Focal plane of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) camera.
Where research happens

Joint institutes & centers

SLAC is known for building big sophisticated machines for teasing out the secrets of the universe. They give researchers new eyes on the world, spurring discoveries that spark new inventions in a continuous cycle. In our joint research centers and facilities, SLAC and Stanford team up to tackle important scientific problems and train the next generation of scientists.

I believe working with a diverse group of students, postdocs, staff and faculty will fuel our creativity and deepen the impact of the research that we do. Creativity, diversity and inclusion go hand in hand.”

William Cheuh Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and of Energy Sciences & Engineering, Stanford Faculty Scientist, Energy Sciences Directorate, SLAC Senior Fellow, Precourt Institute for Energy Photo - William Chueh (Matt Beardsley)
Electric car graphic.

Materials for society 

Developing the materials we need to improve our quality of life

SIMES does the basic materials research needed to develop technologies that generate, store and transmit energy more efficiently. It doubles as the Materials Science Division of SLAC.

 

Visit SIMES website

See latest SIMES news     
 

Inspection of the LSST Camera optic filters

Eyes on the universe

Bringing cosmic mysteries into focus

KIPAC is dedicated to increasing our understanding of the universe – including the nature of dark energy and dark matter, spectacular phenomena like black holes and gamma-ray bursts and the structure and evolution of the cosmos. 

 

Visit KIPAC website

See latest KIPAC news  

Find the latest KIPAC annual report    
 

Raymond Sierra aligning key components of the imaging setup used at the Coherent X-ray Imaging (CXI) experimental station.

Ultrafast science 

Watching nature in action on the smallest and speediest scales

PULSE researchers use the LCLS X-ray free-electron laser to explore things like chemical reactions and molecular movements at the level of atoms and on incredibly fast time scales.

 

Visit PULSE website

See latest PULSE news

Grad student McKenzie Hubert watches electrolyzer at work

Sustainable chemistry 

Designing catalysts to make chemical reactions cleaner and more efficient

A partnership between SLAC and the Stanford School of Engineering, SUNCAT focuses on the atom-by-atom design of catalysts to accelerate chemical reactions we need to generate and store energy in more planet friendly ways.

 

Visit SUNCAT website

See latest SUNCAT news

Cornelius Gati working on a Tuberculosis samples at the Cryo-EM facility

Advanced imaging 

Peering deep into the molecular machinery of living things

We operate one of the most advanced facilities in the world for cryogenic electron microscopy and tomography, and our experts help the scientific community take full advantage of these powerful imaging technologies.

 

Visit CryoEM website

See latest Cryo-EM news

Illustration showing a battery researcher at left, a battery at center and a grid of battery applications at right.

Battery research 

Targeting roadblocks to a sustainable energy transition

This new battery research center will bring together the resources and expertise of the national lab, the university and Silicon Valley to accelerate the deployment of batteries and other energy storage solutions as part of the energy transition that’s essential for addressing climate change.

 

Visit Battery Center website

See latest battery news

Dig deeper

Related projects and news

News Feature

An energy systems engineer, Cezar helps bridge advanced energy research and applications.

Portrait of Gustavo Cezar
News Feature

The Aqueous Battery Consortium of Stanford, SLAC, and 13 others seeks to overcome the limitations of a battery using water as its electrolyte.

News Feature

A materials chemist and SLAC associate scientist, Preefer is excited about the synergies being sparked at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center. 

Headshot Molleigh Preefer at SSRL
News Feature

An energy systems engineer, Cezar helps bridge advanced energy research and applications.

Portrait of Gustavo Cezar
News Feature

The Aqueous Battery Consortium of Stanford, SLAC, and 13 others seeks to overcome the limitations of a battery using water as its electrolyte.

News Feature

A materials chemist and SLAC associate scientist, Preefer is excited about the synergies being sparked at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center. 

Headshot Molleigh Preefer at SSRL
News Feature

Seen in atomic detail, the seemingly smooth flow of ions through a battery’s electrolyte is a lot more complicated.

Photo of the laser lab apparatus used in the hopping ions experiment.
News Feature

Strongly interacting electrons in quantum materials carry heat and charge in a way that’s surprisingly similar to what individual electrons do in normal metals...

An illustration shows electrons transporting heat from a warmer to a cooler area of a material.
News Feature

A groundbreaking study shows defects spreading through diamond faster than the speed of sound 

Shocking a diamond with a high-power laser produced defects that propagated faster than the speed of sound.