History of AMOLF

In 1946 the Dutch government established the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) 'to initiate fundamental scientific research in the Netherlands on matter in the general sense, and to support higher education'. In order to achieve this goal, the FOM Laboratory for Mass Spectrography was founded. The institute's name was changed to Laboratory for Mass Separation in 1960, and then to FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF) in 1966. The name changes reflect the significant changes in the institute's research program over the years.

The original research goal was to demonstrate the separation of uranium isotopes by electromagnetic separation methods, a topic of great strategic importance after WWII. To reach this goal, a multidisciplinary approach was needed, and in 1953 the institute already housed physics, chemistry, electronics, and instrumentation groups.

The development of new analytical instrumentation was key to achieving this goal, starting with the development of mass-spectrometric tools. Soon after, research on thermal diffusion in gases followed, as did ultracentrifuge concepts, cathode dispersion, excitation of gases by using energetic ions and research on molecular beams.

From 1946 until 1949 the institute's activities were carried out at the Zeeman Laboratory of the University of Amsterdam. In 1949 the institute moved to a building owned by the municipal electricity company on the Hoogte Kadijk. On October 1st 1960, AMOLF moved into its own building on the Kruislaan. At that time, the institute housed 69 employees.

In the years that followed, the institute's research program gradually evolved towards the physics of molecular beams, interactions of intense lasers with atoms and molecules, and ion-solid interactions. In 1970 a new wing was added to the building, providing room for medium-energy ion scattering experiments. Research on ion implantation led to the rapid growth of materials science research at AMOLF in the 1980s. In addition, ultra-fast spectroscopy became a central research direction. A second expansion to the building took place in 1986, providing a new laser laboratory. An MeV ion beam facility for materials research was opened in 1988.

In the 1990s AMOLF's materials research program gradually evolved into soft condensed matter. In the new Millennium, this led to the new direction of physics of biomolecular systems, which is one of AMOLF's present main directions. This led to another expansion in 2000. AMOLF's second main research topic is Nanophotonics, a topic that evolved from research on ion beams and optical physics carried out in the 1990s. In 2009, AMOLF will move to a brand new building in Science Park, Amsterdam.

Altogether, AMOLF has always been an institute to initiate strategic new research directions in the Netherlands. Many concepts developed at AMOLF have found their way to applications in industry or society. In 1953 AMOLF was the first to demonstrate uranium isotope separation outside the United States. Later research on the enrichment of isotopes by Ultracentrifuge technology led to the foundation of the Urenco company in Almelo, the Netherlands.

AMOLF has also been a key player in the study of ultra-fast dynamics using laser spectroscopy over its entire history. Following up on isotope separation it developed novel mass spectrometry techniques for studies in the preservation of painted artworks, and, more recently, in medical imaging. AMOLF was a world leader in atomic and molecular physics in the 1970s, in surface science in the 1980s, and a pioneer in soft condensed matter research in the 1990s, and subsequently a pioneer in the physics of biomolecular systems after 2000. AMOLF's work in materials science led to a photovoltaics program that later moved to ECN (Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands) to become a major research and technology division at that institute. Most recently, AMOLF's new program in nanophotonics has led to the initiation of a research group stationed at Philips Research, Eindhoven.

AMOLF was founded and directed by Jaap Kistemaker from 1949 until 1982. He was succeeded by Joop Los (1982-1986), Frans Saris (1986-1996), Jook Walraven (1996-2002), and Bart Noordam (2002-2005). AMOLF's present director is Albert Polman.