Australian National University opens world-class physics building

Phase one of the Research School of Physics redevelopment has been under construction for four years but has been designed to be fit-for-purpose for the next 100 years.

It is hoped it will enable the next generation of physics specialists to develop the science and technology to power the nation.

Research School of Physics director Professor Tim Senden said academics and technicians were in the process of moving into the $220 million building, which consolidates the existing nanofabrication and quantum physics facilities.

"This is the most sophisticated lab space ever built at an Australian university," Professor Senden said.

"The beautiful exterior disguises the complex interior."

Ten years ago a master plan for the precinct was designed with three building phases.

The new building includes a lecture theatre, function and office spaces, a large cleanroom and 25 individual stable labs.

The new cleanroom, an engineering space with very clean air which can be used for micro and nanofabrication, is replacing seven other clean rooms on campus.

"Bringing all those facilities together means that we can increase the quality of production to a level that's really world standard," Professor Senden said.

The stable labs were designed as independent shells within the building and have been built with the highest floor ratings to achieve the lowest vibration without moving to a remote location.

Acoustic engineers tested every component during construction to ensure the building complied with these high standards.

"All those things that will potentially impinge on precision measurements, to the best of our ability, we've reduced all those so that there shouldn't be any barriers to imagining even the most precise measurements that could be done at any lab in the world," Professor Senden said.

The clean interior design disguises the many layers of technical services that have been hidden in the structure, including piping for 32 gases.

Professor Senden said the spaces are expected to be repurposed over the next 100 years to suit emerging research.

"Although it ended up being a very beautiful building, as you can see, most of the effort went into working out how to interlay 17 different layers of technical servicing.

"There's 16 kilometres of speciality piping, for example, and that's probably only a small fraction of the piping that's gone into the building."

Two-thirds of the school's work is in fundamental research, which enables it to respond to any challenges that come up through industry or government partnerships.

There also seven spin off companies in the school and partnerships with large companies including in the resources and energy sectors.

The school operates four major national facilities, including the 50-year-old Heavy Ion Accelerator building housed in the white tower next to the new building.

The accelerator, and several other specialist labs, are crucial for nuclear physics, which has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to the AUKUS agreement.

In response to the announcement that Australia would be investing in nuclear-powered submarines, various parts of the university have come together to discuss how it could contribute to the skills and strategy behind the deal.

They don't always agree - some within the university are against nuclear-powered submarine - but all are working towards providing a safe environment for the technology.

"For the last 18 months, across five colleges we've been meeting, sharing intel, thinking about the future and it's been a very productive thing," Professor Senden said.

"It's not a top down strategy. It's something that's grassroots. It's the real domain experts coming together around a common mission."

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The school offers a graduate certificate and masters degree in nuclear regulation and technologies to help reskill defence and government personnel.

Professor Senden said government officials have been attending week-long training sessions on the nuclear fuel cycle and the impact on environmental regulation.

"We don't do weapons research, so we draw a line on that. We support the nation's interest, but we don't support the military interest."

Training for defence and industry will be part of the next phase of the school's redevelopment of engineering workshops and materials science. The third phase will be a revamp of the ageing nuclear physics building.

As the huge task of setting up the new facility continues, Professor Senden feels lucky that the university stayed the course with the project so they can hit the ground running post-pandemic.

"I think it's going to be a really magic space."

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