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Diamond Light Source
Diamond Light Source
Diamond Light Source
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Diamond Light Source (or just Diamond) is the UK's national synchrotron light source science facility located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.

Key Information

Its purpose is to produce intense beams of light whose special characteristics are useful in many areas of scientific research. In particular it can be used to investigate the structure and properties of a wide range of materials from proteins (to provide information for designing new and better drugs), and engineering components (such as a fan blade from an aero-engine[1]) to conservation of archeological artifacts (for example Henry VIII's flagship the Mary Rose[2][3]).

There are more than 50 light sources across the world.[4] With an energy of 3 GeV, Diamond is a medium energy synchrotron currently operating with 32 beamlines.

Design, construction and finance

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Diamond Light Source in snow, 2018.

The Diamond synchrotron is the largest UK-funded scientific facility to be built in the UK since the Nimrod proton synchrotron which was sited at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in 1964. Nearby facilities include the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, the Central Laser Facility, and the laboratories at Harwell and Culham (including the Joint European Torus (JET) project). It replaced the Synchrotron Radiation Source, a second-generation synchrotron at the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire.

Diamond produced its first user beam towards the end of January 2007, and was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 19 October 2007.[5][6]

Construction

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A design study during the 1990s was completed in 2001 by scientists at Daresbury and construction began following the creation of the operating company, Diamond Light Source Ltd.[7]

The construction costs of £260m covered the synchrotron building, the accelerators inside it, the first seven experimental stations (beamlines) and the adjacent office block, Diamond House.

Governance

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The facility is operated by Diamond Light Source Ltd,[8] a joint venture company established in March 2002. The company receives 86% of its funding from the UK Government via the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and 14% from the Wellcome Trust.

Synchrotron

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Inside the experimental hall

Diamond generates synchrotron light at wavelengths ranging from X-rays to the far infrared. This is also known as synchrotron radiation and is the electromagnetic radiation emitted by charged particles travelling near the speed of light when their path deviates from a straight line.[9] It is used in a huge variety of experiments to study the structure and behaviour of many different types of matter.

The particles Diamond uses are electrons travelling at an energy of 3 GeV[10] round a 561.6 m (1,843 ft) circumference storage ring. This is not a true circle, but a 48-sided polygon with a bending magnet at each vertex and straight sections in between.[11] The bending magnets are dipole magnets whose magnetic field deflects the electrons so as to steer them around the ring. As Diamond is a third generation light source[further explanation needed] it also uses special arrays of magnets called insertion devices. These cause the electrons to undulate and it is their sudden change of direction that causes the electrons to emit an exceptionally bright beam of electromagnetic radiation, brighter than that of a single bend when traveling through a bending magnet. This is the synchrotron light used for experiments. Some beamlines, however, use light solely from a bending magnet without the need of an insertion device.

The electrons reach this high energy via a series of pre-accelerator stages before being injected into the 3 GeV storage ring:

The Diamond synchrotron is housed in a silver toroidal building of 738 m (2,421 ft) in circumference, covering an area in excess of 43,300 m2 (466,000 sq ft), or the area of over six football pitches. This contains the storage ring and a number of beamlines,[12] with the linear accelerator and booster synchrotron housed in the centre of the ring. These beamlines are the experimental stations where the synchrotron light's interaction with matter is used for research purposes. Seven beamlines were available when Diamond became operational in 2007, with more coming online as construction continued. As of April 2019 there were 32 beamlines in operation. Diamond is intended ultimately to host about 33 beamlines, supporting the life, physical and environmental sciences.

Diamond is also home to eleven electron microscopes. Nine of these are cryo-electron microscopes specialising in life sciences including two provided for industry use in partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific; the remaining two microscopes are dedicated to research of advanced materials.[13]

