NIST Technicalendar June 9 to June 13, 2008 The NIST Technicalendar is issued each Friday. All items MUST be submitted electronically from this web page by 12:00 NOON each Wednesday unless otherwise stated in the NIST Technicalendar. The address for online weekly editions of the NIST Technicalendar and NIST Administrative Calendar is: http://www.nist.gov/tcal/.

In this Issue: Meetings at NIST Meetings Elsewhere Announcements Talks by NIST Personnel NIST Web Site Announcements NIST Administrative Calendar (current)   NIST Vacancy Announcements (current)

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10:30 AM - Fabrication and Electrical Characterization of Novel Devices for Large-area Electronics
10:45 AM - Surfactant Effects on the Activity and Structure of the Human Adenosine A2a G-Protein Coupled Receptor

10:30 AM - Terahertz Spectroscopy and Imaging: New Techniques for Novel Applications
10:45 AM - Total Scattering and the Local Structure of Polar Inorganic Materials

10:30 AM - GATED CARBON ELECTRONICS

10:30 AM - Single Photon Avalanche Diodes: towards Arrays and Near-Infrared applications
11:00 AM - Quantum Information with Superconducting Qubits and Cavities
3:30 PM - Free Money: Secrets of Effective Grants for Graduate School

10:30 AM - Ignition, Severity and Emissions from Wildland Smoldering Fires

6/9 -- MONDAY

10:30 AM - CNST NANOFABRICATION RESEARCH GROUP SEMINAR: Fabrication and Electrical Characterization of Novel Devices for Large-area Electronics
Electronic materials such as polymeric or small-molecule organic semiconductors, transparent metal oxides, nanowires etc, and the optoelectronic devices based on these materials offer potential advantages such as low cost, large-area patterning and flexibility over their classical counterparts. Electronic displays incorporating organic light emitting diodes have already been commercialized and research efforts for integrating organic based transistors and solar cells in commercial applications are well under way. Realization of these efforts, however, requires advanced device characterization and optimization. Of particular interest is the fundamental physical understanding of the mechanism of charge transport at the semiconductor/insulator interface in organic thin film transistors and charge injection at the contacts to the semiconducting material. In this talk, I will present our findings on the effect of contact resistances on charge injection and transport within the channel of organic thin film transistors using a variety of measurement techniques, including temperature dependent current-voltage characterization and a novel capacitance-voltage analysis to gain fundamental insight into the electrical performance of these devices.
Behrang Hamadani , Semiconductor Electronics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Bldg. 217, Rm. H107. (NIST Contact: Nikolai Zhitenev, 301-975-6039, nikolai.zhitenev@nist.gov)

10:45 AM - NIST CENTER FOR NEUTRON RESEARCH SEMINAR: Surfactant Effects on the Activity and Structure of the Human Adenosine A2a G-Protein Coupled Receptor
The G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest family of mammalian membrane proteins, and are targets for nearly half of all pharmaceuticals on the market. Despite their importance, structural and conformational studies of these proteins have been hindered by their relatively low abundance in native tissues, their low levels of expression in recombinant systems, and difficulties associated with their isolation and stabilization in membrane-mimetic environments. An understanding of receptor behavior in a reconstituted micellar environment is necessary prior to biophysical characterization of these important proteins. They have developed a heterologous yeast system that enables high-level expression and purification of the human adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR), a model GPCR. In this work, they assess the ability of protein detergent complexes (PDCs) to stabilize the activity and structure of A2aR, as measured through ligand binding, neutron scattering, and various biophysical techniques. Protein stability is studied in a wide range of surfactants including maltosides, thiomaltosides, and glucosides. They find that the addition of a mammalian cholesterol analog (CHS) to the PDC is crucial to the maintenance of proper structure of A2aR. This interaction may hold the 7-alpha helical domains of the GPCR more rigid in an active conformation within the micelle. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements on empty micelles also indicate a morphological transition upon the addition of cholesterol. Furthermore, surfactants which share common structure and differ only by one carbon length show marked differences in the ability to stabilize A2aR. Thus, they conclude that protein stability may be correlated with both micelle morphology and chemical environment. They will further explore the effects of surfactant type, chain length, and other parameters on the activity of purified A2aR and on the protein detergent complex.
Michelle O'Malley , University of Delaware. ,.
235 Bldg, Rm. E100. (NIST Contact: Paul Butler, 301-975-2028, paul.butler@nist.gov)


