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Government institution · Gaithersburg · United States

Physical Measurement Laboratory

In research, Physical Measurement Laboratory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#3,923 of 12,888 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Physics and Astronomy — Physics and Astronomy is 11.7× its share of world research.

nist.gov/pmlROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#6,584
of 28,054 · #8,056 all time
Rank in United States
#882
of 4,192
Research works
444
▲ 54% vs 2013–17
Citations
9.1k
20.6 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
13.8%
record average 16.5%
Open access
48%
world 28%

What is Physical Measurement Laboratory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #3,923 of 12,888 13.1%81 #5100

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Physical Measurement Laboratory sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

What does Physical Measurement Laboratory specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Physics and Astronomy takes 11.7× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Physics and AstronomyField · 24.9 works12×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.13× its world share, 1 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.95× its world share, 5 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.03× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.29× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 3.98× its world share, 1 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 2.27× its world share, 3 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.57× its world share, 4 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.74× its world share, 1 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.39× its world share, 0 worksEnergyEngineering: 1.99× its world share, 28 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.55× its world share, 3 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 4.52× its world share, 15 worksMaterials SciencePhysics and Astronomy: 11.73× its world share, 25 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.36× its world share, 1 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.29× its world share, 5 worksMedicineNursing: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.08× its world share, 0 worksArts and HumanitiesDecision Sciences: 1.11× its world share, 1 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.05× its world share, 0 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 11.7×. Every wedge is a field page.

Which keywords describe research at Physical Measurement Laboratory?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Biosensors, Optical Modulators, Nonlinear Optics, Microresonators, Spintronics, Silicon Photonics, Nanoparticles and Integrated Circuits.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Biosensors8▲ 16×10 topics
  2. Nanoparticles5▲ 4.1×15 topics
  3. Optical Modulators5▲ 34×3 topics
  4. Nonlinear Optics5▲ 43×4 topics
  5. Microresonators4▲ 54×3 topics
  6. Silicon Photonics4▲ 37×2 topics
  7. Spintronics4▲ 31×4 topics
  8. Integrated Circuits4▲ 24×2 topics
  9. Nanocomposites3▲ 4.4×6 topics
  10. Microcavities3▲ 31×2 topics
  11. Raman Lasers3▲ 31×2 topics
  12. Nanophotonic Waveguides3▲ 34×1 topic
  13. Whispering Gallery Mode3▲ 34×1 topic
  14. Fiber Lasers3▲ 33×3 topics
  15. Graphene3▲ 4.7×7 topics
  16. Quantum Computing3▲ 30×3 topics
  17. Carbon Nanotubes3▲ 8.4×5 topics
  18. Microwave Photonics3▲ 32×2 topics
  19. Optical Frequency Combs3▲ 50×1 topic
  20. Superconductivity3▲ 16×8 topics
  21. Two-Dimensional Materials3▲ 12×4 topics
  22. Ultrafast Lasers3▲ 50×1 topic
  23. Electronic Structure3▲ 15×8 topics
  24. Raman Spectroscopy3▲ 14×4 topics
  25. Spectroscopy3▲ 16×7 topics
  26. Tomography3▲ 15×4 topics
  27. Electron Spin2▲ 70×1 topic
  28. Magnetic Resonance Imaging2▲ 10×6 topics
  29. Metamaterials2▲ 19×4 topics
  30. Molecular Dynamics2▲ 16×6 topics
  31. Photonic Crystals2▲ 21×5 topics
  32. Semiconductor Quantum Dots2▲ 70×1 topic
  33. Entanglement2▲ 17×4 topics
  34. Imaging2▲ 9.5×5 topics
  35. Nanostructures2▲ 5.8×10 topics
  36. Solar Cells2▲ 11×6 topics
  37. Nanocrystals2▲ 7.6×5 topics
  38. Room Temperature2▲ 13×3 topics
  39. Thin Films2▲ 10×5 topics
  40. Transparent Conductors2▲ 15×2 topics

Which research topics does Physical Measurement Laboratory publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Photonic and Optical Devices, Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies, Quantum and electron transport phenomena and Graphene research and applications.

Photonic and Optical Devices: 3 fractional worksAdvanced Fiber Laser Technologies: 3 fractional worksQuantum and electron tra…2Quantum and electron transport phenomena: 2 fractional worksGraphene research and ap…2Graphene research and applications: 2 fractional worksNuclear Physics and Applications: 2 fractional worksAdvanced MRI Techniques and Applications: 1 fractional worksSpectroscopy and Laser A…1Spectroscopy and Laser Applications: 1 fractional worksMagnetic properties of thin films: 1 fractional worksAdvanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications: 1 fractional worksScientific Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation: 1 fractional works
Electrical and Electronic EngineeringAtomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsMaterials ChemistryRadiation4 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Photonic and Optical Devices Electrical and Electronic Engineering 3 works
  2. 2 Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 3 works
  3. 3 Quantum and electron transport phenomena Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 2 works
  4. 4 Graphene research and applications Materials Chemistry 2 works
  5. 5 Nuclear Physics and Applications Radiation 2 works
  6. 6 Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging 1 works
  7. 7 Spectroscopy and Laser Applications Spectroscopy 1 works
  8. 8 Magnetic properties of thin films Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 1 works
  9. 9 Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications Structural Biology 1 works
  10. 10 Scientific Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty 1 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available48.0%not open52.0%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors25.5%domestic only74.5%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Physical Measurement Laboratory's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 54% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Gaithersburg

All research institutions in Gaithersburg

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.