SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory The official account of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy National Lab operated by Stanford University.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is the U.S. Department of Energy's Silicon Valley national lab, operated by Stanford University. Since its opening in 1962, SLAC has been helping create the future. We built the world’s longest particle accelerator, discovered some of the fundamental building blocks of matter and created the first website in North America. Our top-notch research facilities attr

act thousands of scientists from all over the world each year. Along with our own staff scientists, they’re working to discover new drugs for healing, new materials for electronics and new ways to produce clean energy and clean up the environment. SLAC’s revolutionary X-ray laser is revealing intimate details of atoms and chemical reactions and making stop-motion movies of this tiny realm, with the goal of doing the same for living cells. Our scientists are also exploring the cosmos, from the origin of the universe to the nature of dark energy, and developing the smaller, more efficient particle accelerators of the future. We built the world's largest digital camera which is now installed in the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory and will capture the cosmos like never before. Four scientists have been awarded Nobel prizes for work done at SLAC, and more than 1,000 scientific papers are published each year based on research at the lab. As our second half-century unfolds, we’re just getting started.

Magnets can dim a worm's glow 🧲 🪱 SLAC and Stanford University researchers have proven that static magnets and radio fre...
09/14/2026

Magnets can dim a worm's glow 🧲 🪱

SLAC and Stanford University researchers have proven that static magnets and radio frequencies can be used to control the red fluorescence of genetically modified C. elegens worms.

A red fluorescent protein, which originates from corals, acts as a quantum biosensor similar to birds perceiving earth’s magnetic fields for migration and possibly circadian rhythms in humans.

This experiment was the first to demonstrate in live animals how the presence of a static magnet dimmed the fluorescent red glow of the worms, while the introduction of radio-frequencies increased it. The results present exciting possibilities for using this quantum sensing effect in future imaging and control of biological processes.

09/10/2026

The LUX-ZEPELIN experiment recently observed something unexpected, and it’s the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date.

SLAC researchers helped to build and test the LUX-ZEPLIN or LZ detector, and continue to contribute to operations and analysis of its growing datasets.

“The team at SLAC has made vital contributions to the data analysis and physics results since LZ turned on,” said Ann Wang, a Panofsky Fellow at SLAC who serves as co-deputy physics coordinator for LZ. “The students, postdoctoral researchers and staff across the years have driven improvements across almost all aspects of LZ data analysis, from the event reconstruction to the background modeling.”

The latest from LZ: https://lnkd.in/g-4wTa-E

Dedicated. in 1967, five years after construction began, was SLAC’s dedication day. Our linear particle accelerator – f...
09/09/2026

Dedicated.

in 1967, five years after construction began, was SLAC’s dedication day. Our linear particle accelerator – first dubbed Project M aka "the Monster" – celebrated the official opening of the massive two-mile-long linear accelerator.

What happened last month?New updates in the search for dark matter, ultrafast electrons & lasers open possibilities for ...
09/08/2026

What happened last month?

New updates in the search for dark matter, ultrafast electrons & lasers open possibilities for imaging, squeezing batteries keeps them from short-circuiting, & an AI neural network!

The latest Signals newsletter: https://bit.ly/4cvR14P

09/08/2026

Data centers consume power and shed heat.

SLAC and Stanford researchers measured heat dissipation in liquid crystals – a collection of interacting components similar to those of a computer – as a first step toward more energy efficient computing & data centers and chips that run cooler by design.

Learn more: https://stanford.io/4dnWx9S

Bold people. Visionary Science. Real impact.This Labor Day we thank the people who make it all possible, enabling us to ...
09/07/2026

Bold people. Visionary Science. Real impact.

This Labor Day we thank the people who make it all possible, enabling us to explore how the universe works at the biggest, smallest and fastest scales.

, NBC Bay Area stopped by SLAC to report on the potential dark matter mystery announced by the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment ea...
09/05/2026

, NBC Bay Area stopped by SLAC to report on the potential dark matter mystery announced by the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment earlier this week.
Learn more: stanford.io/4gvEi4D

Surrounded by wildlife at SLAC! 🦌 🦅 🦎 This National Wildlife Day, take a look at some of the candid shots taken by SLAC ...
09/04/2026

Surrounded by wildlife at SLAC! 🦌 🦅 🦎

This National Wildlife Day, take a look at some of the candid shots taken by SLAC staff around the lab.

Sensors that detect radiation often pick up on the iconic “glow” - but does another signal come first? A SLAC/Stanford U...
09/03/2026

Sensors that detect radiation often pick up on the iconic “glow” - but does another signal come first?

A SLAC/Stanford University research team used ultrafast electrons and lasers from our X-ray laser to find out. They first sent charged electrons into semiconductor samples, then probed that with ultrafast laser pulses, and saw an unexpected result.

The charge carriers within the material were crowded together in local, dense pockets, changing how semiconductors absorb and transmit light. If these effects show up at lower-energy systems – like imaging systems that could potentially be used at a physician’s office – that could ultimately lead to new imaging technologies capable of real-time disease monitoring and diagnosis: https://stanford.io/4yntLP2

Could this unexpected signal be our first detection of dark matter?The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment, world-leading dark matter ...
09/01/2026

Could this unexpected signal be our first detection of dark matter?

The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment, world-leading dark matter detector, has observed a particle interaction that is the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date.

A new analysis from the experiment recorded a single particle interaction that is difficult to explain with known background signals from normal matter. It could be interpreted as a signal from weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs, a leading dark matter candidate.

Researchers at SLAC and Stanford University have helped shape the experiment since it was first proposed. Learn more: https://stanford.io/4ybC9kr

Image credit [1-3, 5]: Matthew Kapust/Sanford Underground Research
Facility
Image credit [4]: Stephen Kenny/Sanford Underground Research
Facility

Address

2575 Sand Hill Rd
Menlo Park, CA
94025

Telephone

+16509263300

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory:

Shortcuts

Share

Category