Case studies

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  • In September 2007, scientists from Cardiff University led by Tim Wess, found that the Diamond synchrotron could be used to see hidden content of ancient documents by illumination without opening them (penetrating layers of parchment).[14][15]
  • In November 2010 data collected at Diamond by Imperial College London formed the basis for a paper in the journal Nature advancing the understanding of how HIV and other retroviruses infect human and animal cells.[16][17] The findings may enable improvements in gene therapy to correct gene malfunctions.
  • In June 2011 data from Diamond led to an article in the journal Nature detailing the 3D structure of the human Histamine H1 receptor protein. This led to the development of 'third generation' anti-histamines, drugs effective against some allergies without adverse side-effects.[18][19]
  • In December 2017, UK established the Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology (START) with a £3.7 million funded by the UK Research and Innovation for 3 years. START aimed to provide access to African researchers with focus on energy materials and structural biology. The step is circuital for the inception of the first African Light Source.[20][21]
  • Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in April 2018, a five institution collaboration including scientists from Diamond used three of Diamond's macromolecular beamlines to discover details of how a bacterium used plastic as an energy source. High resolution data allowed the researchers to determine the workings of an enzyme that degraded the plastic PET. Subsequently, computational modelling was carried out to investigate and thus improve this mechanism.[22]
  • An article published in Nature in 2019 described how a worldwide multidisciplinary collaboration designed several ways to control metal nano-particles, including synthesis at a substantially reduced cost for use as catalysts for the production of everyday goods.[23]
  • Research conducted at Diamond Light Source in 2020 helped determine the atomic structure of SARS‑CoV‑2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.[24]
  • In 2023, Diamond Light Source scanned the Herculaneum papyri including scroll PHerc. Paris. 4 to facilitate non-invasive decipherment through machine learning.[25]

Insects study

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Using X-ray beamlines, researchers examine insect specimens from the London Natural History Museum's collection, which contains millions of uncatalogued insects. The synchrotron's imaging technology provides detailed views of anatomical features, such as wing structures and mandibles, revealing evolutionary adaptations and ecological roles.[26]

Studies investigated the documented decline in insect populations, with research indicating a 45% reduction over four decades, attributed to factors like habitat loss, pesticides and climate change. By analyzing both fossilized and modern specimens, researchers explored how insects responded to past environmental changes, providing data relevant to current biodiversity challenges. The synchrotron's ability to process large 3D image datasets facilitates the identification of uncatalogued specimens and supports studies on species critical to pollination and food chains.[26]

Research also examined insect responses to contemporary issues, such as microplastic accumulation and geographic shifts due to climate change. For example, comparisons of historical and modern butterfly specimens help track range changes in the UK. These studies contribute to understanding insect evolution and ecology, offering insights into conservation and the broader impacts of environmental change on ecosystems.[26]

See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Diamond Light Source

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Diamond Light Source is the United Kingdom's national science facility, located at the in , and serves as a world-leading source of for cutting-edge research across disciplines including , , chemistry, and . It operates as a third-generation , accelerating electrons in a 3 GeV storage ring to produce intensely bright beams of X-rays, , and light, enabling scientists to probe the structure and dynamics of matter at atomic and molecular scales. The facility supports an international user community, with approximately 70% of users from the and the rest from regions including the , , , , , , and , facilitating breakthroughs such as therapies for and studies on . Established in 2002 as a not-for-profit , Diamond Light Source is a owned by the (STFC), which holds 86% of the shares, and the , with 14%. Construction began in 2003, and the facility opened to users in January 2007, marking the largest scientific infrastructure project built in the UK for over 40 years at the time. Funded primarily by the UK government through (UKRI) and the in the same 86:14 proportion, its annual operating costs reached £82.1 million in 2023/24, supporting ongoing expansions and upgrades. Technically, Diamond features a 561-meter circumference capable of holding beams at 300 mA current, with in-vacuum undulators to generate high-brightness light across more than 30 operational beamlines as of 2023/24, categorized for techniques like macromolecular , , and . The facility achieves 97% machine uptime and supports both onsite and remote access, with 5,398 academic onsite visits and 4,078 remote visits in 2023/24. A major upgrade, Diamond-II, approved in 2023, will enhance beam brightness by orders of magnitude and add three new flagship beamlines, with construction of supporting infrastructure like the Diamond Extension Building underway since January 2024. Diamond's impact is evident in its research output, including over 13,000 peer-reviewed journal articles by December 2023, with contributions to high-profile studies on topics like , CO2 conversion, , and the analysis of ancient scrolls and asteroid samples. Employing 839 staff from 44 countries, it fosters international collaborations and public engagement, such as Project M involving over 1,000 students from 110 schools, while contributing to projects valued at more than £248 million. Notable achievements include developing an antibody therapy integrated into AstraZeneca's treatments and earning a Award in the Employer Recognition Scheme for its inclusive workplace.

