China completes world's brightest light source facility, 1 trillion times brighter than the sun
China has completed the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS), a fourth-generation synchrotron radiation facility located in Huairou Science City, about 31 miles (50 kilometers) north of Beijing. The facility, nicknamed the "giant magnifying glass," is designed to produce X-ray beams that are up to 1 trillion times brighter than the sun's surface.
Construction of HEPS began in 2019 and was led by the Institute of High Energy Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The facility recently passed its process acceptance phase and is expected to begin trial operations by the end of 2025.
HEPS will allow scientists to observe the microstructure and evolution of matter with unprecedented precision. Its extreme photon density and beamline accuracy make it one of the most advanced synchrotron light sources in the world, surpassing similar facilities in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
The facility consists of an accelerator and a beamline station. The first phase includes 14 user beamlines and one test line, with plans to expand to 90 beamlines by 2030. These beamlines will provide X-rays with energies up to 300 kiloelectron volts, supporting research in materials science, biomedicine, physics, and engineering.
HEPS is expected to play a key role in China's strategic scientific development, helping researchers tackle cutting-edge problems and develop core technologies. Its completion marks a major milestone in China's efforts to become a global leader in high-end scientific infrastructure.
The High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) is developed by the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Located in Beijing's Huairou District, HEPS is China's first fourth-generation synchrotron radiation light source and the most powerful of its kind in Asia. It is designed to support advanced research across multiple scientific disciplines.
