APS Upgrade

APS Upgrade
Name	APS Upgrade
Caption	Advanced Photon Source Upgrade Overview
Location	Argonne National Laboratory
Established	2013 (project start)
Facility	Advanced Photon Source
Operator	Argonne National Laboratory
Funding	U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science
Type	Synchrotron light source

APS Upgrade

The APS Upgrade modernizes the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to deliver higher-brightness and higher-coherence x-ray beams for research across disciplines such as materials science, biology, chemistry, and geophysics. It replaces the storage-ring magnet lattice with a multi-bend achromat architecture and adds new insertion devices, beamlines, and experimental endstations to expand capabilities for users from institutions like University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and national efforts including the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratory system. The program interfaces with national initiatives exemplified by Office of Science and Technology Policy priorities and international facilities such as European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and SPring-8.

Overview

The initiative reconfigures the third-generation light source Advanced Photon Source into an ultra-bright, high-coherence facility by adopting concepts developed at facilities like MAX IV Laboratory and the Swiss Light Source. The upgrade centers on a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice first demonstrated at SOLEIL and advanced at MAX IV. It aims to provide beam properties comparable to next-generation facilities including European XFEL and LCLS-II for experiments performed by users from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and international research centers.

Objectives and Scope

Primary objectives include increasing brightness by several orders of magnitude, improving coherent flux for imaging at nanoscale resolution, and enabling faster time-resolved studies comparable to capabilities at Linac Coherent Light Source and NSLS-II. The scope encompasses magnet lattice replacement, construction of new insertion devices influenced by designs at DESY and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, upgrade of radiofrequency systems like those used at CERN accelerators, and expansion of beamline suites supporting investigators from Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and industrial partners such as General Electric and 3M.

Technical Upgrades

The heart of the technical transformation is an MBA lattice with compact bending magnets and strong focusing quadrupoles inspired by advances at MAX IV Laboratory and SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free Electron Laser. New straight sections host state-of-the-art insertion devices including cryogenic permanent magnet undulators, superconducting undulators similar to devices tested at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and variable-polarization undulators developed in collaboration with groups at European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Upgrades to beam instrumentation include modern orbit feedback systems akin to those at Diamond Light Source, photon diagnostics derived from Advanced Light Source methods, and improved vacuum systems modeled after PETRA III. Radiofrequency and power-supply systems are renewed drawing on technologies from CERN and Fermilab to support higher beam currents and stability. Computing upgrades include high-throughput data acquisition and analysis platforms integrated with workflows used at Argonne Leadership Computing Facility and NERSC.

Facility Modifications and Infrastructure

Implementation requires substantial tunnel work, magnet assembly areas, and cryogenic plant expansion comparable to civil projects at European XFEL and SPring-8. New beamline enclosures and experimental hutches accommodate instruments inspired by designs at ESRF and Diamond Light Source, while vibration-control measures reflect experience from Max Planck Institute facilities. Utilities upgrades include enhanced electrical distribution and cooling systems paralleling installations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory. User support infrastructure expands with sample-preparation labs and biosafety suites aligned with standards from National Institutes of Health collaborations.

Project Timeline and Phases

The program follows phased construction and commissioning: conceptual design and R&D stages influenced by roadmap exercises from Office of Science and advisory reports from committees including the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee; procurement and installation phases coordinated with OEMs like Siemens and magnet vendors; and staged commissioning with beamline turn-ons patterned after sequences used at NSLS-II and LCLS. Key milestones include completion of magnet prototypes, beam commissioning of the first MBA sector, and progressive user operations. Project governance integrates timelines similar to those of major facilities such as ITER and large-scale upgrades at CERN.

Scientific Impact and Applications

The enhanced coherent flux and brightness enable nanoscale imaging, in situ studies of catalytic reactions relevant to National Renewable Energy Laboratory research, operando investigations of battery materials akin to programs at Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, and single-particle cryo-imaging complementing work at National Institutes of Health-funded centers. Applications span condensed-matter studies referenced in literature from Princeton University and Columbia University, structural biology collaborations with University of Oxford groups, and industrial R&D in sectors represented by Boeing and Pfizer. Cross-disciplinary initiatives tie into programs such as the Materials Genome Initiative and climate science efforts coordinated with NOAA.

Management, Funding, and Collaboration

The project is managed by Argonne National Laboratory under funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science with oversight by advisory bodies including the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee. Collaborative partnerships involve universities, national laboratories such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and international partners from facilities like European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and SPring-8. Industrial collaborations and technology transfers engage companies including Keysight Technologies and magnet manufacturers, while workforce development aligns with programs at University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and professional societies like the American Physical Society.

Category:Synchrotron radiation facilities