Advancing science by design

The Engineering Division provides essential technical expertise and transformative technologies that power scientific discovery. The Division creates innovative tools, instruments, and solutions to further scientific research, contributing to the Department of Energy’s mission to study new materials, address energy and environmental challenges, and advance fundamental science.

Two researchers working at a laboratory workbench with precision equipment, one gesturing while the other sits at a computer workstation. Researchers inspect a mirror chamber at the CXRO beamline at the Advanced Light Source.

The Division collaborates with researchers to enable groundbreaking science, designing and building the detectors that enable cutting-edge physics experiments, and pushing accelerator and beamline engineering frontiers. Capabilities include accelerator engineering, detector systems and custom electronics, fabrication and manufacturing, and project execution.

 Researchers conduct testing on heat pump water heaters at FLEXLAB®.

From building some of the largest physics detectors in the world to fabricating parts that are on the nano- or micron-scale, the Engineering Division plays a key role in major projects and programs throughout Berkeley Lab. Engineers and technologists are embedded within scientific divisions, serving as key members of science project teams.

 Two researchers working on an electronic circuit board at a lab bench, surrounded by testing equipment and connected wiring.

The Division is organized around five core engineering disciplines, represented by Departments within the organization. This structure enables it to deliver targeted support to key scientific areas: Mechanical Engineering; Electronics, Software, and Instrumentation; Manufacturing Engineering; Computer-Aided Design (CAD); and Project Planning and Controls. In addition, we collaborate with the ATAP division to lead a center of excellence for high performance magnet systems.

 GRETA assembled for final testing. A computer numerical control (CNC) machine in Berkeley Lab Engineering’s Building 77 traces the intricate groove pattern for a superconducting cable into an aluminum-bronze mandrel. Ernesto Paiser, ALS Instrument Software Support Group Lead, pictured with the new no-code interlock system. Soren Prestemon looks over the winding tooling design used for the Electron Cyclotron Resonance sextupole magnets.

Recent Publications