The Naval Research Laboratory conducts a variety of basic and scientific research and technological development of importance to the Navy.
It has a history of scientific breakthroughs and technological achievements dating back to its foundation in 1923.
In some instances the laboratory's contributions to military technology have been declassified decades after those technologies have become widely adopted.
In 2011, NRL researchers published 1,398 unclassified scientific and technical articles, book chapters and conference proceedings.
In 2008, the NRL was ranked No.
3 among all U.S. institutions holding nanotechnology-related patents, behind IBM and the University of California.

Current areas of research at NRL include:
Advanced radio, optical and infrared sensors
Autonomous systems
Computer science, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence
Directed energy technology
Electronic electro-optical device technology
Electronic warfare
Enhanced maintainability, reliability and survivability technology
Environmental effects on naval systems
Human-robot interaction
Imaging research and systems
Information technology
Marine geosciences
Materials
Meteorology
Ocean acoustics
Oceanography
Space systems and technology
Surveillance and sensor technology
Undersea technology
In 2014, the NRL was researching: armor for munitions in transport, high-powered lasers, remote explosives detection, spintronics, the dynamics of explosive gas mixtures, electromagnetic railgun technology, detection of hidden nuclear materials, graphene devices, high-power extremely high frequency (35–220 GHz) amplifiers, acoustic lensing, information-rich orbital coastline mapping, arctic weather forecasting, global aerosol analysis & prediction, high-density plasmas, millisecond pulsars, broadband laser data links, virtual mission operation centers, battery technology, photonic crystals, carbon nanotube electronics, electronic sensors, mechanical nano-resonators, solid-state chemical sensors, organic opto-electronics, neural-electronic interfaces and self-assembling nanostructures.

The laboratory includes a range of R&D facilities.
2014 additions included the NRL Nanoscience Institute's 5,000 sq ft (460 m²) Class 100 nanofabrication cleanroom; quiet and ultra-quiet measurement labs; and the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR).
The Naval Research Laboratory conducts a variety of basic and scientific research and technological development of importance to the Navy. It has a history of scientific breakthroughs and technological achievements dating back to its foundation in 1923. In some instances the laboratory's contributions to military technology have been declassified decades after those technologies have become widely adopted. In 2011, NRL researchers published 1,398 unclassified scientific and technical articles, book chapters and conference proceedings. In 2008, the NRL was ranked No. 3 among all U.S. institutions holding nanotechnology-related patents, behind IBM and the University of California.
Current areas of research at NRL include:
Advanced radio, optical and infrared sensors
Autonomous systems
Computer science, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence
Directed energy technology
Electronic electro-optical device technology
Electronic warfare
Enhanced maintainability, reliability and survivability technology
Environmental effects on naval systems
Human-robot interaction
Imaging research and systems
Information technology
Marine geosciences
Materials
Meteorology
Ocean acoustics
Oceanography
Space systems and technology
Surveillance and sensor technology
Undersea technology
In 2014, the NRL was researching: armor for munitions in transport, high-powered lasers, remote explosives detection, spintronics, the dynamics of explosive gas mixtures, electromagnetic railgun technology, detection of hidden nuclear materials, graphene devices, high-power extremely high frequency (35–220 GHz) amplifiers, acoustic lensing, information-rich orbital coastline mapping, arctic weather forecasting, global aerosol analysis & prediction, high-density plasmas, millisecond pulsars, broadband laser data links, virtual mission operation centers, battery technology, photonic crystals, carbon nanotube electronics, electronic sensors, mechanical nano-resonators, solid-state chemical sensors, organic opto-electronics, neural-electronic interfaces and self-assembling nanostructures.
The laboratory includes a range of R&D facilities. 2014 additions included the NRL Nanoscience Institute's 5,000 sq ft (460 m²) Class 100 nanofabrication cleanroom; quiet and ultra-quiet measurement labs; and the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR).
United States Naval Research Laboratory