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Resume:
When it comes to synchrotron phase-contrast imaging, most people think small — millimeter-scale samples, maybe centimeters in the best cases. But what happens when we want to keep the same level of detail and look inside much bigger objects? Since the early 2000s, the ESRF has been tackling this challenge, aiming to image ever-larger samples while still achieving local resolutions down to the micron scale.
In 2018, the ESRF underwent a major upgrade with the installation of the Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS), the first high-energy, fourth-generation synchrotron. As part of this transformation, new beamlines were developed — including BM18, specifically designed to push the boundaries of sample size. BM18 combines a high-energy, polychromatic beam and exceptional coherence with a 220-metre-long layout, making it the longest imaging beamline at the ESRF. Built on a bending magnet port with the smallest X-ray source size of the new lattice, BM18 now holds the world record for transverse coherence in high-energy X-ray imaging.
Following promising results on the shorter BM05 beamline (62 m), which showcased the benefits of the EBS upgrade for microtomography, BM18 began user operations in September 2022. Today, the two beamlines operate in tandem: BM05 focuses on high-resolution imaging, while BM18 takes over for large, dense, or strongly phase-contrasting samples.
The leap forward in imaging capabilities will be illustrated through a variety of examples — from biomedical imaging (including the Human Organ Atlas project), palaeontology, and cultural heritage (such as Paganini’s legendary violin il Cannone), to geosciences (volcanology and earthquakes) and material sciences (including industrial applications).
The recent launch of BM18’s large-sample stage is a game-changer: it now allows for the imaging of specimens up to 2.3 meters tall and weighing up to 300 kilograms — while still delivering micron resolution. Despite its impressive results, the beamline is very young. We are only at the beginning of the story, still far from the limits of BM18.
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