Harvard Synchrotron Research Laboratory

The Harvard Synchrotron Research Laboratory was a facility focused on advanced scientific research using a synchrotron—an apparatus that produces intense, focused X-ray beams. These high-energy X-rays allow scientists to probe the structure of materials at the atomic and molecular levels. By understanding the arrangement of atoms in various substances, researchers can develop new materials, chemicals, or medicines. The lab was a key site for early synchrotron research and helped advance techniques used in physics, chemistry, and biology, contributing significantly to our knowledge of matter at a fundamental level.