Frequency Standards and Metrology

In this work, we attempt a philosophical approach to the measurement process motivated by the comments of Martin Heidegger on the poetry of F. Hölderlin about the relationship of the measure with poetry and human dwelling. We start with discussing the question “what is a measurement” in the context of the fundamental human effort to get familiar with the unknown world surrounding him/her. Then we focus on two fundamental features/limitations of the measurement process: a) the inevitable influence of the observation act and the design of measurement process on the results of measurement and b) the unattainable goal of the fully accurate measurement due to the omnipresence of noise.  These two features/limitations motivate us to investigate broader considerations and interpretations of the notion of measure and act of measurement. We initiate such an investigation based on a) the philosophical comments of M. Heidegger on the poetry of F. Holderlin and c ) the concept and role of measure and measurement in art and artistic practice in general. Our ultimate goal is to prepare and cause a cross-fertilization of the scientific with the philosophical/artistic approach to the measure and measurement process.


Keywords: Philosophy of measurement, accuracy, uncertainty of measurement, Heidegger, Poetry

Single-trapped-ion frequency standards based on a 282 nm transition in 199Hg+ and on a 267 nm transition in 27Al+ have been developed at NIST over the past several years. Their frequencies are measured relative to each other and to the NIST primary frequency standard, the NIST-F1 cesium fountain, by means of a self-referenced femtosecond laser frequency comb. Both ion standards