Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany’s national metrology institute, is a scientific and technical higher federal authority falling under the competence of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie – BMWi). With its scientific and technical service tasks, PTB measures with the highest accuracy and reliability. It is responsible for representation and dissemination of the units and ensures the unity of measurements. PTB undertakes fundamental and applied research in the area of metrology in order to fulfill its tasks.

The working group Electromagnetic Fields and Antenna Measuring Techniques, formerly headed by PD Dr. Thomas Kleine-Ostmann, is responsible for field probe calibration, electromagnetic compatibility testing and antenna characterization. Research in the working group aims at establishing traceability for radio frequency measurement quantities ranging into the mm-wave and sub-mm-wave range. In particular, measurement techniques for signal properties based on oscilloscope measurements and for antennas and the transmission channel based on vector network analysis are developed.

In the Meteracom project, PTB works on establishing traceability to the SI for the measurements needed for the design and operation of THz Communication Systems including channel sounding and optical sampling techniques.