The SLAC factor: Silicon Valley’s high energy network

For centuries, the legendary star catalog of the Greek astronomer Hipparchus was considered a lost relic of history. Now, thanks to some ultra-sensitive imaging, researchers have finally unmasked the 2nd century B.C. coordinates hidden beneath layers of medieval text. How did they recover it? With high-energy physics. Catch Adam Mann’s cosmic playback for SN.

📜 Palimpsest physics: Reading between the lines

To understand how you read a “deleted” book first written over 2,000 years ago, you have to look at light beyond what the human eye can see. Researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) in Menlo Park, Calif., scanned a piece of reused parchment (known as a palimpsest) under different wavelengths — a technique called multispectral imaging. This unveiled traces of the original iron-based ink which had remained after the star map was scraped off and covered with other writing. They plan to use computer algorithms to further enhance what can be seen of the script. The technique, refined at high-energy labs, is now being used for everything from verifying fine art to analyzing the chemical composition of experimental batteries.

🔭 The SLAC factor

At the heart of this kind of imaging revolution is SLAC. Operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy, SLAC operates one of the world’s most powerful microscopes. The lab is famous for high-energy particle physics, with much of the heavy lifting being done by its Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL). SLAC actively engages the private sector through federal programs like Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR). By providing startups with access to its established infrastructure, SLAC helps to advance the fields of deep-tech hardware and advanced materials science.

⚡️ High energy networking

SLAC’s proximity to the Stanford entrepreneurial ecosystem has tangentially fueled several private-sector powerhouses that rely on or emulate its unique imaging and beamline capabilities. These companies share common investors, access the same talent pipeline and contribute to a thriving partner ecosystem.

• Exo: Leveraging the signal processing and miniaturization techniques pioneered in high-energy physics, Santa Clara–based Exo is developing a handheld ultrasound-on-a-chip. They are focused on imaging and radiology for healthcare, and are working toward an AI platform that among several applications, provides another pair of eyes for clinicians making diagnoses by analyzing databases of existing ultrasounds. Exo has secured over $330 million in funding, with investors including Blackrock and Intel Capital.
  
• Sila Nanotechnologies: This battery-tech unicorn, based in Alameda, Calif., uses synchrotron radiation — the kind of light produced at labs like SLAC — to test and design better lithium-ion batteries, with 20 percent higher energy density and faster charging than batteries with standard graphite anodes. Sila has raised over $900 million to date, with a valuation of just under $2 billion as of 2024. Sila’s founder and leadership team are deeply rooted in the Silicon Valley materials science community.

The smartest money is betting on the labs that can see what everyone else misses.

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