Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visits SLAC to explore groundbreaking science and technology innovations

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright kicked off a tour of Bay Area national labs with a visit to the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on May 27, engaging with students, staff, and users of some of the world’s most advanced scientific research facilities. Visit highlights included cutting-edge projects in X-ray and ultrafast science, fusion energy, quantum information science and microelectronics, and the physics of the universe, with key discussions on the role of artificial intelligence in these efforts.

“The work underway at SLAC exemplifies why America’s national labs continue to lead the world in science and innovation: from astrophysics, fusion energy research, and ultrafast high-energy X-rays, to AI-driven accelerator science and breakthroughs in microelectronics,” said Secretary Wright. “With President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Energy is committed to restoring the gold standard of American science and innovation and supporting work that strengthens our energy security.”

As a DOE Office of Science national laboratory managed by Stanford University, SLAC explores how the universe works, from the ultrafast motions of tiny atoms and molecules to the mysteries of our vast cosmos and its origin. Scientists around the globe come to SLAC to use advanced tools the lab invents and operates for these and other aims. Discussions emphasized the lab's commitment to scientific discovery and technology innovation across a wide range of disciplines.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to host Secretary Wright and showcase the expertise, creativity, and collaboration driving the real-world impact of our work,” said SLAC Director John Sarrao. “Through our strong partnership with the DOE and Stanford University, we enable research and technology that benefit the nation and are uniquely achievable here.”

Along with his accompanying delegation, the Secretary stopped by the accelerator control room, the nerve center of SLAC’s accelerator complex, where he learned how artificial intelligence and machine learning enhance accelerator performance, improve experimental precision, save valuable time on scientific instruments, and improve troubleshooting of complex accelerator systems.

The visit included stops at SLAC’s two X-ray light sources, both DOE Office of Science user facilities powered by the lab’s accelerators. Research conducted at these facilities fuels progress in fields such as chemistry and materials science, microelectronics, and quantum science.

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Scientists use ultrafast, high-energy X-ray beams from the newly upgraded Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s most powerful X-ray free-electron laser, to observe atomic and molecular changes as they unfold. Secretary Wright conversed with LCLS collaborators and learned how such capabilities, credited to SLAC’s leadership in the field of X-ray and ultrafast science, enable breakthroughs in areas such as fusion energy and advanced microelectronics, benefiting lab partners, the broader research community, and industry.

Extremely bright X-rays at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) allow researchers to investigate the structure of materials and biological samples, among many other kinds of research conducted at its experimental stations supported by expert beamline scientists. Secretary Wright heard from SSRL’s staff and users about the facility’s vital contributions to drug design and novel materials for batteries, semiconductors, and microelectronics. Research conducted here drives breakthroughs in real-world applications, from new pharmaceuticals to innovative materials for technology and energy.

The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Camera, the world’s largest digital camera, was custom-built by SLAC and recently installed at the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Secretary Wright visited the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), a joint institute of SLAC and Stanford University, where he gained insight into how Rubin will produce a 10-year survey to explore the origins of the universe, producing up to 500 petabytes of data, the equivalent of all the written content ever produced throughout human history. This data is then transferred to the U.S. Data Facility (USDF) at SLAC where initial processing begins, including sending alerts to other telescopes around the world. He also learned about how the lab continues to build on its Nobel Prize-winning history of fundamental physics research, carrying out a broad range of world-leading studies in elementary particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, including investigations of dark matter and neutrinos.

SLAC’s Arrillaga Science Center is a hub for innovation and home to groundbreaking facilities such as the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Detector Microfabrication Facility (DMF), and the SLAC-Stanford Cryo-EM Center. Strong partnerships with Stanford are foundational to the lab’s capabilities in energy and catalysis research; quantum and microelectronics device fabrication; the development of quantum devices for studies of fundamental physics questions, such as the nature of dark matter; and advanced techniques like cryo-electron microscopy that allow researchers to make detailed 3D images of the molecules of life. Images made with cryo-EM have given SLAC and Stanford researchers important new information about chicken pox, mosquito-transmitted diseases, and how organisms in nature assemble antibiotics, among many other things.

The lab visit concluded with a stop at the signature two-mile-long linear accelerator that is at the heart of much of SLAC’s research and a landmark signifying the lab’s innovative spirit and bold ideas. Throughout the visit, Secretary Wright interacted with early-career scientists, visiting researchers, and students who work together at SLAC to advance scientific and technological discovery.