New laboratories for world-renowned science

JILA, a joint institute of the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology that has produced three Nobel Prize winners since 2001, has opened a new wing with advanced laboratories for its world-renowned science.

"With the laboratory environment so much better controlled -- and I'm talking about vibrations, room temperature, electromagnetic noise, more stable cooling water and power, everything -- our researchers can concentrate on what really matters, the experiments themselves," said Nobel laureate Eric Cornell, chair of JILA. "Everything we could do in the old labs, we'll be able to do a little, maybe a lot, better in the new labs."

The new six-story wing of the joint institute located on the CU-Boulder campus will add 56,065 gross square feet including laboratory space in the basement and first floor. Because highly precise laser experiments require a highly stable environment, the basement laboratories are built on special 2-foot-thick concrete that transmits less vibration than regular concrete. In addition, each of these labs has access to a special hallway with completely separate spring-loaded flooring where pumps and other mechanical equipment can operate without disturbing experiments in the laboratory.

To read the full story from the University of Colorado Boulder.