History and Development

Origins and Planning

The origins of Diamond Light Source trace back to the late 1990s, when a strategic review by scientific authorities identified the need to replace the aging Synchrotron Radiation Source (SRS) at Daresbury Laboratory, which had been operational since 1980 and was becoming uncompetitive for advanced research by the early 2000s. The SRS, the world's first dedicated high-energy , had served as the 's primary facility for synchrotron radiation experiments but lacked the brightness and capabilities required for emerging fields like . The SRS was closed on 4 August 2008 after 28 years of operation. This initiative was driven by the motivation to establish a state-of-the-art third-generation to bolster research in , , and related disciplines, positioning the country to compete with international facilities such as the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in and the at . Planning for Diamond began in earnest following government approval in 1998, with initial funding commitments from the UK Government and the to support the development of a high-brightness source optimized for protein crystallography and life sciences applications. Key milestones included the selection of the site at the in , adjacent to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, announced in March 2000 to leverage existing infrastructure and proximity to research hubs. The formal design phase commenced in November 2000, incorporating user consultations that shaped the facility's parameters, such as a 3 GeV and a storage ring layout with double-bend achromat (DBA) structure for enhanced beam stability and low emittance. These choices emphasized a compact, efficient design to deliver beams 10^12 times brighter than conventional sources, addressing the limitations of the SRS while enabling breakthroughs in atomic-scale investigations. Early partnerships were central to the project's viability, with the (STFC, formerly the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils) and the collaborating from the outset to provide governance and financial backing. Diamond Light Source Ltd was incorporated on 18 February 2002, with the agreement signed on 27 March 2002 as a , with the STFC holding an 86% stake and the 14%, marking the transition from planning to implementation. This structure ensured multidisciplinary input, reflecting the facility's role in advancing national and global scientific priorities beyond the SRS's capabilities.

Construction and Commissioning

Construction of the Diamond Light Source began with in March 2003 at the Harwell site in , . Major construction activities spanned from 2004 to 2006, involving the excavation and building of the facility's core infrastructure, including the accelerator complex. The project was completed on schedule, with the first stored electron beam achieved in the on May 30, 2006, marking the initial observation of synchrotron light. User operations commenced in January 2007 with the integration and commissioning of the first seven beamlines, primarily focused on applications. The facility was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 19, 2007. Key engineering achievements included the of the 561.6-meter tunnel, which forms the core of the . The systems, comprising a 100 MeV linear accelerator (linac) and a 3 GeV booster , were installed and tested to deliver electrons to the . These components were integrated with the initial seven beamlines during the phase, enabling early experiments in areas such as macromolecular crystallography. The achieved levels of approximately 4.2 × 10^{-10} mbar without beam, essential for maintaining beam stability and lifetime. Construction at the Harwell site presented geotechnical challenges due to the underlying and high levels, addressed by driving 1,500 piles up to 15 meters deep to stabilize the foundations. Commissioning proceeded in phases, starting with accelerator testing in 2006, followed by shakedown and user beam delivery in 2007. By 2012, the facility had expanded to 22 operational beamlines through Phase II , building on the initial design capacity for up to 40 beamlines. This progression established Diamond as a fully functional national facility.

Organization and Funding

Governance and Management

Diamond Light Source Ltd operates as a not-for-profit established in 2002 as a between the UK Government through the (STFC) and the , with STFC holding 86% of the shares and Wellcome Trust 14%. The governing body is the Board of Directors, which includes representatives from the STFC, Wellcome Trust, and independent members to represent broader stakeholder interests, including the user community. The Board oversees strategic direction, ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, and appoints the executive leadership. In 2024, Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz was appointed as the new Chair of the Board. The executive leadership is headed by the (CEO), currently Professor Gianluigi Botton as of 2025, who is responsible for overall operational and implementation. Supporting the CEO are key roles including the Deputy CEO and (Andrea Ward), (Richard Walker, overseeing accelerator and operations), Life Sciences Director (Professor Sir David Stuart), and Physical Sciences Director (Dr. Adrian Mancuso). These division heads manage scientific and technical activities across beamlines, accelerators, and support services, ensuring alignment with the facility's mission to deliver world-class synchrotron research capabilities. The facility employs over 820 staff as of 2024/25. Decision-making processes include annual business planning led by the executive team and approved by the Board, focusing on , facility upgrades, and performance metrics. Beamtime allocation is managed through peer-reviewed proposals evaluated by independent access committees, such as the Diamond User Committee (DUC) and science-specific review panels, ensuring equitable and merit-based access for users. Diamond serves over 14,000 researchers annually from UK academia, industry, and international partners, with approximately 70% of users based in the UK. In 2024/25, there were 6,596 onsite user visits and 4,617 remote visits. Safety and ethics oversight is integrated into daily administration through dedicated policies and committees. The facility enforces rigorous radiation safety protocols under the Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE) framework to protect staff, users, and the public, while ensuring environmental compliance with UK regulations on waste and emissions. Ethical standards are upheld via a Code of Best Practice in Scientific Research, and open-access data policies require experimental data to be made publicly available after an embargo period, typically under a CC-BY-4.0 license, to promote transparency and reuse in the scientific community.