6/10 -- TUESDAY

10:30 AM - OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION SEMINAR SERIES: Terahertz Spectroscopy and Imaging: New Techniques for Novel Applications
The Terahertz spectral region (spanning 0.3 THz to 20 THz or 15 ?m to 1 mm wavelength range) continues to be explored for diverse optical-based uses including molecular spectroscopy, communications, materials characterization, medical imaging and homeland security. Ultrafast pulsed laser and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy and reflection imaging methods are being explored in our group and recent developments will first be reviewed. Research results including acquiring biomolecular spectra in aqueous environments using inverse miscelles, direct determination of nanoscale thin film combinatorial composition, carrier mobility in organic conducting polymers, and rapid acquisition of THz images for remote sensing and homeland security applications will be presented.
Edwin Heilweil , Biophysics Group.
Building 215, Rm. C103. (NIST Contact: Tina Pipes, 301-975-2316, tina.pipes@nist.gov)

10:45 AM - NIST CENTER FOR NEUTRON RESEARCH SEMINAR: Total Scattering and the Local Structure of Polar Inorganic Materials
Polar materials play an important role in science and engineering, and efforts to understand, characterize, design and engineer them is driven by a continued demand for smaller and more robust ferroelectrics as well as a quest for practical multiferroics. As in most functional inorganics, the properties of polar materials are intricately tied to their crystal structures. However, many local atomic configurations - critically important from the viewpoint of technology - are not necessarily described using conventional crystallography. A combination of Rietveld analysis and real-space atomic pair distribution function (PDF) methods for neutron and synchrotron X-ray total scattering data are used to investigate the role local structure plays in the properties of several polar inorganic materials. Examples will include a series of BaTiO3 nanoparticles of different sizes, a family of perovskite oxynitride materials (Ba/Sr/Ca)TaO2N, and Nb-substitution in SrTiO3 (STO) and BaTiO3 (BTO). Total scattering analysis of the nanoparticle data reveals increasing bond distortions with decreasing particle size, contrary to some reports. Local studies in the oxynitride family explore the influence of anion ordering and cation displacements on unusual dielectric properties. In Nb-substituted STO and BTO, subtle yet crucial differences in local structure suggest why the former is metallic while the latter is insulating. The work will demonstrate that combined approaches in reciprocal and real-space often provide unique insight into atomic configurations that influence polar properties.
Katharine Page , University of California, Santa Barbara. ,.
235 Bldg, Rm. E100. (NIST Contact: Dan Neumann, 301-975-5252, dan@nist.gov)


6/11 -- WEDNESDAY

10:30 AM - CNST NANOTECHNOLOGY SEMINAR SERIES: GATED CARBON ELECTRONICS
We discuss techniques for making gated nanoelectronics based on carbon nanotubes and graphene, and some of the new physics and possible applications that is available in these systems. Here we will focus on few-electron quantum dots in nanotubes -- possibly for application to quantum information -- and p-n junctions in graphene.
Prof. Charles Marcus , Harvard University,.
Bldg. 215, Rm. C103-C106. (NIST Contact: Nikolai Zhitenev, 301-975-6039, nikolai.zhitenev@nist.gov)


6/12 -- THURSDAY

10:30 AM - CNST NANOFABRICATION RESEARCH GROUP SEMINAR: Single Photon Avalanche Diodes: towards Arrays and Near-Infrared applications
The evolution of Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD) and associated electronics for photon counting and timing applications is quickly reviewed. The fabrication of monolithic SPAD Arrays in silicon technologies is discussed. The development of InGaAs/InP SPADs modules for the near-infrared is presented.
Franco Zappa , Associate Professor, Electronics at Politecnico di Milano,.
Bldg. 217, Rm. H107. (NIST Contact: Kartik Srinivasan, 301-975-5938, kartik.srinivasan@nist.gov)

11:00 AM - OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NIST SEMINAR: Quantum Information with Superconducting Qubits and Cavities
Over the last decade, scientists at NIST have shown that quantum information is a useful resource that can improve clock performance, transmit secure information, and, some day, could crack encryption codes or perform quantum simulations beyond the reach of classical computers. As with classical information processing, a quantum processor requires information bits (qubits) that can be independently addressed and read-out, long-term memory elements to store arbitrary quantum states, and the ability to transfer quantum information through a coherent communication bus accessible to a large number of qubits. The speaker will describe the implementation of circuit quantum-electro dynamics, in the strong coupling regime, using superconducting phase qubits and a resonant cavity. This research has led to the storage and coherent transfer of quantum states between two phase qubits through a "quantum bus" formed by the single, on chip, superconducting transmission line resonant cavity. The basic architecture presented here is scalable, offering the possibility, in the near future, for the coherent communication of a large number of superconducting qubits.
Raymond Simmonds , Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory.
Administration Bldg, Green Auditorium. (NIST Contact: John Messina, 301-975-4284, john.messina@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available

