For more than 50 years, ILL has established itself as the world's leading facility for science using beams of neutrons, and has set the gold standard for running a scientific user facility. Following on from the Millennium Programme of instrument upgrades, the completion of the Endurance Programme marks the completion of two decades of continuous investment in ILL neutron instruments and capabilities. Within the last seven years, Endurance has delivered 30 new and upgraded instruments and infrastructures - on time and within budget, resulting in a suite of 43 state-of-the-art neutron instruments which is unique in the world. The completion of Endurance places ILL in the strongest position it has ever been, and sets us up to capitalise on the new capabilities by delivering high-impact science addressing the highest priority societal challenges for the coming decade.
Modernized support instruments and facilities for neutron technology R&D will continue to deliver cutting-edge instrumentation, ensuring that the ILL instrument suite remains at the cutting edge, while also benefiting the instrument capabilities at other European neutron facilities. The Endurance Programme has delivered unprecedented capabilities across a range of fields such as neutron imaging, neutron polarisation analysis, new sample environments, as well as new data treatment software to add further value to our programme. Our users will use these facilities to make pioneering discoveries in the fields of novel batteries, advanced manufacturing, quantum materials, and in the fight against infectious diseases, to name but a few examples.
Key achievements include the deployment of advanced instruments now in operation: the FIPPS gamma-ray spectrometer, the upgraded IN5 cold-neutron TOF spectrometer, the new PANTHER thermal TOF spectrometer, and the DALI protein crystallography station. Enhancements have also been made to the D3 hot-neutron diffractometer, the IN20 thermal triple-axis spectrometer, and the SANS instruments D11 and D22. The D16 cold-neutron diffractometer has been modernized, and we have constructed the versatile cold-neutron imaging instruments NEXT and MoTo. The modernization of these instruments has been supported by renewed in-pile beam extraction (H1-H2), novel neutron guide systems (H24 for thermal, H15 for cold neutrons), and in-house development of critical technologies such as neutron detectors and polarisation components. The H24 guide now supports the upgraded D10+ single-crystal diffractometer, IN13 backscattering instrument, and the new XtremeD powder and single crystal diffractometer. This year, the instruments on the H15 guide system have seen their first neutrons: An improved D007 diffuse scattering instrument, a rebuilt D11+ with enhanced collimation, and new instruments like the SHARPER cold-neutron TOF spectrometer and a fourth SANS instrument, SAM.
With the completion of the Endurance programme the ILL consolidates its position as a world-wide unique and state-of-the-art facility for neutron science in the decade to come.