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Welcome

Wright Lab:  Exploring the Invisible Universe

What does the invisible universe consist of?
What is dark matter?
What are the properties of neutrinos?
What are the states of matter in the early universe?
What is the structure of matter?
What drives the evolution of the Universe?

Wright Lab is advancing the frontiers of fundamental physics through a broad research program in nuclear, particle, and astrophysics that includes precision studies of neutrinos; searches for dark matter; investigations of the building blocks and interactions of matter; exploration of quantum science and its applications for fundamental physics experiments; and observations of the early Universe. 

Wright Lab scientists initiate and collaborate in experiments to further understanding of the Universe and hold many leadership positions in their respective experiments across the world.

The laboratory’s unique combination of on-site state-of-the-art research facilities, technical infrastructure, and interaction spaces supports innovative instrumentation development, hands-on research, and training the next generation of scientists. Wright Lab is a part of the Yale Department of Physics and houses several Yale University core facilities that serve researchers across Yale’s Science Hill and beyond. 

Explore Wright Lab

News

Twelve headshots of 2025 Wright Lab graduates
May 19, 2025
Wright Lab congratulates our graduating students in the class of 2025, including:  Yale Physics Ph.D. Graduates Sophia Hollick, ‘25 (advisor Reina Maruyama), “COSINE-...
Group of Yale Physics majors in hoodies with two faculty members posing for a picture in a classroom.
May 19, 2025
The Howard L. Schultz Prize, established in 1977 in honor of Howard, L. Schultz, ‘37 PhD, is awarded to outstanding seniors in the Yale Physics Department.  The awardees for...
headshot of Evan Craft.
May 13, 2025
Evan Craft, a fourth-year graduate student in Wright Lab assistant professor Ian Moult’s group, has been awarded a Graduate Fellowship from the Kavli Institute for...

Mission

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The mission of Yale Wright Laboratory is to advance understanding of the physical world—from the smallest particles to the evolution of the Universe—by engaging in fundamental research, developing novel instrumentation and research techniques, training a diverse community of future leaders in research and development, educating scholars, promoting the value of science in society, and enabling discovery.

Wright Lab supports belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion within our community of scientists, staff, and students and fosters cross-disciplinary collaborations across Yale University and worldwide.

Collaboration

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With its on-site core facilities and research program, Wright Lab fosters cross-disciplinary research collaborations across Yale University and worldwide.  Wright Lab works with the Yale Center for Research Computing (YCRC) on novel solutions to the research computing challenges in nuclear, particle and astrophysics, and collaborates with the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (YCAA) on understanding dark matter in the Universe. Quantum sensors and techniques jointly developed with the Yale Quantum Institute (YQI) are used for axion searches at Wright Lab. 

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Wright Lab also has strong, interdisciplinary partnerships with the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, the Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, and Yale Pathways to Science.

Funding

Wright Laboratory gratefully acknowledges support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; the Department of Energy, Office of Science, High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physicsthe Heising-Simons Foundation; the Krell Institute; the National Science Foundation; and Yale University.

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Department of Energy Heising-Simons Foundation Krell Institute National Science Foundation Yale University