3:30 PM - SURF SUMMER SEMINAR SERIES: Free Money: Secrets of Effective Grants for Graduate School
The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) manages over 1,400 research fellowships and scholarships totaling over 60 million dollars for both undergraduate and graduate students for most federal agencies including NSF, DOD, NASA, etc. As the administrator for these fellowships, we are in a unique position to offer advice abut these opportunities, how to apply and be awarded these fellowships. Receiving a graduate fellowship significantly increases your potential opportunities in graduate school and beyond.
Tom Juliano , Academic Programs Manager, American Society for Engineering Education,, Washington, DC,.
Administration Bldg, Green Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Anita Sweigert, 301-975-4201, anita.sweigert@nist.gov)
Special Assistance; Contact A. Sweigert a week in advance.


6/13 -- FRIDAY

10:30 AM - FIRE RESEARCH DIVISION SEMINAR: Ignition, Severity and Emissions from Wildland Smoldering Fires
Smoldering fires are an important factor in wildfires. These biomass fires propagate slowly through the surface and subsurface organic layers of the forest ground. They are responsible for 50% or more of the total biomass consumed during wildfires and contribute with a significant amount to global carbon emissions. These fires alter the eco-system and have physical, chemical and biological effects on the soil. The changes to the soil are mainly caused by two factors: the high temperatures reached and the large loss of soil mass. These effects are not well documented in the literature. This paper studies and quantifies the mass loss, thermal effects and the emission of peat fires using small-scale experiments. Observed mass losses are up to 90% resulting in the destruction of the soil layers and great loss of carbon to the atmosphere. The measured thermal severity in terms of the temperature/time regimes lead to soil sterilization. Smoldering peat was measured to release an average mass flow rate equivalent to approximately 3,000 times the natural flux from peatlands.
Guillermo Rein , BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering - University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Bldg 224, Rm B245. (NIST Contact: Rodney Bryant, 301-975-6487, rbryant@nist.gov)


ADVANCE NOTICE

6/16/08 10:00 AM - CERAMICS DIVISION SEMINAR: Relating Structure and Optical Properties in CdSe Quantum Dots for More Practical Usability
The evolving electrical and optical properties of materials as physical dimensions are reduced to the nanometer scale may be advantageous to applications such as memory storage, catalysis, photoelectric devices, biological sensing, and others. Nanocrystals of cadmium selenide, or quantum dots (QDs), in particular have been popular because of their ease of synthesis, customizable photoluminescence properties throughout the visible wavelengths, and high quantum yields. Many proposed applications for QDs, however, requires their being integrated into a host of different, often unfriendly environments, such as aqueous buffers of widely varying pH for biological sensing, or even the high-energy ionizing radiation found beyond our atmosphere for space applications. Ultimately, the unique properties of a QD must be stable to these changing conditions if they are to wear these many hats for emerging technologies. This seminar will discuss different synthetic routes toward QD synthesis and look at how structure may influence various optical properties of a QD. Finally, I will present a unique application of QDs embedded inside dielectric polystyrene microspheres for enhanced sensing of surface molecules.
Travis Jennings , Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto.
Materials Bldg, Rm. B307. (NIST Contact: Robert Cook, 301-975-3207, robert.cook@nist.gov)

6/16/08 11:00 AM - CSTL AND PL SEMINAR: Achievements and Future Challenges for Monitoring Climate Change
The latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change identifies the major sources of radiative forcing in the atmosphere and their principal sources of uncertainty. Several national measurement institutes (NMIs) from around the world are working with internationally-recognized atmospheric monitoring laboratories to provide measurement results that are stable, comparable and coherent. The need and critical role of internationally-recognized measurement standards will be discussed. The global debate also involves strategies for mitigation of climate change effects. Needs for measurements and standards for assessing and underpinning these include: • support for "carbon" trading schemes, • global monitoring of trace species (eg volatile organic compounds), • very high accuracy measurements of oxygen required to determine the role of biomass in the global carbon budget, and • quantifying the radiative properties of aerosols. The talk will emphasize how the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) provides an open, transparent, and comprehensive system for comparing the measurement capabilities that underpin services that NMIs provide to the climate change measurement community.
Martin Milton , National Physical Laboratory, U.K..
Administration Building, Green Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Willie May, 301-975-8300, wem@nist.gov)

