League of advanced European Neutron Sources

The League of advanced European Neutron Sources, LENS, is a not-for-profit consortium working to promote cooperation between European-level neutron infrastructure providers offering transnational user programs to external researchers.

Neutron Science in Europe

In Europe, there is a world-leading network of international and national neutron sources serving a scientific community of more than 5,000 researchers with over 32,000 instrument days per year. Nine of these form a strategic consortium with the aim of strengthening European neutron science by enhancing collaboration among the facilities. LENS places emphasis on the relationship between user communities and funding organisations, continuous improvement of source facilities, optimising resources between and aligning policies among partners—all to ensure excellence to the communities they serve. Read more about LENS.

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Recent Science Highlights from LENS Members

New algorithm enables more efficient acquisition of high-value datasets

New software known as gpCAM has been developed to determine the next optimal measurement point in an experiment, enabling the efficient acquisition of high-value datasets without human intervention.

Metals with memory

When metallic objects change their shape seemingly without any external influence and only according to the will of their owners, this at first sounds like something only comic superheroes like Magneto and Ironman could do. However, the idea from those comics has a real-world manifestation in existing materials called magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs). Moreover, they have potential applications e.g. in robotics or medical devices.

When hydrogen glows red

A team of German and Dutch scientists synthesised a series of substances, which show bright luminescence under UV light. Therefore the amount of hydrogen in the structure determines the wavelength – and hence the color – of the emitted light. These compounds could be used as illuminants in LEDs or for chemical hydrogen storage.

Neutron reflectometry reveals SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces lipid stripping from cell membrane

Scientists at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), have published new data on how the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interacts with mammalian lung cell membranes allowing the viral RNA to enter human cells.

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Recent News & Events

LENS Initiative Newsletter – June 2021, Issue 1
Welcome to the first issue of the LENS Initiative newsletter. Established in 2018, the LENS Initiative is the result of a long and productive partnership between European neutron facilities, working to advance neutron science and technology across the world. With the launch of this newsletter, we look forward to bringing you updates on the latest activities and opportunities from LENS.
27 May: LENS Webinar #11 ‘Ultra-high field magnets for neutron scattering: latest developments and possibilities ‘ Mark Bird (NHML Tallahassee)
This webinar will address possibilities for higher field magnets for neutron scattering, focusing on the possibilities opened up by the high temperature superconductors but also touching on dc and pulsed resistive magnets.
10 Jun: LENS Webinar #12 ‘The Wolter optics based neutron microscope’ Dan Hussey (NIST)
This webinar will give an overview of the start of the NIST neutron imaging program and how measurements have been augmented with a simultaneous X-ray source.

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