High Field Magnet to Support BLADE Research Projects

Oxford Instruments has received an order for a high field magnet from Diamond Light Source for ultra high vacuum experiments. The 14 T split pair superconducting magnet will provide a high magnetic and low temperature (<1.5 K) sample environment during experiments when a sample will be exposed to an x-ray beam under ultra high vacuum. It will be used on the new I10 Beamline for Advanced Dichroism Experiments (BLADE) at Diamond Light Source’s facility in Oxfordshire and is to be dedicated to soft x-ray magnetic spectroscopy.

The magnet will be constructed using Oxford Instruments’ Nb3Sn superconducting wire and will also be fitted with a recondensing cryostat which considerably decreases the liquid helium consumption of such powerful superconducting magnets while enabling stringent magnet designs. Recondensing technology uses a cryocooler to capture evaporated gas and turn it back into liquid helium.

John Burgoyne, Manager of the Magnets Business Group at Oxford Instruments said that working with customers such as Diamond Light Source provided constant drivers and challenges to the company’s own technology development, while enhancing its own expertise: “In particular we are pleased to be able to build upon our strengths in high field recondensing magnet systems for beamline applications with this order. We are delighted to have this opportunity to work closely with the Diamond team and to be a part of the UK and local economy which both supports and benefits from this world-class science base in the UK”, he added.