6/19/08 11:00 AM - MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LABORATORY LECTURE SERIES: Solving the Biopharmaceutical Stability Problem
Biopharmaceuticals, (therapeutic proteins) represent a significant and growing component of the pharmaceuticals market. U.S. sales of biopharmaceuticals were in excess of $40 B in 2006, and are expected to exceed $90 B in 2009. These proteinaceous drugs have important benefits over their more traditional small molecule counterparts in that they can have significantly reduced propensity for undesirable side effects due to extremely high specificity (and thus low cross-reactivity), and very little chance for toxicity in metabolic breakdown products. Biopharmaceuticals are, however, difficult to manufacture, with a 36% failure rate of promising biopharmaceuticals in manufacturing. Proteins must be stabilized for shipment and storage as part of the manufacturing process, and this stabilization step is a significant source of difficulty. Although lyophilization (freeze-drying) is in widespread use for stabilizing these therapeutic proteins, there are no rational approaches to formulation or truly reliable methods for predicting stability of a protein in a particular freeze-dried (glassy) formulation. As a result, much time is lost in formulation, and many promising proteinaceous drug candidates go untested for want of sufficient stability even to perform initial trials. Several analytical methods have been developed for characterizing the freeze-dried, sugar-based glasses that are used to stabilize proteins, but these have met with mixed results, and is has been clear that something was missing. In this presentation I will describe methods development work that is aimed at filling out the set of characterization tools needed to predict function of these protein-preserving glasses. This work, based largely on results from neutron scattering and measurement of hydrogen bond network lifetimes, has already led to a much more complete picture of the important physical parameters that impact protein stability in the glass. Furthermore, the methods we are developing are straightforward and simple to implement, and thus show promise for significantly streamlining the lyophilization formulations process.
Marcus Cicerone , Research Chemist.
Administration Bldg, Employees Lounge. (NIST Contact: Bill Boettinger, 301-975-6160, william.boettinger@nist.gov)

6/20/08 2:00 PM - ELECTRON AND OPTICAL PHYSICS DIVISION SEMINAR: A New Technique for Electron Transport Calculations with Applications to Fabricated Graphene Nanoribbons with Defects
We present a new general technique for calculating the Green's functions of a tight-binding lattice. Benefits of the technique allow us to dramatically improve the efficiency of calculating coherent electron transport through lattices with defects. We take advantage of these benefits to describe conductivity through graphene nanoribbons with scatterers and unclean edges which are modelled on realistic fabrication methods. These calculations demonstrate a number of interesting statistical phenomena that will prove useful to experimentalists who hope to construct devices from these nanowires and theorists hoping to communicate with experimental reality.
Douglas Mason , Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Radiation Physics Bldg, Rm. B105. (NIST Contact: Charles Clark, 301-975-3709, charles.clark@nist.gov) AMO Physics Rapid Deployment Force Seminar
Special Assistance Available

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MEETINGS ELSEWHERE


6/9 -- MONDAY

11:00 AM - CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON/GEOPHYSICAL LAB. SEMINAR: TBA
L. Dubrovinsky , Universitat Bayerisch, Bayreuth, Germany.
Bldg, Rm..
Greenewalt Bldg., GL-DTM Grounds, Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC. (NIST Contact: R. Hemley, 202-478-8900, seminar@lists.ciw.edu)



6/10 -- TUESDAY

11:00 AM - CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON/GEOPHYSICAL LAB. SEMINAR: ATMOSPHERIC CO2 AND O2 CONCENTRATIONS IN DEEP TIME: DIRECT EVIDENCE
H. Bao , Louisiana State Univ..
Bldg, Rm..
Greenewalt Bldg., GL-DTM Grounds, Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC. (NIST Contact: R. Hemley, 202-478-8900, seminar@lists.ciw.edu)



6/11 -- WEDNESDAY

No Scheduled Events

6/12 -- THURSDAY

No Scheduled Events

6/13 -- FRIDAY

No Scheduled Events

ADVANCE NOTICE

No Scheduled Events

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TALKS BY NIST PERSONNEL

NAVE, G. (Co-Authors: C.J.Sansonetti , NIST C.I.Szabo , Univ. P&M Curie, Paris, France) : ATOMIC OSCILLATOR STRENGTHS IN THE VACUUM ULTRAVIOLET.
212th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 6/2.

HUNT, F. : SENSITIVITY AND CONVERGENCE OF A MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT ALGORITHM.
Conference on Innovations in Undergraduate Research and Teaching, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 6/4.

CHAKA, A. : NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE FOREST AND PAPER PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.
NSTI (Nano Science and Technology Institute) Nanotech 2008 Conference, Hynes Convention Center, Boston MA, 6/4.

OHNO, Y. : ANSI C78.377 CHROMATICITY OF SSL PRODUCTS AND CIE ACTIVITIES.
Council for Optical Radiation Measurements (CORM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 6/9.

