The University of Waterloo has broken ground on WaterFEL, its Infrared Free Electron Laser (IR-FEL) facility. When operational in 2028, the facility will analyze molecular and material structures for several applications, notably in medicine. UWaterloo IR-FEL project lead Dr Scott Hopkins described the laser’s potential impact as “enormous,” saying that it will allow for the development of new types of treatments and personalized medicine. The facility will be located next to the regional hospital, which will open in 2035. The project is a part of the Canadian Free Electron Laser project, which also includes the construction of a complementary broad-based terahertz light source at TRIUMF, Canada’s national particle accelerator laboratory in Vancouver.
