General Information about ICONE
The ICONE Facility
The ICONE facility will provide French researchers and engineers with the capability to explore materials using neutrons.
It is based on:– A high-current (80 mA), low-energy (25 MeV) proton accelerator
– Two neutron production and moderation targets: High Flux (2 ms @ 20 Hz) and High Resolution (0.4 ms @ 50 Hz)
– Approximately 10 to 12 scientific instruments exploiting neutron–matter interactions
This type of facility is known as a HiCANS (High Current Accelerator-based Neutron Source).
References: IAEA TECDOC 1981 (2021), LENS Report (2020), RIKEN, HBS Jülich, ARGITU ESS-Bilbao, ELENA, UCANS.
Project Development Milestones
Explore the key milestones in the development of ICONE.
Current Project Status
Phase: Detailed Design Phase (DDP)
Progress: Preparation for implementation
Objective: A next-generation neutron source
2023
Initial Project Evaluation
Scientific and technical validation. Completed2024
Launch of Engineering Studies
Definition of requirements and engineering studies. Completed2026
Preparation for Implementation
Project organization. In ProgressICONE at a Glance
20
participating laboratories
10–12
scientific instruments
2
neutron sources
1
national research infrastructure
Primary Beam
Secondary Beam
Distribution Points
Speed: 1×
Instrument Overview
The ICONE project relies on a set of advanced scientific instruments, each dedicated to the production and analysis of specific data. This complementarity makes it possible to explore a wide range of phenomena at different scales and through multiple experimental approaches.
These instruments have been developed through contributions from the LLB and research teams. They reflect strong scientific momentum and bring together multidisciplinary expertise.
Combined within a single infrastructure, they provide a unique scientific environment.