Advanced Photon Source

Advanced Photon Source
U.S. Department of Energy from United States · Public domain · source
Name	Advanced Photon Source
Caption	Exterior view of the Advanced Photon Source facility
Established	1995
Location	Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois
Coordinates	41.7219°N 88.2567°W
Type	Synchrotron radiation facility
Director	Argonne National Laboratory Director (facility leadership rotates)
Operating agency	United States Department of Energy Office of Science
Staff	~1,000 (facility and user support)
Website	Advanced Photon Source

Advanced Photon Source

The Advanced Photon Source is a high-brightness synchrotron radiation light source located at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, in Lemont, Illinois. It delivers intense, tunable x-ray beams for research across materials science, biology, chemistry, and physics, serving thousands of users from universities, industry, and government laboratories including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The facility is funded by the United States Department of Energy and operates in coordination with national user programs such as the National Synchrotron Light Source community and international partners including European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and SPring-8.

Overview

The facility comprises a 7-GeV electron storage ring that produces hard x-rays through insertion devices and bending magnets, enabling experiments in protein crystallography, nanoscale imaging, materials characterization, and time-resolved studies. Major organizational stakeholders include Argonne National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, and user communities from institutions such as University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University. The APS integrates with broader scientific networks involving National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and international collaborations with Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Diamond Light Source, and Canadian Light Source.

History and development

Conceived during planning by the U.S. Department of Energy and designed in collaboration with national laboratories, the project followed precedents set by facilities like Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Construction at Argonne National Laboratory began in the 1980s, with commissioning milestones in the early 1990s and user operations formally starting in 1995. Key historical figures and groups involved include leadership from Argonne National Laboratory, scientific advocates from University of Chicago faculty, and funding decisions influenced by congressional appropriations and reviews by panels including members from National Academy of Sciences and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The APS has undergone multiple upgrade studies analogous to programs at SPring-8 and Diamond Light Source to enhance brightness, coherence, and pulse structure.

Facility and accelerator complex

The accelerator complex comprises an electron linac, a positron injector configured as an accumulator ring, and a 7-GeV storage ring housed in a 1-km circumference tunnel. Components and systems are comparable to those at European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and SPring-8: radiofrequency systems adapted from designs used at DESY and magnet arrays influenced by work at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Insertion devices include undulators and wigglers supplied by industrial partners and research groups from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Beam diagnostics and control systems draw on collaborations with CERN and instrumentation developed with input from Argonne National Laboratory divisions and university groups at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Beamlines and experimental techniques

APS hosts dozens of beamlines offering techniques such as macromolecular crystallography, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray scattering, coherent diffraction imaging, and tomography. Beamlines are sponsored and operated by consortia including university centers like Northwestern University and national programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Experimental stations utilize detectors and optics developed by groups from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and instrumentation firms collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory. User experiments often combine methods—pairing x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) with small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) or cryo-crystallography techniques used by structural biology groups associated with Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins University.

Scientific applications and notable results

Research at the facility has yielded advances in fields ranging from battery materials and superconductivity to protein structure and paleontology. Studies of lithium-ion battery electrodes involved collaborations with Sandia National Laboratories and produced insights impacting companies such as Tesla, Inc. and General Motors. Structural biology results included high-resolution protein structures relevant to drug discovery teams at Pfizer and Merck & Co., and paleontological imaging projects partnered with Field Museum of Natural History revealed internal fossil anatomy. Materials science breakthroughs include investigations into high-temperature superconductors studied in cooperation with Princeton University and Columbia University, while climate and environmental research used x-ray spectroscopies applied by researchers from University of Wisconsin–Madison and Yale University.

Operations, upgrades, and future plans

The APS Upgrade (APS-U) project, modeled in part on upgrade programs at Diamond Light Source and SPring-8, transitioned the storage ring to a multi-bend achromat lattice to increase coherence and brightness, coordinated with engineering teams from Argonne National Laboratory and vendors from the accelerator industry. Operational governance involves scheduling by user offices liaising with university and national lab principal investigators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Future plans emphasize femtosecond time-resolved capabilities, integration with cryo-electron microscopy centers at University of Chicago and expanded user access through partnerships with National Institutes of Health and industry consortia including Boeing and 3M. Continuous engagement with international facilities such as European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron informs strategic decisions and technology transfer.

Category:Synchrotron radiation sources