ISIS-II
Although ISIS will continue to operate for many years to come, plans for a new facility will be developed over the next decade to be ready for construction sometime after 2030.
The UK research community is at the forefront of neutron scattering, benefitting from ISIS as a national source alongside access to the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and, in the future, the European Spallation Source (ESS). ISIS-II will maintain and strengthen the UK’s neutron research capabilities, enabling continued pure and applied studies using neutrons and muons in a way that is complementary to the ESS.
A project has been established to consider the requirements for an ISIS-replacement facility, and to explore the technologies that might underpin this. This work includes considering the science drivers for neutrons and muons over coming decades and how these will influence the design of new instrumentation. In turn, these considerations will affect the nature of the source and the accelerator characteristics. Feasibility work on accelerator options is ongoing, with the aim of ramping this up over coming years.
ISIS-II will be based on the Harwell Campus, with its growing and intrinsically collaborative interdisciplinary community. The campus is a centre of excellence that spans science areas and technology readiness levels, which enables it to be responsive to Government missions while maintaining a backbone of fundamental scientific discovery.
Technical capabilities
High flux
ISIS-II will be a high brilliance neutron source that will enable researchers to explore the extremes of sample size and resolution. It will enable experiments on much smaller samples and in operando studies with more complex environments.
ISIS-II will allow high throughput measurements linking up well with transformative developments in materials modelling already underway. AI driven simulations will be able to be rapidly benchmarked against neutron scattering results. This will enable researchers to “design” atomic systems with the properties desired for their particular problem, whether that be quantum phenomena or biological efficacy.
A higher-flux source will also enable the development of more extreme environments, which currently are inaccessible in the existing facility, or require very long counting times.
Shorter pulses
ISIS-II, being a short pulse source, will be far better optimised to high-resolution atomic-level structural studies of materials than the complementary ESS. The importance of this cannot be understated in modern materials science, as this is the first fundamental question in studying the properties of any new material.
Neutrons alongside X-rays
The neutron being a highly penetrative probe permits the use of versatile sample environments such as those required to reach millikelvin temperatures, large magnetic fields, and high pressures. Neutrons’ enhanced sensitivity to low-Z materials and magnetism, and the (several) orders of magnitude superiority in energy resolution, mean that a neutron source will always be integral and complementary to any future X-ray sources.
Future grand challenges
Although it is challenging to predict areas of societal need in 20-80 years’ time, studies of the structure and dynamics of materials will always be essential. ISIS‑II will provide the capability to do unique and relevant experiments, adapting to the changing needs of its academic and industrial user community.
Five future grand challenges where ISIS-II would have particularly significant impact emerged from our community consultations. These challenges refer to significant and complex interlinked problems that require innovative solutions and the collaborative effort of a multidisciplinary community. Underpinning all of these is the continued need for fundamental materials science research, as this is the foundation of the mission-led research of the future.
Beyond net zero
By the time of ISIS-II the UK will be well on track to meet its net-zero goals, with ISIS in its current form contributing to the technological breakthroughs required. As we approach the latter half of the century much of the renewable infrastructure we are now installing will reach its end of life and ISIS-II will enable the discovery of the materials to replace it.
Innovative energy generation, storage and transport will be crucial to meeting the energy security needs of the UK. The unique interactions of neutrons with hydrogen mean that ISIS‑II would be critical to the development of new hydrogen storage and fuel cell materials.
Porous materials play a key role in gas storage for both energy storage, carbon capture and toxic gas removal. ISIS-II would enable the study of their structure and the behaviour of the molecules they capture under relevant operating conditions.
Neutrons and muons will play a key role in sustainable transportation, from providing insights into the molecular-level factors influencing friction, to elucidating the structure/function of battery materials and fuel cells. A more intense source would enable battery experiments that are not yet possible, such as real-time studies of charge/discharge cycling within realistically thin electrode materials.
Industry accounts for just under 20% of total UK energy consumption. ISIS-II will enable breakthrough technologies to either recover or reduce this energy, boosting the nation’s competitiveness. Perhaps the best-known mechanism to reduce the energy use of industry is through catalysis and the current ISIS has made significant breakthroughs in catalysis thanks to the neutron’s ability to “see” hydrogen.
Fusion power generation places extreme challenges on materials. These materials need to have excellent high temperature properties, be operational in high magnetic fields and be resilient to radiation and interactions with lithium. Neutron scattering provides microscopic level information on these materials in relevant conditions (e.g. temperature and magnetic field).
ISIS already collaborates with other facilities on campus to investigate pollutants: both their behaviour in the atmosphere, and their effects on our bodies. A higher flux facility would reduce the sample sizes required, opening up the possibility for experiments on small biological samples.
Driving the UK’s quantum future
The computing revolution of the 20th century was driven by the electron. Computing in the 21st century seems poised to be revolutionised by magnetism. ISIS-II will make an impact through precise magnetic structure determination and dynamics, so that the interactions within these new materials may be understood and guide the design of magnonic and spintronic materials and devices.
