

A biweekly digest of science and technology research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.   July 23, 2013   E.U. and U.S. to Extend Scientific Cooperation on Measurements and Standards The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and NIST have agreed to expand their current scientific cooperation to include new areas of research, such as energy, healthcare and clinical measurements, and food safety and nutrition.   New NIST Standard Reference Material to Help Calibrate Hospital CAT Scanners A new standard reference material developed at NIST is the first such measurement tool that allows hospitals to link important tissue density measurements made by CAT scans to international standards.   New NIST Nanoscale Indenter Takes Novel Approach to Measuring Surface Properties Researchers from NIST and the University of North Carolina have demonstrated a new design for an instrument that makes sensitive measurements of the mechanical properties of thin films--ranging from auto body coatings to microelectronic devices--and biomaterials. The NIST instrument uses a unique technique for precisely measuring the depth of an indentation in a test surface with no contact of the surface other than the probe tip itself.   New Nanoscale Imaging Method Finds Application in Plasmonics Researchers from NIST and the University of Maryland have shown how to make nanoscale measurements of critical properties of plasmonic nanomaterials, the specially engineered nanostructures that modify the interaction of light and matter for a variety of applications including sensors, cloaking (invisibility), photovoltaics and therapeutics.   NIST Shows How to Make a Compact Frequency Comb in Minutes Laser frequency combs -- high-precision tools for measuring different colors of light in an ever-growing range of applications -- are not only getting smaller but also much easier to make. NIST physicists can now make the core of a miniature frequency comb in one minute. Conventional microfabrication techniques, by contrast, may require hours, days or even weeks.   Who Are You? NIST Biometric Publication Provides Two New Ways to Tell Quickly NIST has issued a new publication that broadens agency security options for Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards, adding iris images as biometric identifiers and on-card fingerprint comparison as options.   NIST Releases Updates to Digital Signature Standard NIST has released a revision to the digital standard used to ensure the integrity of electronic documents, as well as the identity of the signer.   NIST Chip Measurement Advance Earns 'Oscar of Innovation' A fundamental advance in measurement capabilities that could save semiconductor manufacturers billions of dollars annually has earned a 2013 R&D 100 Award for its NIST inventors. Questions? Contact Us   STAY CONNECTED:   SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Help If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@govdelivery.com. Technical questions? Contact inquiries@nist.gov. (301) 975-NIST (6478). This service is provided to you at no charge by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1070 · Gaithersburg, MD 20899 · 301-975-6478