On the calibration of DC resistance ratio bridges

Abstract

Current comparator bridges are employed for the realization of the resistance scale from the quantum Hall effect in several National Metrology Institutes and calibration centers. Quantum resistance standards under development, based on novel materials and tabletop dry cryostats, make the more achievable DC current comparator bridges (DCCs) a viable alternative to the more accurate but more expensive cryogenic current comparator bridges (CCCs). A DCC ratios’ calibration against a reference CCC is a straightforward way to improve the DCC’s performances and the resistance scale overall accuracy.The paper reports the calibration results of two DCCs on the ratios employed in a 1Ω to 10kΩ resistance scale traceable to a 12.906kΩ quantized Hall resistance, showing a good reproducibility and stability of the DCC readings over the measurement period and supporting the possibility of a DCC errors’ correction and of a realization of the primary resistance scale at the 10-8 level.