Leading the Field in Magnets

Over the decades, magnet research and development has brought together scientists, engineers, and technicians from across Berkeley Lab, particularly from the Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics (ATAP), Engineering, and Nuclear Science divisions. With combined expertise in magnet theory, materials, construction, and even the design of whole facilities, the lab has shaped every level of magnet science.

Here are some of the ways Berkeley Lab teams have made magnet history and are creating the magnets of the future:

When Lawrence invented the cyclotron, he unlocked a whole new way of doing physics. The approach uses a magnet to curve the paths of charged particles in a widening spiral, while an electric field pushes them faster with each pass. The first cyclotron would have fit in the palm of your hand, but larger and larger magnets allowed Berkeley Lab to quickly scale up, building machines that could accelerate particles to higher and higher energies. The breakthrough invention was recognized with a Nobel Prize in 1939.

The lab’s cyclotrons became powerful tools – not just for smashing atoms and studying the nucleus, but also for creating entirely new elements (such as berkelium) and producing medical radioisotopes. In 1937, Lawrence’s brother John used isotopes from the cyclotron to treat a bone marrow disorder, marking the first successful treatment of a human disease with radioisotopes. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates there are now more than 1500 cyclotron facilities around the world, many in hospitals to make the radiopharmaceuticals used to detect or treat cancer. Today, the lab’s 88-Inch Cyclotron remains a leading facility for nuclear physics research, as well as a crucial testbed for industry’s cutting-edge electronics.