ID32 Inauguration

ID32, the only soft X-ray beamline at the ESRF, was the second beamline to be inaugurated as part of the European Synchrotron’s Phase I Upgrade (full news item).

One end station features an 11 metre spectrometer that provides unprecedented energy resolution. The instrument is able to rotate a full 100 degrees with the help of air pads which enable it to glide just above the marble slab below it. It will be used primarily for investigating the magnetic and electronic properties of materials, including high temperature superconductors.  The facility is expected to be available to users early 2015.  A second UHV high magnetic field end station for studying the magnet properties of materials will take first users at the end of November 2014. Such studies have potential importance in fields such as spintronics. A third “open” experiment area, allowing new user experiments to be developed, will take first users in December 2014. In this case the users will carry out soft X-ray holography experiments.

Top image: Inauguration ceremony at beamline ID32. Pictured from left to right: N. Brookes (Scientist in charge of ID32), Prof. D. McMorrow, Prof. K. Hämäläinen, F. Yakhou-Harris (Beamline Operations Manager), Prof. M. Takata, F. Sette.