Financial Model and Support

The Diamond Light Source was established through an initial capital investment of £260 million for its between 2002 and 2007, with 86% provided by the UK Government via the (STFC) and 14% by the . This funding supported Phase I of the facility, which delivered seven operational beamlines by 2007. Ongoing operations are sustained by an annual budget of £77.8 million as of 2024/25, predominantly funded through government grants from (UKRI) via STFC, which covers the majority of costs, supplemented by contributions from the and income from industrial users accounting for around 10% of total . The facility's access model provides free beamtime for peer-reviewed academic research, while proprietary industrial access generates additional through fees, supporting an estimated 3-7% of total beamtime allocation to over 180 companies since 2008. Facility expansion has proceeded in phases, with Phase II adding 15 beamlines to reach a total of 22 by 2012, funded by an additional £124 million primarily from the same government and sources. Phase III, completed by 2024, incorporated 10 more beamlines for a total of 32, with the facility now operating 35 beamlines as of 2024/25, backed by £105.6 million in investments that enhanced capabilities in areas such as and . In 2023, a £519.4 million commitment was approved for the Diamond-II upgrade, maintaining the established 86% UK Government (via UKRI) and 14% funding ratio, to enable multi-technique experiments and increased capacity. In 2024/25, £66.7 million was allocated to the upgrade. Diamond's financial model has delivered substantial economic returns, with a cumulative monetised socio-economic impact exceeding £2.6 billion on the economy as of 2022 through outputs, , and spin-offs that support industries in pharmaceuticals, , and . This impact includes annual gross economic contributions of around £84 million, driven by enabling over 14,000 users and fostering collaborations that amplify public investment.

Facility Infrastructure

Site and Layout

Diamond Light Source is situated on the in , United Kingdom, approximately 20 miles south of and sharing the site with facilities such as the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The campus provides a collaborative environment for scientific research, integrating multiple national laboratories and innovation centers. The facility's core layout features a central synchrotron building with a floor area of 45,000 , designed in a distinctive toroidal shape to house the . From this central structure, beamlines extend radially like spokes, currently numbering over 30, with plans for expansion to support additional instruments. Adjacent to the main building are dedicated control rooms for operations, office spaces for staff and researchers, and specialized laboratories equipped for handling diverse experimental materials. Supporting infrastructure includes an on-site , Ridgeway House, providing accommodation for visiting researchers within a short walk of the facility. Diamond operates a cluster to manage and analysis from experiments, enabling real-time processing of large datasets. Cryogenic facilities, particularly through the Electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC), support and imaging under ultra-low temperatures for studies. The site's accessibility enhances its utility, with Didcot Parkway railway station just six miles away, offering direct trains from London Paddington in under 60 minutes, followed by a short taxi ride. In 2024/25, the facility hosted 6,596 onsite academic user visits, contributing to extensive experimental sessions. Sustainability is integrated into the campus design, featuring a low-energy and extensive solar panels covering more than 32,000 m² of the structure to generate renewable . The Harwell Campus emphasizes green integration, with environmental policies focused on energy efficiency and to minimize operational impact. Construction of the Diamond Extension Building, a £25 million facility providing space for girder assembly, temporary storage, offices, and laboratories, began in 2024 to support the Diamond-II upgrade.

Accelerator Systems

The accelerator systems at Diamond Light Source comprise the linear accelerator (linac) and booster synchrotron, which generate and accelerate electron bunches to full energy before transfer to the storage ring. These components ensure a reliable supply of high-quality electrons for sustained synchrotron operation. The linac serves as the initial injector, producing relativistic electrons that the booster further energizes in rapid cycles. The linac is an S-band linear accelerator approximately 235 m in length, designed to boost electrons from an to an of 100 MeV using radiofrequency (RF) cavities, including accelerating sections and bunching systems. It employs thermionic gun technology and operates with klystrons delivering up to 20 MW pulses at a repetition rate of up to 5 Hz, yielding electron bunches with charges exceeding 1.5 nC and full-width half-maximum (FWHM) durations around 0.2 ns. This configuration supports both single-bunch and multi-bunch modes, optimized for efficient injection into the downstream systems. The booster synchrotron is a full-energy injector ring with a circumference of 158.4 m, utilizing a FODO lattice with missing for on-axis injection and extraction via a single kicker magnet. It accelerates electrons from 100 MeV to 3 GeV by ramping and fields sinusoidally over approximately 100 ms within each cycle, operating at a repetition rate of 5 Hz to match the linac output. The resulting beam emittance is around 141 nm·rad, enabling high-brightness transfer through the beam transport line to the . Diamond employs top-up injection, where small numbers of electron bunches are periodically added to maintain a constant stored current of up to mA, minimizing beam decay and ensuring stable light output for experiments. This mode, operational since , involves cycles every 10 minutes or less, with injection efficiency enhanced by the booster's rapid repetition. The overall system reliability is supported by routine maintenance, including magnet warming, RF system checks, and fault rectification during scheduled machine development periods, achieving beam uptime exceeding 98% in user operations.