The short pulse of ISIS-II will uniquely enable extremely high-resolution and extended Q-coverage for polarisation studies.
The materials simulations which could run on these advanced computers will need rapid experimental validation to guide their development.
Novel phases of matter can support highly entangled quantum states. At its most fundamental, neutron scattering measures correlations and recent theoretical breakthroughs enable us to extract quantitative measures of entanglement. These are already underway but require large samples and long measurement times. ISIS-II will allow high throughput measurements, linking up well with transformative developments in materials modelling already underway.
With the low energy muons from ISIS-II, it will be possible to access surface states, such as those in topological insulators and protected states near surfaces.
Recent advancements in neutron technology open new possibilities for using entangled neutron beams to probe and quantify entanglement in quantum materials, potentially revolutionising both our understanding of quantum many-body systems and enabling new technologies in quantum computing, quantum sensing and material science. Additionally, these advances would be a step toward solving fundamental questions in quantum mechanics and many-body physics.
Advanced technologies and manufacturing that do not cost the earth
Materials of the future will need to be lighter and stronger whilst minimising and reversing the need for sensitive and critical materials. Looking forward to a circular economy, there will be a growing need for biodegradable, recyclable and self-healing materials. ISIS-II will support automated materials discovery alongside rapid processing and formulation.
Sample environments at ISIS-II will allow the measurement of such materials under operational conditions or synthesis. For example, measuring the effect of a welding process during the welding itself or the high-temperature high-pressure synthesis of new materials in situ.
With a growth in reliance on artificial intelligence and automation, there will be an even greater need for robust electronics testing such as that offered by high-energy neutrons at ISIS-II. The National Materials Innovation Strategy has identified an increasing demand for sensors for extreme environments, including aerospace and satellite communications and biocompatible electronic devices. As new electronic materials and devices emerge to meet demand, it is critical to understand their resilience to gamma and neutron radiation. The higher energy proton beam proposed for the facility also opens the exciting possibility of high energy proton beams for electronics testing to mimic solar protons.
High-field permanent magnets are industrially relevant and their importance to the UK from both an economic and national defence perspective is clear. A major challenge is the reduction of rare earths without compromising the material performance as the UK does not have access to significant domestic supplies. High-flux neutron sources offer an unparalleled toolset for probing the fundamental magnetic properties that give rise to ferromagnetism and strong anisotropy in permanent magnets. By leveraging the unique strengths of neutron scattering, researchers will be better equipped to design and discover the next generation of permanent magnets, ensuring continued advancements in technology critical to energy, transportation and healthcare sectors.
While looking to the future, ISIS-II will also help us to preserve the artefacts of our past. The ability to probe samples without damage with new capabilities for elemental analysis will support developments in sustainable conservation and forensic archaeology.
Enabling world class research for the life sciences
Neutrons provide unique insights that will be crucial for studying new drugs, and methods of delivering them, for applications in cancer treatment, vaccines and tackling antimicrobial resistance.
The transition to fully computer-aided drug design will rely on acquiring a large amount of reproducible structural data, which will be made possible by a brighter neutron source. Neutron techniques offer precise structural analysis with less crystal deterioration compared to other methods, along with the ability to detect light elements such as hydrogen.
Medicinal materials are driven by supramolecular construction principles and stabilised by non-covalent interactions. The rational design of these materials is based on understanding these interactions, and those with a complex system of solute species and solvent. ISIS-II will enable us to have more and better data on the formation of these supramolecular constructs to enable computational simulations.
The advent of new drug delivery vehicles has come with a huge increase in demand for fundamental data on these systems. Neutrons will be used to provide knowledge on the size, shape and, critically, the diffusion of molecules in and out of these vehicles, fuelling the development of smarter drug delivery platforms.
Dynamic biological interfaces are affected by many medical conditions, yet these interfaces remain poorly understood. The neutron community can exploit the higher flux of next generation sources and smart sample environment design to mimic dynamic biological interfaces that move on timescales relevant to natural processes, spearheading the development of new medicines.
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are revolutionising genetic medicine. However, systematically rationalising how the physicochemical properties of LNP components relate to their structure and in vivo efficacy remains challenging. Neutrons and specific deuteration will play a key role in understanding the structures of these mixtures, the complex interplay between the components and developing structure-function relationships for their rational design.
The need to develop advanced biomaterials and medical implants, with a growth in wearable technologies, will increase demand for materials research on smaller and thinner samples, which can then be met using ISIS-II.
Sustainable agriculture and food security will also be critical in a changing climate. The properties of neutrons make them ideal for food science research, from field to fork.
Ensuring UK resilience
Underpinning all these challenges is the need for the UK to remain resilient to the global threats of climate change and hostile nations. As described in the challenge areas above, ISIS-II will support the UK’s need for energy, food and water security, as well as materials discovery and adaptation for applications in defence. Having such a facility on UK soil supports the UK scientific community and industries in a way not possible through international subscriptions and showcases the excellence of UK research.
ISIS-II FAQs
To enable UK scientists to have access to the materials discovery techniques that they will need in future decades.
