The continuous spallation neutron source SINQ - the first of its kind worldwide - began commissioning in December 1996. Regular user operation started in summer 1998. It is powered by a 590 MeV isochronous proton cyclotron with a proton current of 1800 µA. About 70 % of these protons reach the lead target of SINQ thereby producing 6x10¹⁶ neutrons per second with about 0.5 MW of heat release. The thermal neutron flux close to the target amounts to 1.1x10¹⁴neutrons·cm^-2·s^-1

Further upgrades of the proton accelerator and SINQ (liquid metal target) will finally yield 2.5·10¹⁴ neutrons·cm^-2·s^-1. SINQ is the first, and up to now only, running neutron source which was consequently designed for and equipped with supermirror coated neutron guides. This together with the fact that the cold D2-source (recently upgraded with a re-entrant hole) contrary to reactors is placed in the flux maximum results in a cold neutron flux at the instruments far beyond that of neutron sources with a comparable thermal neutron flux. SINQ typically runs six days a week (maintenance shut-downs of the accelerator on Wednesdays) and 8-9 months per year (maintenance shut-downs of the accelerator from middle of December to middle of April).

Two double beam ports supply the particle science instrument FUNSPIN and the nine instruments (eight diffractive and one non-diffractive) on the neutron guides with cold neutrons. The remaining four double beam ports provide thermal neutrons for the presently remaining seven instruments (three diffractive and four non-diffractive) in the target hall. In addition to the instruments shown, further instruments are in the design and realization phase.


Recent scientific highlights in the fields of:
- Quantum Spin Systems
- High Temperature Superconductivity
- Magnetism
- Strongly Correlated Electron Systems
- Molecular Magnetism
- Materials Research
- Soft Condensed Matter