National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

Looking forward to presenting at the Lab Innovations conference this week at The NEC, Birmingham. Come see our talks and panel & talk to us on the UKAS stand L121 #qualityinfrastructure #makingiteasytodotherightthing National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

The QuantIC team are delighted to announce the publication of the QuantIC Legacy report, a summary of success and achievement of the Hub over the past decade. QuantIC – the UK Technology Hub in Quantum Enhanced Imaging - was launched in late 2014, as part of the £1B UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), set up by UK Government to translate academic work in quantum into products and services. The report highlights the Hub’s progress in leading the quantum imaging research agenda in the UK, and advancing quantum imaging technologies. Over the past decade at QuantIC, researchers have developed revolutionary imaging systems that shift the way imaging occurs, such as the ability to see directly inside the human body, the ability to see through fog and smoke, and the creation of microscopes with higher resolution and lower noise than classical physics allows. These developments have been enabled by new technologies, such as single-photon cameras, detectors based on new materials and single-photon sensitivity in the mid-infrared spectral regions. Professor David Cumming, QuantIC Director, is proud of the strong collaboration the Hub has facilitated. “We’ve had a successful ten years at QuantIC, making significant technological breakthroughs and forging project partnerships with industry across the UK.  There is huge commercial potential for the kind of quantum-enhanced technologies we’ve been working on.” Professor Miles Padget, QuantIC Principal Investigator, adds, “We are delighted to publish our final report which highlights just some of the groundbreaking research and technology development we have achieved over the past decade. However, what gives me great pride is the community of researchers we have created, providing support for career progression through academia or positions in industry. I’m proud of the role QuantIC has played in supporting the quantum leaders of tomorrow.” Download the report at https://lnkd.in/eVp-U-_Q

Emerging tech is about staying ahead - not just playing catch up. This was UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL)'s Chief Technology Officer Bridgette Bigmore's big message as she joined a panel of experts last week for #BirminghamTechWeek #WomenInTech day. Truly secure communications will involve the convergence of three pillars - software, telecoms and security. UKTL has a big role to play in this - by introducing and testing new technology in advance of it hitting UK networks, enabling us to offer guidance to industry and a future of standards for secure telecoms. Learn more about UKTL: https://lnkd.in/eHMPCY6z

🕰️ How can we ensure precise timing when GNSS signals are disrupted? Our latest report, “Holdover Atomic Clock Landscape Review”, explores the role of holdover atomic clocks in maintaining resilient timing for critical national infrastructure (CNI), defence and other key sectors. The report highlights the vulnerabilities of relying on GNSS and discusses how holdover clocks can provide accurate local timing when primary sources are unavailable. It also examines the UK’s progress in developing sovereign holdover clock manufacturing capabilities to enhance security and supply chain resilience. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eWY8Kq2f Learn more at this year’s Quantum Showcase 2024: https://lnkd.in/epWjmUTw #HoldoverClock #TimingResilience #PrecisionTiming

NPL is the home of UK time, and we are responsible for upholding the national time scale – through daylight savings, seasonal changes and more, you can rely on us to keep NPL’s clocks ticking in time with the international reference time scale.     Did you know there are lots of other places in your home that might bring NPL to mind? Have a ponder on these while you enjoy your extra hour in bed.    1. ⌚ Your smart watch automatically updates when the clocks change, through updates rolled out from your phone provider. We are able to agree on an international reference time scale (UTC) because we all agree on the duration of one second, and we compare the UK standards with similar standards all over the world.     2. ⚖️ 1 kilogram is the same in the UK as it is everywhere else – from Austria to Australia. NPL was involved in redefining the kilogram in 2019, which is now based on a fundamental constant of nature rather than tracing back to a physical object.    3. 🥤 Fancy a smoothie? Get the current flowing by plugging in your blender, and you can measure that current using the ampere. Not to be confused with currants – though these might work better in your smoothie.    4. 💡 Got some nice kitchen spotlights on a dimmer? Turn them down and you’re reducing their luminous intensity – which you can measure using the candela.    5. 🍨 Your fridge has a big job to do in keeping your food cold and safe, and ensuring its freezer compartment is much colder so your ice cream stays solid. At NPL, we measure very high temperatures, very low temperatures, and every fraction of a degree in between. We use the degree Celsius for everyday temperature measurements, but the kelvin is the SI base unit of thermodynamic temperature.    6. 🍰 Fancy a slice of cake? If you’re diabetic, you might want to check your blood sugar concentration first, which you can do with a glucose monitor. These machines measure the concentration of glucose in your blood, in millimoles of glucose per litre of blood – the mole being SI unit for chemical amount.    7. 📏 Imagine how difficult it would be to get an oven installed in your beautiful, fitted kitchen if we didn’t all agree on what 1 metre is? Thankfully, because of the SI, you can be sure your oven will fit when you get it home. Just please don’t ask us how to change the clock on it – there are some mysteries even NPL can’t solve!

This week the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) General Meeting 2024 took place in Edinburgh, where experts from around the globe met to progress the development of international standards.     As semiconductors are playing an increasingly vital role in our everyday lives, standards ensure these innovations are interoperable, high-quality, reliable, and safe for widespread use.    The National Physical Laboratory’s (NPL) Principal Scientist Dr Fernando Araujo de Castro is the project lead for the international standard providing reproducible test methods to measure how charge carriers move through emerging semiconductors. He is also the UK expert within the international standards group enhancing safety and performance of printed electronics.     NPL Senior Scientists James Blakesley and George Koutsourakis represent the UK in working groups focused on safety, reliability, quality control and evaluation in the performance of solar panels and solar farms.    Find out more about the role NPL plays in standards for semiconductors > https://lnkd.in/eQSBDhA5  

NPL research papers provide new insights into analysing the health of kidneys suitable for transplant. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d_m3U-Am

Quantum Technology Symposium at the IEC GM24. Great to talk with Sir Patrick Vallance about NPL’s work to support the development and adoption of quantum technologies

The UK Telecoms Lab highlighted the critical role telecoms plays in national security Birmingham Tech Week's Women in Tech Day 🌟 #womenintech #BTW2024 #telecomssecurity

Get ready to explore the cutting-edge world of quantum technology! Join us at the Quantum Showcase 2024, where industry leaders, innovators, and researchers will come together to discuss the latest advancements in quantum computing, sensing and communications. 🌍 Discover how NPL’s capabilities in quantum are shaping the future, from groundbreaking measurement services to consultancy that accelerates innovation. It’s a unique opportunity to learn, network and see real-world quantum applications in action. 📅 Save the date: 08 November 2024 📍 Location: Business Design Centre, London Find out more on our website: https://lnkd.in/epWjmUTw