Synchrotron Operations

Storage Ring Design

The storage ring at Diamond Light Source employs a double-bend achromat (DBA) lattice design, which provides low emittance and efficient beam transport for production. The ring has a circumference of 561.6 meters and operates with beams at an of 3 GeV and a design maximum stored current of 500 mA, with current operations at 300 mA as of 2024, enabling high-flux photon beams across a wide spectral range. The magnet system consists of 48 bending magnets, each producing a of 1.4 T to maintain the closed orbit, complemented by and sextupole magnets for horizontal and vertical focusing as well as correction. These elements are arranged in the DBA cells to achieve natural emittance values around 2.7 nm rad, optimizing beam quality for insertion device operation. To ensure beam longevity and minimal interactions, the maintains an environment with base pressures on the order of 10^{-10} mbar, achieved through distributed non-evaporable getter pumps and careful material selection to mitigate . Beam orbit stability is actively controlled to within 1 micron using fast feedback systems incorporating beam position monitors and corrector magnets, critical for high-resolution experiments. The design incorporates 22 straight sections dedicated to insertion devices, with two sections reserved for injection and radiofrequency cavities. These sections host undulators up to 2 meters in length with magnetic periods around 14 mm, as well as wigglers, enhancing spectral brightness by forcing oscillatory electron motion. At the operational current of 300 mA, the beam lifetime is approximately 16 hours in top-up mode, limited primarily by Touschek scattering.

Beam Characteristics and Production

Synchrotron radiation at Diamond Light Source is generated through the acceleration of relativistic electrons circulating in the . Electrons are accelerated to an energy of 3 GeV, reaching speeds close to that of , and are deflected by strong in the dipole bending magnets and insertion devices. This deflection causes the electrons to emit intense as they undergo centripetal , producing with a broad spectrum ranging from the to hard X-rays. The 's design facilitates this continuous bending of the electron , enabling sustained production of the radiation over operational periods of several hours. The of the emitted beams is a defining feature, achieving up to 102110^{21} photons/s/mm²/mrad²/(0.1% bandwidth) in the regime, which represents approximately 100 times the brightness of second-generation synchrotron sources. This exceptional brightness stems from the low emittance of the beam and the use of advanced insertion devices. The light exhibits partial transverse coherence, particularly enhanced in the vertical direction due to the beam's small vertical emittance of 8 pm rad, and is predominantly linearly polarized, with the polarization plane determined by the magnetic field orientation. Circular polarization can be achieved using specialized helical undulators. The energy spectrum of the radiation has a critical energy of approximately 5 keV in the dipole magnets, allowing access to soft X-rays, while insertion devices extend tunability across a wider range. Undulators produce highly coherent, narrow-bandwidth beams ideal for experiments requiring phase-sensitive techniques, whereas wigglers generate broader spectra with higher flux for applications needing intense, polychromatic light. The facility operates primarily in hybrid mode, which couples the bunches to achieve a low horizontal emittance of about 2.7 nm rad, optimizing overall beam stability and brightness while supporting beam currents up to 300 mA as of 2024.

