National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Scientist in Charge: Fernando Castro
NPL is the UK’s dominant National Measurement Institute (NMI) and the Governments largest directly owned science and technology (S&T) asset (www.npl.co.uk). NPL is a multi-disciplinary S&T organisation with broad S&T capability, combined with extensive capability and experience in Knowledge Transfer. NPL’s core mission is to underpin the National Measurement System (NMS), ensuring measurements are consistent, achieve an accuracy fit for purpose throughout the UK and are internationally accepted. The role of NPL is to deliver world-class measurement S&T, to provide measurement and standards infrastructure for the UK and to maximise the impact that this science and infrastructure has on the UK economy and quality of life. Currently it has more than 700 employees.
The ‘Electronic & Magnetic Materials Group’ is concerned with the measurement and characterisation of materials and devices to support the development and commercialisation of new technologies. We have a particular interest in developing novel techniques for characterising nanoelectronic materials, where the need for quantitative and precise measurements presents a huge technical challenge. Scanning Probe Microscopy is a key family of techniques and NPL has extensive experience in the use of a wide variety of advanced modes including dimensional, electrical, electrochemical, thermal, and tip-enhanced spectroscopic measurements.
