ACL's primary focus is to take more academic-based research and create prototype devices that demonstrate new technologies.

In addition to those fields, they are also specialized in signal processing, electronic attack and protection, and optical and infrared physics.

The laboratory maintains an extensive numerical modeling and measurement capability for the design and development of thin, broadband antennas with tailored performance and controlled impedance surfaces for management/control of signature characteristics of systems and components; they cover electromagnetic phenomena from quasi-static to ultraviolet wavelengths.

Novel techniques for correlating optical and infrared scattering properties with material composition have been developed and modeled for application to paint and photographic film characterization, optical signature control, and the evaluation of sensors and image based tracking algorithms.

ACL maintains and operates extensive facilities for optical measurements specializing in laser and white light scatterometry, electromagnetic materials characterization, radar cross-section measurements, antenna characterization, computational electromagnetics, and ion trap quantum computing using hyperfine and optical qubits.