Beamlines and Instruments

Overview and Types

Diamond Light Source operates 33 beamlines as of 2024, an increase from 32 in 2019, alongside eight electron microscopes dedicated to experiments, including several cryo-electron microscopes within the Electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC). These beamlines exploit the synchrotron's high-brightness X-ray beams to enable diverse structural and analytical studies across scientific domains. The facility's beamline portfolio began with seven initial beamlines commissioned in 2007 as part of Phase I construction, focusing on core capabilities in , , and . Subsequent phases expanded the infrastructure, with ongoing developments such as the Dual Imaging and Diffraction () beamline, which entered operation in 2024 to support combined and experiments at energies from 7 to 38 keV. This phased growth has built a versatile suite tailored to evolving research demands, maintaining compatibility with the storage ring's beam properties for stable, high-flux delivery, with additional beamlines like under construction as part of the Diamond-II upgrade. Beamlines are categorized by primary scientific focus, with approximately 40% dedicated to life sciences, including I03 and I04 for to determine protein structures. About 30% serve , exemplified by I11 for high-resolution to analyze crystalline structures under various conditions. Roughly 20% target physics and chemistry applications, such as I08 for soft and of electronic and magnetic properties. The remaining ~10% emphasize imaging and studies, enabling non-destructive analysis of artifacts and biological samples. Access to these beamlines follows a structured model, with approximately 90% allocated through a general user program based on competitive of scientific proposals, ensuring equitable distribution to academic and public researchers. The remaining ~10% supports proprietary and industrial access, allowing confidential experiments for commercial development while contributing to facility sustainability. Utilization remains exceptionally high, exceeding 95% occupancy across the beamlines, supporting 1,312 awarded proposals and 15,972 experimental shifts in 2023/24 through user programs. This intense demand underscores the facility's role as a cornerstone for advanced , with beamtime proposals rigorously evaluated for merit and feasibility.

Key Techniques and Capabilities

Diamond Light Source enables a suite of core experimental techniques leveraging its high-brilliance beams. Macromolecular (MX) determines atomic-resolution three-dimensional structures of proteins and biological macromolecules, supporting high-throughput data collection with energy tunability for anomalous dispersion methods. (SAXS) and (WAXS) probe the structure and dynamics of nanoscale assemblies, , and partially ordered materials in solution or solid states, benefiting from high flux for weak scattering signals. (XAS), including (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), elucidates local electronic and geometric structures around specific atoms, with rapid acquisition over energies from 2 to 35 keV. tomography and techniques generate three-dimensional reconstructions via absorption or phase contrast, capturing internal structures non-destructively. Photoelectron , particularly (XPS) and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES), analyzes surface chemistry, electronic states, and buried interfaces with depth sensitivity up to several nanometers. Specialized capabilities extend these techniques to dynamic and extreme conditions. Time-resolved studies span to timescales, enabled by the synchrotron's pulsed beam structure (1-20 s per bunch) and pump-probe setups, allowing observation of transient processes like photo-induced reactions or phase transitions. High-pressure experiments, utilizing diamond anvil cells, achieve pressures up to 300 GPa combined with variable temperatures, facilitating investigations of material behavior under geophysical or industrial extremes. Operando conditions simulate real-world environments for and battery research, integrating cells for electrochemical or reactive gas flow to monitor structural evolution during operation. Complementary tools enhance precision and efficiency across beamlines. Nano-focus endstations deliver sub-micron beam sizes (down to ~200 nm), enabling spatially resolved measurements on heterogeneous samples like microcrystals or nanomaterials. Robotic sample changers, such as the BART system, automate high-throughput MX experiments, handling hundreds of samples for rapid screening. Resolution limits include atomic-scale structural detail at ~1 Å for crystallography and 4D imaging (three-dimensional plus time) for capturing dynamics in materials like semi-solid alloys. Data handling supports the facility's high-volume output, with on-site petabyte-scale storage (over 8 PB capacity) archiving vast datasets from intensive experiments. AI-assisted analysis pipelines automate processing, such as and reconstruction, accelerating insights from complex datasets.