UK scientists make heavy use of materials analysis techniques to enable new materials to be created to solve global challenges, improve industrial processes and contribute to curiosity-driven studies. The UK currently has world-class facilities for materials analysis, including the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source.
ISIS has been operating since 1987. It has been, and continues to be, used by thousands of UK academic and industrial researchers for materials studies, and has attracted significant overseas investment. It is one of the UK’s key national science infrastructures.
By the late 2030s, ISIS will be coming to the end of its operational life. In addition, advances in the technologies associated with accelerators, and with neutron and muon instrumentation, provide significant opportunities to develop new capabilities for neutron and muon studies of materials.
ISIS-II is therefore envisaged as the replacement for the current ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. It will equip the UK (and international) community with the research tools it will continue to need for materials discovery, building on the success of ISIS, maintaining the UK’s lead in this area and remaining comparable in capability with other international sources.
The science reasons for needing neutron and muon techniques for materials study remain as strong as ever – the breadth and depth of studies possible with neutron and muon methods continue to grow and will be needed well into the future across a very broad range of physical and life science disciplines.
The UK community will need access to ISIS-like capability, in addition to the ESS, for both capacity and capability reasons, over coming decades.
The ESS will come online in the middle of this decade and will ramp up its capabilities (neutron flux, number of instruments) over the following decade.
The UK is a partner in ESS construction, and it is anticipated that the UK will partner in ESS operations.
This commitment of the UK to the ESS has been made with ISIS fully operational, as it is recognised that the ESS is not a replacement for ISIS and won’t be a replacement for the proposed ISIS-II. This is for both capacity and capability reasons: the UK’s likely contribution to ESS operations will result in a very much smaller number of instrument-days being delivered to the UK community than the community currently uses through ISIS.
In addition, ISIS is a different sort of accelerator-based neutron source to the ESS (ISIS is a short-pulse source, ESS a long-pulse source), and this means that the two facilities provide different capabilities in some areas – there is complementarity between them, and so the UK and EU will need access to both types of source in the future.
No. ILL provides an essential resource for the UK and European research community, complementary to ISIS.
The UK is a long-term ILL associate, contributing 25% of its operating costs, and has committed to the ILL up to at least 2030.
The UK’s commitment to the ILL runs in parallel with its operation of ISIS. UK researchers use both facilities as they provide complementary capabilities in some areas.
There will continue to be a strong case for the UK having access to ILL capabilities, in addition to those provided by ISIS (and ESS) well into the future. ISIS is fully supportive of the UK’s commitment to the ILL, recognising it contributes to the UK’s (and Europe’s) research infrastructure capabilities in a unique way.
ISIS-II is not a replacement facility for ILL, for both capability and capacity reasons.
Yes. ISIS-II will seek to minimise its carbon footprint, but will still use a lot of energy to run. But the benefits, in terms of materials discovery to contribute to global issues, are significant and essential for the UK’s science base.
ISIS is very conscious of the need to reduce its carbon impact. Sustainability considerations are now a key part of all ISIS instrumentation and accelerator projects, and the facility is actively trying to reduce its carbon footprint (through replacing equipment with more efficient versions, installing photovoltaics, etc.).
ISIS-II will use the latest ideas and technology to reduce accelerator and instrument energy usage. Sustainability is a key factor in the design and feasibility work that is ongoing for ISIS-II, and ISIS has employed a dedicated person to work on the sustainability of the facility.
The outputs of ISIS now, and of ISIS-II in the future, contribute to the development of new materials and improved processes for energy storage, energy efficiency and climate change issues. Without facilities such as ISIS, the ability of UK researchers to contribute to these areas will be much more limited.
We believe so, based on similar projects being constructed elsewhere in the world.
Depending on the option chosen for ISIS-II, costs are likely to be between £500m and £3000m. This is a very large amount of money – but similar to other large-scale science infrastructure projects in construction or being proposed.
Funding models for ISIS-II need to be explored as part of the feasibility work for the facility. We could imagine that great international contributions would be needed compared to ISIS.
ISIS already attracts significant investment from overseas partners. We imagine further developing overseas partnership to contribute towards ISIS-II.
A 2017 study of the economic impact of ISIS for the UK found a return-on-investment for the facility over the first 30 years of its life of 214%, taking into account construction and operating costs. We would anticipate something similar for ISIS-II.
The project is in its feasibility phase at present. We are aiming at construction to be started from the early 2030s, with the facility operational from around 2040.
The UKRI Infrastructure Fund has supported initial feasibility studies for ISIS-II. An award of around £5m has enabled initial work on accelerator and target options, together with development of the overall case for the facility.
Further, more detailed, feasibility work is needed on the possible accelerator options. ISIS will seek funding for this work from the UKRI Infrastructure fund during 2024 / 2025.
It is likely that, as part of the request for further feasibility funding, DSIT will review the entire case for ISIS-II to provide reassurance that the project is suitable for larger funding.
Full funding for ISIS-II will be required early in the next decade, in order that construction could start in the early 2030s to enable an operational facility around 2040.
