MAX IV Laboratory

MAX IV
MAX IV aerial photo, September 2014
General properties
Accelerator typeSynchrotron light source
Beam typeElectrons
Target typeLight source
Beam properties
Maximum energyLarge ring R3: 3.0 GeV, Small ring R1: 1.5 GeV
Maximum currentLarge ring R3: 0.5 A, normal current 0.4 A, Small ring R1: 0.5 A
Physical properties
LengthLinac: ~300 metres (1,000 ft)
RadiusLinac: 40 millimetres (1.6 in), Storage rings: 15 millimetres (0.59 in)
CircumferenceLarge ring R3: 528 metres (1,732 ft), Small ring R1: 96 metres (315 ft)
LocationBrunnshög, Lund, Sweden
Coordinates55°43′37″N 13°13′59″E / 55.727°N 13.233°E / 55.727; 13.233
InstitutionLund University
Dates of operation2016 - present
Preceded byMAX I, II, and III

MAX IV is a synchrotron light source facility in Lund, Sweden, in the northeastern quarter Brunnshög as part of an innovation district including ESS and Science Village. MAX IV uses synchrotron light to examine materials at the micrometre and nanometre length scale, and in the nanosecond and picosecond time scale to understand their chemical and physical properties. The material research conducted at MAX IV has broad applications in medical, technical, biological, agricultural, industrial, and cultural fields. It became operational in 2016 and is the world’s first fourth-generation synchrotron light source. MAX IV has one linear accelerator, linac, with one beamline, and two storage rings with 5 and 11 beamlines, respectively. The radiation hits the samples in experiment stations at the end of each beamline and is examined by diffraction, spectroscopy, or imaging techniques to determine physical structure, chemical composition, dynamics, and other properties of the samples.

The research done at MAX IV helps researchers and companies to develop new drugs and materials, and many patents can be traced back to the research and findings at MAX IV. The number of employees at MAX IV is about 300 full-time equivalents. The number of guest researchers and their published articles per year has increased steadily since opening and is currently about 2000 guest researchers and 300 published articles per year with an average impact factor of about 7.5. If the guest researchers publish, they do not have to pay for having used beamtime at MAX IV. That is to increase the number of guest researcher applicants. Applications are submitted twice a year via the MAX IV webpage.