News

Interview with Marek Smid, Chair of the Technical Committee for Photometry and Radiometry (TC-PR)

EURAMET: Marek, World Metrology Day and the Year of Light emphasise the key role of light and optical technologies in our daily lives. Do you have some examples where these technologies have an effect on all of us?

Marek Smid: Oh yes, indeed. I guess truly the most visible example is the technology of LED-based lamps and luminaires, replacing all traditional light sources in Europe in the last couple of years. Their application both for interior lighting and street lighting makes our houses and streets certainly less energy demanding and, as well, more comfortable from a visual perception point of view.

The second example might be visual displays. The incredibly advanced specifications found in each smart phone and new TV today were hardly achievable 10 years ago. But these two examples are only tip of the iceberg. The list is endless: the global communications network, including the World Wide Web, wouldn't work without optical cables and fibre optics technology. Satellite-based Earth Observation systems bringing key data for mathematical weather models receive almost 80% of measured parameters via optical measurements. Emerging technologies of optical quantum communication and optical quantum computation have got the potential to change our world completely.

In fact, maybe it would be difficult to find an aspect of our lives completely untouched by light and optical technologies. 

EURAMET: Why is metrology important for light-based technologies?

Marek Smid: For many of these technologies accurate knowledge of the absolute power of applied optical radiation and its spectral composition is crucial. That is why almost all optical technology systems are equipped by numerous transfer standard detectors, standard optical materials or standard optical radiation sources which all need metrological traceability. The role of metrology is not only to provide traceability at the current state-of-the art level but to also develop, characterise and optimise new optical standards and further refine the measurement procedures. And believe me the impact of better metrology here can be really significant. 

EURAMET: What is EURAMET doing to support further development in that area?

Marek Smid: A lot. EURAMET's contribution in this area is coordinated by our Technical Committee for Photometry and Radiometry and its long term strategy is systematically investigated in the Sub-Committee for strategic planning. These bodies help to direct research to the most relevant topics. To tackle the urgent metrology problems in this field inevitably leads to very narrow cross-NMI collaboration and smart specialisation.

This trend, largely supported by the European Metrology Research Programmes, concluded almost naturally in forming six cross-NMI consortia dealing with research in, for our field, the most relevant directions: Quantum optics, Optical metrology for Earth observation and meteorology, SI oriented basic research, Energy conservation and efficient production and Innovation for visual appearance measurement.

14 completed or currently running Joint Research Projects reflect the global character of research in our field by broad intercontinental collaboration with our partners in the US and Asia-Pacific area. Research in metrology for Optical Technologies is one of the most dynamic fields and EURAMET is supporting the leading edge.

For further information visit EURAMET's TC for Photometry and Radiometry or www.worldmetrologyday.org and www.light2015.org