ALBA Synchrotron Cerdanyola del Vallès

Welcome (Area)

ALBA is the only synchrotron light source in Spain. It is a complex of electron accelerators to produce synchrotron light, which allows the visualization and analysis of matter and its properties at atomic and molecular levels. In operation since 2012, ALBA has ten operational beamlines and four more under construction. It produces 6,000 hours of beamtime and receives more than 2,000 academic and industrial researchers per year.

Gateway (Area)

Electron accelerator... ... (Area)

Any particle electrically charged that travels at relativistic speed (close to that of light) and that describes a bend trajectory, emits what we call "synchrotron light". To generate this synchrotron light we need the accelerators. ALBA is a complex infrastructure consisting of 3 accelerators: a linear accelerator (LINAC), a Booster and a Storage Ring. The Booster and the Storage Ring are inside a circular tunnel of about 300 meters of perimeter, protected by a concrete bunker of  1-1.5 meters thick approx.   How does it work?

Linac (Point)

The electron beam is produced in the LINAC, by means of an electron gun. A filament of tungsten and barium oxide is heated to about 1,000 ° C and the electrons that are in the most superficial layers of the material are extracted. These electrons are accelerated, under very powerful electric fields, where 100 million volts are applied. Therefore, the electrons acquire energy of 100 million electron volts (eV).

Booster (Point)

Here it takes place the next phase of acceleration: the electrons reach 3GeV and move at 99.99999% of the speed of light.

Storage ring (Point)

When the electrons reach 3GeV they are transferred to the Storage Ring, where they keep circulating at this energy. Here when the electrons, which circulate at relativistic speeds, are forced to bend the trajectory, they emit synchrotron light that comes out tangentially. This synchrotron light reaches the beamlines, through the yellow windows that you see on the wall, and that is where the experiments are carried out.

Experimental hall (Area)

The experimental hall is the where the accelerators and beamlines are located, the place where the experiments are carried out.

Maxwell auditorium (Area)

With capacity for 150 people, this space is available for rental.   More information:  industrialoffice@cells.es

Meeting rooms (Area)

The ALBA Synchrotron has meeting rooms for rental.   More information:  industrialoffice@cells.es  

Bl22 - clæss (Area)

The technique used in this beamline is absorption spectroscopy, that is, it measures the amount of light that is absorbed inside a sample. Thanks to this technique, we can identify the compounds and chemical species of a sample.   Experiment Video 

Bl01 - miras (Area)

MIRAS is the only ALBA beamline that uses infrared instead of X-rays. The absorption of infrared light allows to identify the chemical bonds and, therefore, the different molecules in a sample. In addition, as the beamline is attached to a microscope, scientists can identify the different compounds with micrometric resolution. Thus, this technique is very useful for biomedicine and materials science, among others. For example, to study the penetration of chemical compounds in the skin, to analyze cells after applying different treatments, or to study materials such as polymers.   Experiment Video

Monochromator and x-... ... (Area)

The monochromator is an optical device placed in the beamlines that allows scientists to select a specific wavelength according to the experiment. X-rays pass through the lenses without deviating, so curved mirrors are used to focus. The angle of incidence of X-rays in the mirror is one degree or less. Therefore, mirrors up to 1.5m long are needed. Synchrotron mirrors are very perfect and have errors of only a few millionths of a millimeter.

Bl11 - ncd-sweet (Area)

At the NCD-SWEET we analyze non-crystalline samples such as fibers, fabrics, solutions, polymers, ... using X-ray diffraction and scattering. This beamline can be used for the study of different scientific fields, such as biomedicine, chemistry, materials science, pharmacy or environment.   Experiment Video

Bl09 - mistral (Area)

MISTRAL is devoted to soft X-rays microscopy. Its results are nanotomographies, that is, similar to a conventional CT scan but with a million times more resolution. This technique allows obtaining three-dimensional images of whole cells in conditions close to their natural state. For this reason, it is a very useful tool to study how viruses behave, see cellular processes, how cells are treated with drugs or nanoparticles, etc.   Experiment Video

Bl13 - xaloc (Area)

XALOC is devoted to solve the structure of macromolecule by means of X-ray crystallography. In particular, we carry out crystal diffraction analyses, mainly proteins and nucleic acids (DNA or RNA). The synchrotron light, when interacting with an ordered and repetitive structure like a crystal, is diffracted. These scattered waves are located at specific points in space, what we know as a diffraction pattern. The analysis of these patterns allows us to obtain information at the atomic scale and reconstruct three-dimensionally the atomic structure of a protein, such as hemoglobin.

Bl24 - circe (Area)

CIRCE has two endstations, both based on photoemission (the analysis of electrons that are expelled from the surface of a material when enlightened with synchrotron light). In the Photoemission Electron Microscope (PEEM) the electronic and magnetic properties of nanomaterials are studied to better understand how to produce new data storage systems such as those that can be used in computers or mobile phones, using less energy to write, delete or save this information. In the NAPP endstation (near ambient pressure photoemission), chemical reactions on the surface of materials are analyzed under similar conditions close to the environment. For this reason, it is very useful for catalysts used by industry, such as the reduction of gases emitted by vehicles.   Experiment Video 

Bl29 - boreas (Area)

In this beamline advanced materials such as graphene or superconductors are studied. There are two endstations that allow complementary analysis of the magnetic properties of materials.  

Bl04 - mspd (Area)

The technique used in this beamline is powder diffraction that enables to identify the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms as well as their behavior under different conditions (temperature or pressure, for example). We can analyze matter under very extreme pressure conditions, determine complex structures, study changes in the structure, etc. This beamline is of great interest for materials science, the pharmaceutical sector, chemistry, physics or geology. Many experiments are also carried out in the field of cultural heritage.   Experiment Video 

Bl06 - xaira (Area)

It’s a new microfocus beamline devoted to macromolecular crystallography (MX). Currently under construction, this beamline will give further insight of how biological systems behave at the atomic level, determining the three-dimensional structures of macromolecules and complexes.

Bl20 - lorea (Area)

At LOREA, users can study the electronic structure of solids by means of Angle Resolved Photo-Emission Spectroscopy (ARPES). It is a very powerful technique for researching advanced materials used in quantum computing, low energy consumption microelectronics, superconductors, photovoltaics, and many other devices using the charge or the spin of electrons to transport, store or convert energy.

Bl16 - notos (Area)

It is a beamline with two experimental stations: one devoted to X-ray Absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and one for X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). NOTOS covers several scientific disciplines such as chemistry, catalysis, energy science, nanotechnology and environmental science. It also offers Metrology and Test Beamline services. Part of the instrumentation comes from BM25a beamline, built by the Spanish government at the ESRF (Grenoble, France).