Abstract: Fabry-Perot based refractometry is a powerful technique for pressure assessments that, due to the recent redefinition of the SI system, offers a new route to realizing the SI unit of pressure, the Pascal. In the talk, I will provide a short introduction to pressure metrology and attempt to explain the basics of Fabry-Perot based refractometry and how it can be used to realize the Pascal. I also will present some recent results highlighting both the potential of the technique as well as the future obstacles that need to be overcome before the technology is accepted as a new primary realization of the Pascal. To further spice up the presentation, I will, throughout the presentation, attempt to explain my own journey from laser cooling at NIST/JQI to pressure metrology.
Martin Zelan is an alumnus of the JQI and the Laser Cooling and Trapping Group. He is a senior scientist at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), a national laboratory that encompasses the Swedish National Metrology Institute, similar to NIST.