The Imaging and Analysis Center (IAC) at the Princeton Materials Institute is Princeton University’s flagship facility for revealing the structure and behavior of materials from the microscale to the atomic scale. For over 25 years, the IAC has driven scientific discovery and technological innovation, supporting advances in quantum materials, sustainable energy systems, soft and biological matter, advanced manufacturing, and next-generation devices. With sustained support from Princeton University, the National Science Foundation, and the State of New Jersey, the IAC has grown into one of Princeton’s most influential research hubs and a globally recognized leader in advanced microscopy and analysis.

Located in the precision-engineered Andlinger building complex, the IAC provides an ultra-stable, vibration- and interference-free setting equipped with more than fifty state-of-the-art instruments. These integrated capabilities—including electron and ion microscopy, cryogenic imaging, X-ray and scattering methods, scanning probe techniques, and comprehensive surface, spectroscopic, thermal, and mechanical analysis—enable researchers to visualize, measure, and manipulate materials with exceptional resolution, sensitivity, and insight.

The IAC is as much a training and collaboration ecosystem as a core facility, welcoming researchers from 18 Princeton departments and centers, as well as academic and industrial users from around the world. Each year, hundreds of students receive hands-on instruction through for-credit courses, workshops, and research programs—experiences that have helped Princeton undergraduates and graduate researchers earn some of the nation’s most prestigious awards, including Hertz, Rhodes, Goldwater, Fulbright, and NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. The IAC is also a trusted partner to industry, supporting innovation across more than 140 companies and more than 800 industrial scientists in recent years.

The Center contributes significantly to global scientific progress, with research conducted at the IAC resulting in over 120 peer-reviewed publications annually across leading journals in science and engineering. Supported by dedicated and experienced scientific staff, robust training programs, and advanced access and data systems, the IAC ensures safe, equitable, and highly effective use of its world-class resources.

Praised in the 2024 NSF-MRSEC review as “among the best in the world for advanced imaging and analysis of materials”, the IAC continues to accelerate discovery, educate future leaders, and catalyze innovation across disciplines and sectors.

We invite students, researchers, and collaborators to join us in exploring the hidden world of materials and unlocking new possibilities through imaging, analysis, and scientific curiosity.

Nan Yao
Director and Professor, Imaging and Analysis Center