The Chinese scientific community is迎来了一个激动人心的时刻. A cutting-edge research facility known as the "super magnifying glass"—the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS)—is making its final preparations for trial operation. This gigantic device located in the Huairou Science City of Beijing is expected to begin operations by the end of 2025, marking a significant breakthrough for China in the construction of large scientific facilities.

HEPS is not just an ordinary research tool; its capabilities are astonishing. This facility can produce high-energy X-rays that are a trillion times brighter than the sun, providing scientists with an unprecedented opportunity to observe the structure of matter at the nanoscale and picosecond timescales. This capability will fundamentally change the way we study new materials, develop new drugs, and design high-end chips.

The scale of this project is impressive. HEPS covers an area of about 650,000 square meters, with its core component—the storage ring measuring 1360.4 meters in length. Remarkably, the error of the 1776 magnets installed on this enormous ring is less than 50 microns, which is equivalent to half the diameter of a human hair. This level of precision fully demonstrates the excellence of Chinese engineering technology.

The construction of HEPS began in June 2019, and after more than three years of effort, the main project has been completed. This facility includes multiple complex subsystems such as linear accelerators, boosters, and more. In the first phase, HEPS will be equipped with 14 beamlines, with the potential to expand to 90 in the future.

The launch of this "major national instrument" not only signifies a significant advancement for China in the field of fundamental scientific research but also opens up new opportunities for the development of related industries. It will bring revolutionary changes to areas such as new materials development, drug research, and high-end chip design, shifting scientific research from the traditional "trial-and-error" model to a more precise design approach.

With the imminent launch of HEPS, we look forward to seeing it play an important role in driving technological innovation and promoting industrial upgrading, enabling China to gain more advantages in the global technology competition.