The new Ion Beam Materials Laboratory (IBML) is a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) resource devoted to the characterization and modification of surfaces through the use of ion beams. IBML was developed and designed in response to a large number of recognized research needs ranging from archaeology to the Strategic Defense Initiative and from basic research to semiconductor development. Most recently, the IBML has been used in research on high temperature superconductors. The IBML was dedicated in February 1987 when the 3 MV tandem accelerator reached operational status.

Beginning with an existing accelerator facility built to support nuclear physics, Los Alamos researchers added materials science capability and started to demonstrate the power of ion beam techniques as they apply to many of the Laboratory's research activities. These efforts led to a growing interest in ion beams by fellow researchers and caught the attention of LANL management. By the fall of 1984, a clear grassroots case—which was supported by the Laboratory's Center for Materials Science (CMS)—was made for developing a modern ion beam facility, which included capabilities for materials modification and analysis. The $1.7-million IBML was funded with Laboratory-wide resources in the spring of 1985 and was charged with supporting Laboratory-wide programs.