Lighting the path to innovation Australian Synchrotron What is a synchrotron & how does it work?

Australian Synchrotron What is a synchrotron? A machine that generates brilliant beams of light by moving electrons through a strong magnetic field. General Electric, 1947 European Synchrotron, Grenoble, France -- one of world’s largest at ~2km circumference What is it?

Australian Synchrotron Synchrotron - definitions Machine that generates brilliant beams of light. Collection of laboratories where the beams of light are used to investigate the structure and composition of samples. Enabling technology because the research conducted using the facility leads to the development of new products and processes. Scientific infrastructure where powerful techniques are used to perform value-adding research and development. What is it?

Australian Synchrotron Storage Ring ANKA, Germany What does it look like inside? How does it work? Bending magnet Approx 7.5 tonnes

Australian Synchrotron Creating the light How does it work?

Australian Synchrotron Electrons are generated here And initially accelerated in the LINAC How does it work?

Australian Synchrotron Then they pass into the booster ring where they are accelerated to % of the speed of light How does it work?

Australian Synchrotron And are finally transferred into the storage ring How does it work?

Australian Synchrotron Bending magnet Sweeping searchlight At each deflection of the electron path a beam of radiation is produced. Undulator Produces a very narrow beam of coherent light, amplified by up to 10 4 Types of light sources Insertion devices - produce higher intensity Wiggler Beams emitted at each pole reinforce each other and appear as a broad beam of incoherent light. How does it work?

Australian Synchrotron Why is it special?

Australian Synchrotron Why is wavelength important? Why is it special? Visible light X-rays To penetrate a sample, you need a wavelength of similar, or smaller magnitude. sample

Australian Synchrotron Brilliant - many orders of magnitude brighter than conventional sources, enabling quick experiments on small samples. Collimated - beam can be focussed down to less than a micron (10 -6 m) across, enabling chemical speciation to be mapped. Polarised - linear polarisation, minimises background scattering, improves sensitivity Pulsed - electron bunches produce light pulses, enabling process kinetics to be followed. Continuous spectrum - from infrared to hard x-rays, optical devices select and scan the light’s energy. Synchrotron light - properties Properties

Australian Synchrotron 1. Brilliant - many orders of magnitude brighter than conventional sources, enabling quick experiments on small samples. Properties of synchrotron light Properties

Australian Synchrotron 2. Continuous spectrum - from infrared to hard x-rays Properties

Australian Synchrotron 3. Collimated – the beam can be focussed down to less than a micron 4. Polarised – this minimises background scattering, improves sensitivity and enables measurement of circular dichroism 5. Pulsed – the electron bunches produce nanosecond light pulses, enabling process kinetics to be followed and ‘movies’ of reactions to be made. Properties