WU, W. : MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF TOUGHNESS ENHANCEMENT TO HYDROGELS.
International Polymer Physics Conference, Xiamen, China, 6/9.

LIN, M. : QUANTITATIVE OPTICAL MEDICAL IMAGING PROGRAM AT NIST.
CORM (Council for Optical Radiation Measurements) 2008 Conference, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, 6/9.

MILLER, C. : INSTANT RETROREFLECTION MEASUREMENTS – PREPARED IN 1 MINUTE.
Council for Optical Radiation Measurement Annual Meeting (CORM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 6/10.

HIGHT WALKER, A. : NIST PROGRAM IN NANO EHS (ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUES).
The American Ceramic Society, EHS Issues in Nanomaterials Workshop, Crystal City VA, 6/10.

DAVIS, W. : IMPROVING COLOR RENDERING ASSESSMENT OF SOURCES: INTERNATIONAL STANDARDIZATION WORK AND NIST RESEARCH.
Council for Optical Radiation Measurements, Darrin Communications Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 6/10.

GILLEN, G. : FUNDAMENTALS AND APPLICATIONS OF CLUSTER SIMS.
30th Annual Symposium on Applied Surface Analysis, State College, PA, Pennsylvania State College, 6/11.

NADAL, M. : MEASUREMENT PROTOCOLS FOR OPTICALLY ACTIVE PIGMENTED COATINGS.
Optical Radiation Measurement Annual Meeting (CORM), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 6/11.

SZAKAL, C. : DESORPTION ELECTROSPRAY IONIZATION MASS SPECTROMETRY.
30th Annual Symposium on Applied Surface Analysis, State College,PA, Pennsylvania State University, PA, 6/12.

WU, W. : TODAY'S PHOTORESISTS AND THEIR RESOLUTION LIMIT.
Fudan University of Shanghai, Shanghai, China, 6/13.

MITCHELL, W. : APPLICATION OF A PARALLEL FINITE ELEMENT CODE TO CONFINED INTERACTING ATOMS.
2008 SIAM Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 7/9.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

TECHNIPUBS
Due to technical issues, the NIST TechniPubs is being taken off line. To locate NIST publications, search the NIST Research Library's Online Catalog on the NVL (http://www.nist.gov/nvl) To get help searching the Online Catalog, please contact the Information Desk at library@nist.gov.
NIST Contact: Information Desk, 301-975-3052, library@nist.gov

VISITOR REGISTRATION FOR NIST EVENTS
Because of heightened security at the NIST Gaithersburg site, members of the public who wish to attend meetings, seminars, lectures, etc. must first register in advance. For more information please call or e-mail the "NIST Contact" for the particular event you would like to attend.
NIST Contact: . ., ., .

2008 WORLD STANDARDS DAY PAPER COMPETITION
The U.S. standards community will celebrate World Standards Day on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. The theme for this year's celebration, "Intelligent and Sustainable Buildings," recognizes the critical role of standards and conformity assessment programs in ensuring safety requirements; facilitating coordination among contractors, builders, engineers, and architects; and incorporating new technologies in design and construction. In conjunction with this year's event, the 2008 World Standards Day sponsors, including NIST will hold the annual paper competition. The 2008 World Standards Day Paper Competition invites papers that use specific examples to show ways that standards and conformity assessment programs are used for intelligent and sustainable buildings. Paper competition winners will be announced and given their awards at the US celebration of World Standards Day. The first place winner will receive a plaque and $2,500. Second and third place winners will receive $1,000 and $500, respectively, along with a certificate. In addition, the winning papers will be published in SES's journal, "Standards Engineering." ELIGIBILITY: The competition is open to U.S.-based individuals in the private sector, government, or academia. Papers may be co-authored. RULES: Entries must be original and not previously published. NIST papers must be processed through WERB or BERB. All paper contest submissions must be received with an official entry form by midnight on August 29, 2008, by the SES Executive Director, 13340 SW 96th Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33176. Complete details and official entry forms are available on the SES website www.ses-standards.org (follow the link for "2008 WSD Paper Competition.") For additional information about the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day, or to register for the event, please visit www.wsd-us.org.
NIST Contact: Mary Donaldson, 301-975-6197, mary.donaldson@nist.gov

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NIST WEB SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS

No Web Site announcements this week.

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For more information, contact Ms. Sharon Hallman, Editor, Stop 2500, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg MD 20899-2500; Telephone: 301-975-TCAL (3570); Fax: 301-926-4431; or Email: tcal@nist.gov.

All lectures and meetings are open unless otherwise stated.

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