Bruce Warrington, CSIRO National Measurement Laboratory

New measurement capabilities from research at NMI and ANU: Atomic clocks, sports drug testing, nanometrology and more

The National Measurement Institute (NMI) maintains Australia's reference standards for physical, chemical and biological measurement, and provides a wide range of measurement services to government industry, research organisations and the public. These standards and services are underpinned by ongoing research at the frontiers of measurement, and ANU and NMI are currently collaborating on several research projects aimed at delivering new measurement capabilities for use in Australia. A key example is the development of techniques to transfer time and frequency signals over optical fibre at exceptional accuracy and precision. This capability will underpin a new generation of reference timing signals in support of precision measurement applications across the country, and provide significant support for Australia’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array radio-astronomy observatory. The presentation will also cover cavity-enhanced spectroscopy for precision measurement of isotope ratios, enabling leading-edge chemical analysis for sports drug testing or forensic drug profiling, and new interferometry techniques with a wide range of measurement applications.

Bruce Warrington completed his PhD in the field of atomic physics and precision spectroscopy, specifically tests of fundamental symmetries in atomic systems. He joined the CSIRO National Measurement Laboratory in 1998 to work on a new frequency standard based on trapped, laser-cooled ions. With the formation of the National Measurement Institute in 2004, he took over leadership of the Time and Frequency group from Dr Peter Fisk. The group maintains Australia's reference standards for time and for frequency, including developing new comparison techniques and new methods for dissemination. He currently manages the Length, Time and Optical Standards and Melbourne Physical Metrology Sections at NMI.

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