This year September 15th is a special day for AMOLF. On this day exactly 70 years ago the Netherlands established AMOLF as a new research institute. At the time the task of the institute, which was called FOM Laboratory for Mass Spectrography, focused on finding out how to separate uranium isotopes. The research concentrated on the construction of a large electromagnetic isotope separator. The first sample (10 mg) of enriched 235U was made in 1953. In 1955 as a result of the Dutch developments, the American Congress decided to ‘declassify’ electromagnetic uranium separation technology.
In the 1960’s the focus shifted to fundamental research in atomic and molecular physics. It is this research theme that gave the institute its future name: AMOLF.
Here you can read more about AMOLF’s history: in English or in Dutch.
Verhuizing naar Kruislaan from AMOLF on Vimeo.
