The Nanoscience beamline exploits the brightest region in Diamond’s spectrum, providing a high photon flux density for soft X-ray experiments. It combines microfocused soft X-rays with variable linear and circular polarisation and X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) to provide spectroscopic data on nanometre length scales. The intense polarised beam can be focused to a spot several microns in diameter, allowing the PEEM to probe nanomagnetism and nanostructures.

The major design goal was to deliver the highest possible flux density at the PEEM end-station. The beamline images at high spatial resolution using polarised X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) or X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) as the contrast mechanism. It is possible to perform photoemission and absorption measurements at high spatial resolution with an energy resolution of less than 300 meV.