DOE dedicates National Synchrotron Light Source II

The National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), deemed the world's most advanced light source, was dedicated Feb. 6 by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Ernest Moniz at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

NSLS-II will allow scientists to continue the 32-year legacy of research at Brookhaven’s first National Synchrotron Light Source.

The $912 million NSLS-II facility produces bright beams of X-ray, ultraviolet and infrared light used to examine a wide range of materials.

"The research performed at NSLS-II will probe the fundamental structure of novel materials and help drive the development of low-cost, low-carbon energy technologies, spark advances in environmental science and spur medical breakthroughs," Moniz said.

"The successful completion of this crucial component of the United States’ research infrastructure will ensure that top researchers from across the country will have access to the needed facilities to drive key scientific and technological advances in the 21st century," Moniz said.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a supporter of NSLS-II, said it will benefit Long Island, the state of New York and America as a whole.

"Brookhaven National Lab is home to some of the world’s brightest minds and most cutting-edge innovations, which both advance human knowledge and spur our economy," Schumer said.

The DOE is a Cabinet-level department concerned with the U.S. policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material.