From Metrology Research to Cybersecurity: NIST Provides Sound Solutions

In light of upcoming fiscal planning for 2018, I am fearful that additional cuts will be made to the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). This agency provides services and metrology infrastructure that is exceptionally useful to America. Let me cite some examples:

Improved photovoltaics for solar electricity

In solar energy, photovoltaics convert sunlight to electricity. A recent report from NIST1 shows that CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite provides a printable, flexible photovoltaic with conversion efficiency better than 20%, which is outstanding. The chemistry appears to be low cost. One unsolved problem is that the lifetime is shorter than the 30-year life of corresponding silicon models. Research is in progress to improve lifetime and manufacturability.

Perovskite photovoltaics may facilitate economic-driven replacement of carbon-fired electrical generators. Combine this discovery with improvements in battery storage, and the U.S.A. could see a disruption in the energy market. Clean and economical solar electrical power could rapidly replace carbon energy sources.

By the way, the scientists working on this project discovered a new effect in solids called “ferroelasticity.” This effect describes the change in the structure of solids when irradiated with light.

Metrology research

Figure 1 – Cantilever readout of atomic force microscope developed over 20 years by NIST scientists. A sample of the mineral perovskite is mounted on a prism and irradiated with a laser beam from the bottom. The probe tip of the AFM is moved over the perovskite surface. As the probe tip moves over the surface, it responds differentially to the nanostructure. The upper laser beam bounces off the cantilever, which amplifies the deflection of the probe tip. The raster scan produces a 2-D image. (Image courtesy of NIST.)

National laboratories should be graded partially on the new technology that they develop. Ferroelasticity is one example. Over 20 years, NIST scientists have developed new technology for super-resolution imaging using optical coupled cantilever atomic force microscope (AFM) probes2 to sense the nanostructure of materials (see Figure 1).

Higher-order structure of proteins

Understanding protein structure is key to understanding protein function. NIST scientists at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA, Boulder, CO) developed an AFM that measures the force required to stretch an enzyme such as bacteriorhodopsin. They found 14 plateaus, each indicative of a particular structure.3 Some of these spatial structures appear to be classical intermediates. The lifetime of the structures also seems to be important. This can be inferred from the rate of change associated with stretching of the structure. In order to become an enzyme and to fulfill its biological role, a protein must adopt a specific 3-D structure. If the structure is not right, the protein may not function, or worse, become toxic, as in a prion.

Plasmon resonance measures movements as small as 2 picometers

A research team at NIST’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (Gaithersburg, MD) developed a scalable localized gap-plasmon device capable of measuring movements as small as 2 picometers. This movement is 4% of the radius of the hydrogen atom, and much smaller (~10-5) than the diffraction limit of their optical microscope (~200 nm). The new measurements are also fast, with temporal response in the microsecond range.4

The device consists of a silicon nitride cantilever that vibrates as a result of thermal motion. Its base material is gold, which supports plasmon just outside its surface. Plasmon refers to the wave-like motion of groups of electrons traveling on the air/gold interface. This appears to be a breakthrough in the science of metrology, where measuring very small changes in position or size will uncover details about very small structures or materials.

These examples illustrate how NIST scientists are developing the basic science of metrology, which is within their charter. However, NIST has also been asked to lead the federal government’s programs in forensics and cybersecurity.

Basic research

Quantum probes for structure determination

“Quantum logic (QL) is a set of rules for reasoning about propositions that take the principles of quantum theory into account.”5 When applied to chemistry, QL is a process that uses the peculiar nature of quantum states of atomic ions when interacting with its neighbors. The interaction is recorded and analyzed to reveal details of the atomic structure of multiatom ions.6,7

In quantum logic, the target ion is laser-cooled to the vibrational ground state. The reporter ion is introduced, and the target ion is irradiated with the probe laser, which induces changes (jiggles) in the ion. These are quantum-coupled with the reporter ion, which scatters light from a second laser to produce a signal related to the angular momentum of the sample. This may differentiate isomers and adducts. Currently, the technology is compatible with ions with an m/z range of 2 to about 500.

In addition, QL is expected to be the next huge breakthrough in computers, including memory, that utilize the many quantum states and interactions to facilitate faster and more reliable computing, such as hack-free communication. This work on QL is led by Dr. Dietrich Leibfried of NIST in Boulder, CO.

NIST leads the OSAC process for putting “science” back into forensic science

NIST was saddled with the thankless task of responding to the National Academy of Sciences report of 2009 describing the dismal state of forensic science in the U.S.A. Who can argue about the need? Science-based forensics is essential to dispute resolution. The NIST-organized program built around Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSACs) is beginning to work. Basic topics such as terminology are in progress. Technical committees are turning out documents for comment and adoption. This process has worked for the ASTM, U.S. EPA, and U.S. Pharmacopeia.

NIST leads the federal program to improve cybersecurity

The world was shaken by the recent WannaCry ransomware attack that began in May 2017 and infected more than 300,000 users in some 150 countries. NIST is tasked with leading the cybersecurity program for the federal government. In early 2017, NIST issued an update on the 2014 “Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity,” which provides voluntary guidance for organizations to reduce cybersecurity risks, including the electric power grid, banking, hospitals, and large communications networks. On June 15, 2017, NIST’s information technology director, Charles Romine, testified before the House Science and Technology Subcommittees on Oversight and Research & Technology Joint Hearing on the impact of the recent global ransomware attack and ways to strength governmental cybersecurity.8

In conclusion, NIST is providing valuable solutions to America’s current needs. Further, its world-leading research is helping accelerate future advances and, directly, America’s competitive advantage.

All too often our government focuses on fixing problems. In my years, I’ve found it is even more important to reward outstanding performance by investing in winners, such as NIST.

References

  1. http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/4/e1602165.full
  2. www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/06/novel-techniques-examine-solar-cells-nanoscale-precision
  3. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6328/945
  4. Roxworthy, B.J. and Aksyuk, V.A. Nano mechanical motion transduction with a scalable localized gap plasmon architecture. Nat. Commun. 2016, 7; doi:10.1038/ncomms 13746.
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_logic
  6. Chou, C.W.; Kurz, C. et al. Preparation and coherent manipulation of pure quantum states of single molecular ion. Nature May 2017, 545, 203–7; doi: 10.1038.
  7. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/05/nist-physicists-find-way-control-charged-molecules-quantum-logic
  8. https://www.c-span.org/video/?429990-1/hearing-focuses-wannacry-ransomware-cyberattack-implications

Robert L. Stevenson, Ph.D., is Editor Emeritus, American Laboratory/Labcompare; e-mail: [email protected].

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