Full Breakdown
PSI Unveils First Practical Achromatic Neutron Lens
7/15/2026, 11:36:25 AM
Breakthrough Lens Enables High-Resolution Neutron Imaging
Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have announced the creation of the world’s first practical achromatic neutron lens. The device focuses a broad spectrum of neutron wavelengths to a single focal point, allowing magnified imaging with a resolution better than twenty micrometres even when samples are positioned several metres from the detector. In a demonstration, a commercial lithium-ion battery placed six metres away was imaged with a seven-fold magnification of its wound electrode layers.
Background & Context
Neutron beams, produced at facilities such as the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ), can penetrate dense metals while remaining sensitive to light elements like hydrogen and lithium. Traditional neutron imaging relies on geometric arrangements rather than lenses because the wide wavelength spread prevents natural focusing. This limitation forces samples to sit close to detectors, restricting resolution and the size of experimental environments that can be examined.
Key Researchers & Collaborators
The study was led by Joan Vila-Comamala, scientist in PSI’s Center for Photon Science, with first-author Mano Raj Dhanalakshmi Veeraraj, a PhD student in the same centre. The lens combines concentric nickel rings fabricated by electron-beam lithography in PSI’s PICO cleanroom with precisely shaped diamond structures supplied by the Swiss company SYNOVA S.A. The prototypes were validated using X-rays at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) and neutrons at SINQ.
Performance Data
- Resolution: < 20 µm (sub-twenty-micrometre detail).
- Magnification: 7× on a lithium-ion battery imaged from 6 m distance.
- Nickel ring dimensions: finest features < 200 nm.
Scientific and Industrial Impact
The lens removes the need to place samples near detectors, opening neutron microscopy for in-situ studies of engines, furnaces, cryostats, pressure cells and other realistic environments. Because neutrons are uniquely sensitive to hydrogen and lithium, the technology promises non-destructive insight into batteries, polymers, archaeological artefacts and metal components that are opaque to X-rays. The approach also demonstrates how diffraction (from nickel rings) and refraction-like effects (from diamond structures) can be combined to focus neutrons, a principle that may be adopted by emerging facilities such as the European Spallation Source under construction in Sweden.
Official Statements & Responses
PSI researchers emphasized that the lens resolves a decades-long bottleneck in neutron imaging and creates a new imaging mode adaptable to large-scale experimental setups. They noted that fully exploiting the lens may require longer beamlines, prompting design considerations for next-generation neutron sources. The institute highlighted its integrated expertise in neutron imaging, X-ray optics and nanofabrication as a catalyst for the breakthrough.
Criticism & Opposition
No dissenting viewpoints or criticisms were reported in the available sources.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The lack of such a lens has held back neutron imaging for decades,” — Joan Vila-Comamala, Scientist, PSI Center for Photon Science
- “It also opens the path to neutron microscopy, making it possible to produce magnified images of an object and reveal more detail.” — Joan Vila-Comamala
- “If you can have a long enough beamline, you can in principle magnify more. It is not limited by the lens, but by the length of the instrument,” — Mano Raj Dhanalakshmi Veeraraj, PhD student, PSI
- “The nickel rings get smaller and smaller, with the finest rings measuring well below 200 nanometres,” — Joan Vila-Comamala
- “There are few other places in the world, if any, where this could have happened,” — Mano Raj Dhanalakshmi Veeraraj
What’s Next
PSI notes that future neutron facilities may adopt longer beamlines to enable greater magnification, potentially expanding neutron microscopy to a wider range of scientific and industrial applications.
