SPring‑8-II Will Transform Way We Do Science

The quadropole of magnets that guide electrons used to produce X-rays in SPring-8-II © 2026 RIKEN

The large-scale synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8 (Super Photon ring-8 GeV), located in the town of Sayo, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, enables scientists to observe a universe of atoms and molecules using some of the world's most intense and brilliant X-rays. As a shared-use facility, it has produced outstanding research achievements across a wide range of scientific fields. Nearly 30 years after its launch, a major upgrade project is now underway to create SPring-8-II, involving a boost in the brightness of its synchrotron radiation to more than 100 times its current levels.

According to Tetsuya Ishikawa, director of the RIKEN SPring-8 Center, the goal of the upgrade is to "pursue cutting-edge research that allows us to see what was previously invisible and expand applications into fields that have not yet sought to see things at this level." With this next-generation, world-class analytical capability, the question is: How will it change science itself?

Tools of discovery

Across the centuries, humanity has invented tools such as microscopes and telescopes, revealing that living organisms are made of cells and that the Earth is not the center of the universe. Each new 'tool' has opened a new door for science.

Since its launch as a shared-use facility in 1997, SPring-8 has been one of the world's most powerful instruments for probing the microscopic world with X-rays. It has contributed to solving challenges across a wide range of fields-from materials and life sciences to archaeology-by enabling a range of advances. These have included semiconductor structure analysis, elucidation of photosynthetic reactions, the development and evaluation of porous materials, the analysis of asteroid Ryugu samples and even the study of ancient bronze mirrors from Japan's Kofun period.

Having access to a world-class synchrotron facility within Japan is of particular importance to industry.

One example of industrial applications is the analysis of the internal structure of rubber to support the development of fuel-efficient tires. Because this cutting-edge research could be conducted domestically, companies were able to safeguard their data and proprietary technologies. "This development was possible because SPring-8 existed," says Ishikawa.

However, nearly 30 years have passed since SPring-8 first began operation. The facility has aged and many overseas institutes have already moved toward constructing, or upgrading existing, facilities to next-generation synchrotron facilities. In response, Japan decided to undertake a major upgrade to dramatically enhance SPring-8's performance.

How SPring-8 works

SPring-8 generates highly intense and brilliant X-rays, known as synchrotron radiation, by using magnetic fields to deflect the trajectory of electrons accelerated to nearly the speed of light. The resulting photon flux density exceeds that of conventional X-ray sources by more than seven orders of magnitude, enabling the observation and analysis of nanoscale structures that cannot be resolved with optical microscopy. The facility comprises an injector system that produces and accelerates electrons, and a storage ring approximately 1.5 kilometers in circumference in which the electrons circulate. There are around 60 beamlines installed along the storage ring, each providing experimental stations where synchrotron radiation can be used for a wide range of advanced scientific and industrial applications.

X-rays from electrons in SPring-8-II: A scheme of SPring-8-II, showing how electrons are accelerated in SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free-electron Laser (SACLA) and then used to generate synchrotron radiation for the beamlines in the storage ring. © 2026 RIKEN

Below one nanometer

So, what will set SPring-8-II apart from the current facility?

The biggest difference is that the brightness (brilliance) of its synchrotron radiation will be increased 100-fold. This leap will be achieved by using cutting-edge technology to focus the electron beam circulating in the storage ring into a pinpoint-just as a magnifying glass focuses sunlight to a single spot.

"The brighter the light, the more finely we can see," explains Ishikawa. The spatial resolution-a measure of how small a world can be observed-is expected to improve dramatically from the current 50 nanometers to below 1 nanometer.

This will enable non-destructive observation of the intricate three-dimensional structures of next-generation semiconductors with line widths as small as several nanometers. Real-time monitoring of chemical reactions inside operating fuel cells, down to the level of individual atoms, will also be possible.

Halving energy use

Another major feature of SPring-8-II is its energy efficiency: despite its increased enhanced performance, power consumption will be cut nearly in half.

Thanks to improved beam focusing, the energy needed to circulate electrons in the storage ring will be reduced from 8 to 6 giga-electronvolts. Additional energy savings will come from upgrading the injector system and replacing the electromagnets that bend electron paths with permanent magnets.

Given that SPring-8-II will tackle research critical to building a sustainable society-such as energy and environmental studies-its own sustainability is essential. "A facility that consumes excessive energy would undermine the credibility of its 'green' research," Ishikawa notes. "That's why the facility itself must be green."

Minimization of the electron beam: Despite boasting a 100-fold increase in brightness, SPring-8-II will consume half the power of SPring-8. This reduction is achieved by narrowing the electron beam to a very small spot. © 2026 RIKEN

Data-driven discovery

SPring-8 will suspend operations in the summer of 2027 and replacing some of its equipment will take about a year. The upgraded SPring-8-II is scheduled to begin shared use in fiscal year 2029.

The enhanced facility is expected to further contribute to fields where SPring-8 has already achieved remarkable success. It has improved infrastructure maintenance by analyzing asphalt degradation and contributed to agricultural research through developing rice varieties resilient to global warming.

But the impact will not end there. "SPring-8-II will not only let us see things previously invisible. It will also expand applications into fields that have not yet used synchrotron radiation," says Ishikawa.

With brighter light comes vastly more data in the same measurement time, meaning experiments can be completed far faster. As a result, synchrotron applications will spread into areas that were once impractical or unimaginable for such techniques-although these are yet to be revealed.

Moreover, SPring-8-II holds the potential to transform the very nature of scientific inquiry. Traditional science has followed the model of forming a hypothesis and designing experiments to test it. In the age of SPring-8-II, a new paradigm-data-driven science-will emerge, where researchers collect massive amounts of data first and then discover patterns and principles from it.

Having worked with SPring-8 since its earliest development more than three decades ago, Ishikawa says: "Synchrotron facilities used to be things that were nice to have. Thanks to SPring-8, they've become indispensable. And SPring-8-II will be even more essential than ever before."

Researchers around the world eagerly await the start of shared operations in 2029.

A prototype of SPring-8-II, which is scheduled to come online in 2029. © 2026 RIKEN

Rate this article

Thank you!

About the author

Tetsuya Ishikawa, Director, RIKEN SPring-8 Center