Research Applications

Scientific Disciplines

Diamond Light Source supports a diverse array of scientific disciplines, primarily encompassing life sciences, materials science, physical sciences, environmental and earth sciences, , and . These fields leverage the facility's capabilities to address fundamental and applied questions, with beamtime allocated through peer-reviewed proposals based on scientific merit. In the 2023/24 operational year, a total of 15,972 experimental shifts were awarded across 33 beamlines and seven microscopes, reflecting the facility's role in advancing interdisciplinary aligned with (UKRI) priorities. Beamtime allocations included: Biology/Biomaterials 16%, 39.45%, Chemistry 15.49%, Physics 13.16%, Environment 4.51%, 3.94%, Energy 1.96%, and Others 6.03%. In life sciences, which accounted for 16% of beamtime allocation, research focuses on to elucidate protein structures, mechanisms, and biological processes relevant to and health. Applications include studies of membrane proteins, signaling pathways, and antiviral , such as investigations into bacterial complexes and poly-L-lysine-based materials for combating infections. These efforts contribute to understanding mechanisms, including tuberculosis inhibitors and therapies, while also extending to ecological biology like vision. Materials science represents the largest share of beamtime at 39.45%, emphasizing the development of for and technology applications. Key areas involve phase transitions, , and solutions like batteries and fuel cells, with techniques such as pair distribution function (PDF) analysis used to probe local atomic structures. Representative examples include research on in for , boron nitride for , and CO2-derived polymers for sustainable , alongside studies of in and metal-organic framework (MOF) composites for . Physical sciences, encompassing chemistry (15.49%) and physics (13.16%) of allocated beamtime, cover , surfaces and interfaces, and systems. Investigations target magnetic materials, quantum dots, and insulators to advance quantum technologies and materials understanding, as well as behaviors in and colloids through (SAXS). Examples include analyses of polymer melting dynamics and aerosol films, contributing to insights into material properties at the atomic and molecular scales. Environmental and earth sciences utilize 4.51% of beamtime to explore , remediation, and climate-related processes, often employing (XRF) for elemental analysis. Research addresses CO2 conversion to useful materials, microplastic environmental impacts, remediation in soils, and behavior from sources like cooking residues, supporting and control strategies. Cultural heritage and engineering together account for about 8% of beamtime (Engineering 3.94%, with cultural heritage under Others), focusing on non-destructive analysis. In cultural heritage, synchrotron techniques enable the study of artifacts, such as the deciphering of scrolls without damage. Engineering applications include in components, strain mapping in perovskites for solar cells, and synthesis, aiding advancements in high-performance materials and detector technologies. The user community is predominantly academic, with the vast majority of access provided free of charge to researchers from universities and public institutions; industry users receive up to 10% of available beamtime on a , fee-based basis. Approximately 70% of peer-reviewed beamtime is awarded to UK-based users, with the remaining 30% supporting international collaborators from regions including , the , , , , and , fostering global research partnerships. In 2023/24, this resulted in 5,398 onsite academic visits and 4,078 remote user sessions from 1,312 awarded proposals.

Notable Case Studies and Impacts

In the field of biology and medicine, Diamond Light Source has contributed pivotal structural insights that advanced therapeutic development. In 2020, researchers utilized Diamond's beamlines to determine high-resolution structures of the , revealing its interaction with host cells and facilitating rapid design by confirming the efficacy of spike-based immunogens. This work, part of an international open-access effort, accelerated global initiatives by providing essential data for stabilizing the protein in prefusion conformations. Earlier, in 2011, structural studies at Diamond elucidated the histamine H1 receptor's , enabling the design of more selective antihistamines for treating allergies with reduced side effects. Materials science applications have highlighted Diamond's role in sustainable technologies. A 2018 study on I03 characterized the enzyme from , demonstrating its mechanism for breaking down plastics into monomers, which informs enzymatic recycling processes to mitigate . Ongoing operando imaging at beamlines like I12 has visualized lithium formation in real-time during battery charging, aiding the development of safer, higher-capacity lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles by identifying failure modes in solid-state electrolytes. Heritage conservation efforts underscore Diamond's interdisciplinary impact. Analysis of timbers from Henry VIII's warship, using techniques on beamline I18, identified sulfur-induced acid degradation post-salvage, guiding polyethylene glycol treatments to prevent structural collapse and preserve the artifact for future study. In 2024, non-destructive phase-contrast at Diamond's I12 supported the Vesuvius Challenge by scanning a carbonized Herculaneum scroll, enabling AI-assisted virtual unrolling and text decipherment of lost ancient philosophical works without physical damage. Additional studies have explored biomimicry and nuclear safety. of moth wing scales revealed nanoscale acoustic metamaterials that scatter for predator evasion, inspiring lightweight, sound-absorbing designs in . In 2025, investigations into irradiated at Diamond aim to model degradation under reactor conditions, enhancing lifecycle predictions to improve safety and in advanced nuclear reactors. Diamond's broader impacts include contributing to a cumulative total of over 13,000 peer-reviewed publications by December 2023, fostering advancements across disciplines. An independent socio-economic study estimates a return of approximately £7 for every £1 invested, through innovations in , , and that have delivered at least £2.6 billion in cumulative benefits since 2007. Notable spin-offs include pharmaceutical collaborations from the COVID Moonshot project, yielding broad-spectrum antivirals like main protease inhibitors now advancing toward clinical trials.

