News

Researchers used neutrons and X-rays to look into the structure of spaghetti at the nanometre scale, comparing the effect of cooking and salt in gluten-free and gluten-containing pasta.

Neutron imaging provides real-time insights into the next generation of battery technology

The ILL recently welcomed the first 'novice users' as part of the exchange programme. These are the video portraits of three scientists, in various stage of their careers, discovering the ILL for the first time.

The Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion (JEFF) Library combines and makes available the experimental and theoretical knowledge on nuclear data. Release JEFF-4.0 is a significant achievement for the community with major ILL contributions.

Solid-state battery research has just been turbocharged by the development of the first sample cell that unlocks the unique real-time insights of operando neutron diffraction at the ILL. This major advancement is the result of a collaborative effort between the ILL and LEPMI laboratory in Grenoble within the framework of the OpInSolid project funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR).

In a series of experiments published in Nature Physics, researchers from Japan, the UK, Sweden, and the Czech Republic collaborated at ILL-IN15, one of the world's leading spin echo facilities. Their neutron spin echo (NSE) experiments confirmed the presence of asymmetric dynamics in the skyrmion phase of MnSi, indicating its strong potential for spintronic devices and sustainable technology.

Thanks to a recent upgrade of ILL’s neutron reflectometer D17, molecular motions can be tracked with unprecedented precision

The International Conference on Neutron Scattering 2025 was held in Copenhagen and Lund on 6-10 July. The ILL had a strong presence, with 66 participants, oral presentations, posters, many interesting discussions and some prizes.

A team of researchers recently used the thermal-neutron two-axis diffractometer D23 at the ILL to investigate Na2 BaCo(PO4 )2 (NBCP), a material that surprisingly behaves as a ‘spin supersolid’ -a state combining properties of both a solid and a liquid. Neutrons, acting like tiny magnets themselves, were the ideal probes to reveal the hidden magnetic order and dynamics within this material. This discovery, which is also relevant for energy-efficient cooling, provides the first real-life evidence of a supersolid state in a quantum magnet.

A recent study published in Nature Communications reveals an unexpected transition between two different insulator states. Neutron diffractometry experiments at the ILL, conducted on the D2B high-resolution, two-axis diffractometer, open up the path towards advanced technologies by providing vital insights into the complex electronic behavior of such materials.

Last week, the very first team of users has been performing experiments on the SHARPER instrument at the ILL.

A recent study, published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, and conducted at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), utilised polarised neutron scattering on the D33 instrument to explore skyrmions. This research provided crucial microscopic insights into these magnetic structures. The D33 instrument's unique ability to combine high magnetic fields and  polarised neutrons was essential for understanding skyrmion phase transitions. The findings  can enhance the development of skyrmion-based spintronic devices, which promise lower energy consumption and higher data storage efficiency. The study's methodologies can be applied to other magnetic materials, aiding in the discovery of new phenomena and the development of advanced magnetic materials.