ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Stories

Niobium-titanium alloys stay damage-tolerant at 20 kelvin

Provided neutron measurements and cryogenic mechanical testing

At 20 kelvin, just above absolute zero, most body-centered cubic metals turn brittle. Two experimental niobium-titanium alloys did not: they kept absorbing stress without a measurable shift toward brittle fracture.

Updated Nov 1

First type-I superconductor found breaking time-reversal symmetry

New Capabilities

As of October 2026: Hosted the muon spin relaxation measurements

YbSb2 is the first type-I superconductor found to break time-reversal symmetry. As single crystals cooled into their superconducting state at 0.95 kelvin, muon probes detected a spontaneous magnetic field of about 0.44 gauss.

Updated Oct 4