I07 is a high-resolution X-ray diffraction beamline for investigating the structure of surfaces and interfaces under different environmental conditions, including harsh and real-world environments.

Understanding the structure of the interface between two materials is of critical importance in a wide range of scientific disciplines. X-ray diffraction is now an established technique for the detailed study of surfaces and interfaces on an atomic scale. Its power derives from two factors: the weak interaction of X-rays with matter and the introduction of intense sources of synchrotron radiation. The exceptional quality of the X-ray beam on I07 will extend the technique in two important ways: through the use of coherent scattering and by the application of microfocus optics (as a future upgrade). Both will have a major application to the study of more typical, but disordered surfaces.

The design of Beamline I07 includes the capacity for Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR) techniques in addition to Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXD) and will enable the structure of surfaces and interfaces to be investigated under a wide range of well defined and controllable environments.

In addition, the proximity of Diamond to the neutron scattering facility at ISIS should enable complementary studies of complex surface structures, particularly with the ISIS Large Scale Structures Group.