Welcome to Magnetic Materials

Diamond's Magnetic Materials Group concentrates on emergent phenomena in quantum materials using the capabilities of beamlines I06I10I16 and I21. The research encompasses a variety of challenges and opportunities at the frontiers of condensed matter physics and materials science ranging from topological states of matter, superconductivity, spintronics, two-dimensional systems, skyrmions and multiferroics.

The key insights made by the research community exploit the high sensitivity of polarised X-ray spectroscopy, microscopy and scattering available across the beamlines. For instance, polarised soft X-rays combined with the PhotoEmission Electron Microscope (PEEM) on the Nanoscience beamline (I06) have visualised the domain dynamics underpinning antiferromagnetic spintronics while the resonant soft X-ray scattering on the BLADE: X-ray Dichroism and Scattering beamline (I10) has been used to understand the topological properties of skyrmions. On the Materials and Magnetism beamline (I16), interference effects in hard X-ray scattering have led to a deeper understanding of long-range magnetic ordering in canted antiferromagnets. The Inelastic X-ray Scattering beamline (I21) has already performed groundbreaking experiments measuring orbital excitations, magnon dispersion and electron-phonon coupling in several highly-correlated systems. I17 is in the planning stages as a flagship Diamond-II beamline and will be a unique facility to perform polarised x-ray imaging from quantum and functional materials. The MMG also runs the Material Characterisation Laboratory (MCL), to characterise and align samples. The MCL houses a Supernova x-ray diffractometer, SQUID, AFM and sputtering and wire bonding facilities. The research output from our Magnetic Materials beamlines demonstrates how polarised X-ray science can uncover dramatic changes in the magnetic properties of materials from subtle changes to the geometric and electronic structure.

I06 Nanoscience

I06 is a polarised spectroscopy and microscopy beamline equipped with a PEEM, 6 T low temperature (1.5 K) superconducting magnet, 2 T vector magnet as well as soft X-ray diffraction vacuum goniometer.

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Energy: First harmonic circular: 106 - 1300 eV | Linear horizontal: 80 - 2100 eV | Linear vertical: 130 - 1500 eV

I10 BLADE: X-ray Dichroism and Scattering

I10 is a beamline for the study of electronic and magnetic structure using soft X-ray resonant scattering (reflection and diffraction) and X-ray absorption. It allows a broad range of studies focused on the spectroscopic properties and magnetic ordering of novel nanostructured systems

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Energy: 500 - 1600 eV

I21 Inelastic X-ray Scattering

I21 is a dedicated Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) beamline that provides a highly monochromatised, focused and tunable X-ray beam onto materials, while detecting and energy-analysing scattered X-rays using a spatially-resolved two-dimensional detector.

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Energy: 0.20 - 3.0 keV

I17 Coherent Soft X-ray Imaging and Diffraction

In design phase

The Coherent Soft X-ray Imaging and Diffraction (CSXID) beamline will be one of the three flagship beamlines in the Diamond-II upgrade programme, and will provide a range of high-resolution coherent imaging techniques including ptychography and holography.

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Energy: 250 – 2000 eV

Science Group Leader

Sarnjeet Dhesi

Email: sarnjeet.dhesi@diamond.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1235 778056

Latest Group Publications

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Contact for MMG Beamlines

I06: Larissa Ishibe-Veiga
larissa-ishibe-veiga@diamond.ac.uk

I10: Paul Steadman
paul.steadman@diamond.ac.uk

I16: Alessandro Bombardi
alessandro.bombardi@diamond.ac.uk

I21: Kejin Zhou
kejin.zhou@diamond.ac.uk

Science Group Leader:
Sarnjeet Dhesi
sarnjeet.dhesi@diamond.ac.uk