National Standards Laboratory

VTT MIKES Metrology has designated Metrology Research Institute of Aalto as the National Standards Laboratory of Finland for optical quantities. The laboratory is thus responsible for the realization and the maintenance of optical quantities, such as spectral irradiance, luminous flux and spectral transmittance, in Finland. The National Standards Laboratory offers traceability for Finnish and international customers through its various calibration services, and constantly develops its measurement infrastructure in order to reach lower measurement uncertainties and to offer new measurement services. The research and calibration services of the National Standards Laboratory of Aalto are divided into three main branches, radiometry, photometry, and spectrophotometry.

Radiometry deals with measurements of electromagnetic radiation. The National Standards Laboratory of Aalto offers calibration and characterization services for both radiation sources and detectors. The laboratory has measurement setups for, e.g., spectral irradiance calibration lamp, solar panel and hyperspectral camera characterizations as well as a sophisticated multi-laser setup for detector and material studies.

Photometry focuses on measurement of lights as perceived by humans. The National Standards Laboratory of Aalto has an integrating sphere, 1.65 meters in diameter, for luminous flux and luminous efficacy measurements of light sources, an 8-meter long optical rail system for luminous intensity and illuminance calibrations, and an integrating-sphere-based source for luminance measurements. The photometric research in the laboratory focuses increasingly on improving the accuracy of LED measurements.

Spectrophotometry deals with optical properties of materials and objects, such as optical filters and diffusers. The National Standards Laboratory of Aalto has several goniometers for performing angularly and spectrally resolved measurements of transmittance, reflectance and fluorescence, as well as dedicated spectrophotometers for, e.g., filter calibrations.

Detailed information about the services and ongoing research projects of the National Standards Laboratory can be found at Metrology Research Institute page and more information about the calibration services can be found here.