Future Developments

Diamond-II Upgrade

The Diamond-II upgrade represents a major overhaul of the Diamond Light Source facility, centered on replacing the existing with a multi-bend achromat lattice to dramatically enhance beam quality for advanced scientific investigations. The new design adopts a modified hybrid 6-bend achromat (MH6BA) structure, featuring 6 superperiods with specialized dipoles for dispersion control, which reduces the horizontal emittance from the current 2.7 nm-rad to approximately 162 pm-rad in its natural state and 121 pm-rad with insertion devices. This upgrade increases photon brightness by a factor of 100 and improves transverse coherence, enabling micro- and nano-scale probing essential for resolving atomic structures and dynamic processes. The project also includes a redesigned radio-frequency (RF) system, transitioning from superconducting CESR-type cavities to normal-conducting, higher-order-mode-damped cavities to support stable multi-bunch operation at higher currents. Additionally, the injector complex will be upgraded with a new booster delivering lower emittance beams (around 17 nm-rad) and shorter bunch lengths (38 ps), ensuring efficient top-up injection into the . The upgrade timeline was approved in September 2023 by the UK government, with initial funding from the (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund and the . Preparatory work, including the of an extension building, began in early 2024, with machine installation slated to start in late 2027 following an 18-month dark period to minimize overall facility downtime. As of 2025, progress includes the arrival of critical components from in March 2025, a contract award for octupole corrector magnets in 2025, and ongoing of beamline hutches for the beamlines as of May 2025. The implementation will be staged, with critical upgrades and some beamlines completed prior to the dark period, and full operations resuming by 2030 to ensure continued user access with limited interruption. This phased approach allows for the progressive delivery of enhanced capabilities while maintaining the facility's high uptime, currently exceeding 97%. Key new facilities include three flagship beamlines optimized for the upgraded source: K04, an ultra-high-throughput beamline for macromolecular crystallography (MX) and fragment-based (XChem), replacing the existing I04-1 and supporting serial crystallography for time-resolved studies of protein dynamics. SWIFT, focused on advanced imaging for life sciences, will enable correlative multi-modal techniques for biological samples at nanoscale resolution. The third, CSXID, targets coherent scattering and imaging diffraction for , facilitating 4D investigations of dynamic processes in and . These beamlines, along with upgrades to optics, detectors, and computing infrastructure, will boost experimental throughput and automation. The total cost of the Diamond-II project is £519.4 million, positioning it as a transformative investment that extends the facility's leadership in science for decades. By achieving diffraction-limited performance in the hard regime, the upgrade will unlock breakthroughs in pharmaceutical development, such as rapid drug screening, and materials research, including real-time observation of phase transitions for sustainable technologies.

Expansion and Sustainability Initiatives

Following the Diamond-II upgrade, Diamond Light Source plans to expand its beamline portfolio to support emerging research needs, including the addition of up to three new s enabled by the upgraded design. These will complement existing facilities, with a focus on specialized capabilities such as high-pressure studies and characterization, building on current infrastructure like the I15 for extreme conditions. The facility aims to ultimately host up to 40 beamlines in the long term, enhancing its capacity for multidisciplinary experiments across life, physical, and environmental sciences. Diamond integrates with complementary facilities on the Harwell Campus to broaden its research ecosystem. As a founding member of the Institute since 2019, it collaborates on cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) advancements, combining techniques with high-resolution imaging for applications like protein scaffolding design. Additionally, the Active Materials Laboratory, opened in November 2022, supports in-situ testing of radioactive and nuclear materials under operational conditions, facilitating studies in energy and . Sustainability efforts at Diamond prioritize environmental responsibility in line with the UN and the . The facility endorses the UK's net-zero emissions target by 2050, implementing measures such as a fully operational array installed in 2024, which as of July 2025 contributed 30% of the facility's power needs and generates approximately 2.3 GWh annually to reduce reliance on grid power and lower operational carbon emissions. Energy efficiency upgrades include fan conversions in cooling systems, which have improved overall thermal management without compromising experimental precision. International collaborations strengthen Diamond's global role, particularly through partnerships with facilities like in . Since 2018, the Diamond SESAME Rutherford Fellowship programme has hosted fellows for advanced training in synchrotron techniques, fostering knowledge exchange and regional capacity building in the . Domestically and internationally, annual training initiatives such as the Synchrotron Radiation School—running since at least 2010—provide postgraduate and early-career researchers with hands-on experience in experiments and data analysis. These initiatives position the as a leader in fourth-generation light sources, with Diamond-II synergies enabling brighter, more coherent X-rays for transformative science in clean energy and materials innovation.

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