Nanotubes on a chip promise to ease optical power measurements

摘要

A team of researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has recently announced a chip-scale instrument made of carbon nanotubes that promises to simplify laser power measurements such as the light signals that are transmitted by optical fibers in telecom networks. The device - a miniature version of a cryogenic radiometer - is a silicon chip topped with circular mats of carbon nanotubes standing on end (see figure). It is based on NIST's past work to make a highly efficient optical power detector.