Abstract
The NIST Sources and Detectors group is developing a new family of chip-scale laser power standards that are fast, compact, and robust. By combining state-of-the-art micro-fabrication techniques with vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNTs) as absorbers, these new standards promise accuracy with an unprecedented capability for portability and use outside of standards laboratories, including for space-based applications. While the focus of this effort is to develop standards for laser power measurements, the design and construction is also being applied to incoherent radiation. The development of both cryogenic and room temperature devices for powers from tens of microwatts to 100 milliwatts and wavelengths from visible to THz will be described with particular attention to the performance of room temperature devices for visible wavelengths.
A New Generation of NIST Laser Power Standards Using Microfabrication Techniques and Carbon Nanotubes
The NIST Sources and Detectors group is developing a new family of chip-scale laser power standards that are fast, compact, and robust. By combining state-of-the-art micro-fabrication techniques with vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNTs) as absorbers, these new standards promise accuracy with an unprecedented capability for portability and use outside of standards laboratories, including for space-based applications. While the focus of this effort is to develop standards for laser power measurements, the design and construction is also being applied to incoherent radiation. The development of both cryogenic and room temperature devices for powers from tens of microwatts to 100 milliwatts and wavelengths from visible to THz will be described with particular attention to the performance of room temperature devices for visible wavelengths.