Processes related to the measurement of certain physical quantities, including pressure and temperature, play a fundamental role in many scientific and industrial applications that require extremely clean and well-controlled environments, including the semiconductor, photovoltaic, and pharmaceutical industries, nanotechnology, surface engineering, and food packaging.
In particular, pressure measurement is also a key diagnostic tool and control parameter in many applications and processes for climate control in critical environments such as cleanrooms, hospitals, and biological/medical research laboratories. Furthermore, in many situations, including power plants and nuclear and toxic waste storage, it is essential to assess gas pressure as accurately as possible to meet stringent safety and sterility requirements.
Current conventional pressure standards operate using mechanical systems that realize the Pascal in terms of force per unit area. Recently, in accordance with the implementation of the new SI, a paradigm change is underway through which the most accurate pressure measurements will be based on the use of equations of state combined with optical methods.
In addition to maintaining and improving its traditional pressure and vacuum standards, INRiM is actively developing quantum-based optical methods for measuring pressure, and density, providing a significant contribution to the development of innovative devices based on Rayleigh scattering, multi-reflection interferometry and refractometry using Fabry-Pérot optical cavities.
