Diamond Light Source is the United Kingdom’s national synchrotron — a not-for-profit facility in Oxfordshire that turns electrons travelling at almost the speed of light into beams bright enough to reveal matter atom by atom, serving scientists from across the world.
Diamond is a joint venture funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome. Its storage ring generates extremely bright light that is channelled into laboratories called beamlines, each tuned to a particular technique. Academic and industry researchers apply for access and bring their samples to Didcot, where the light helps them tackle challenges across health, food security, energy, climate and advanced materials — from mapping the structure of a virus to engineering a better battery.
At a glanceFacility profile
- Location
- Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
- Operator
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, funded by UKRI and Wellcome
- Type
- Third-generation synchrotron
- Energy
- 3 GeV
- Beam current
- 300 mA (typical)
- Beamlines
- 33 in operation
- Website
- diamond.ac.uk
The scienceWhat researchers do here
Diamond’s beamlines span macromolecular crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy for structural biology, X-ray spectroscopy and scattering for chemistry and physics, and imaging and tomography that can look inside engineering components and ancient artefacts alike. The breadth of techniques on one campus means a single facility can support drug discovery, the design of cleaner catalysts, the study of quantum materials and the analysis of cultural heritage, often within the same week.
From the structure of a virus to the inner life of a jet-engine blade — all read by the same brilliant light.
Diamond-II
Diamond is upgrading to a fourth-generation source, Diamond-II. A new machine and a refreshed portfolio of beamlines will deliver markedly brighter, more coherent light, sharpening imaging and analysis and ensuring the UK stays at the forefront of synchrotron science.
Access for researchers
For Standard Access, Diamond issues two calls for proposals each year, with deadlines on 1 April and 1 October, each covering a six-month period. Time is awarded on scientific merit and is free for research intended for publication.