Allocation period 1st April 2023 – 30th September 2023
Call for proposals issued 1st January 2023 on this webpage
EXTREMAG is in its final, fully-funded allocation period from the 1st April 2023 to 30th September 2023. Beyond September 2023 access charges will apply at £1000 per day (excl. VAT). This is well aligned with the fully supported rate advertised on this page (below) when EXTREMAG first announced access charges following the end of the initial EPSRC-funded period (EP/R008809/1). Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we were able to secure additional EPSRC funding (EP/V054112/1) to restart and ramp up user operations following the easing of pandemic restrictions, which delayed the need for users to pay access charges until now. At the end of September 2023 that funding will come to an end, and access charges will be necessary to maintain provision of fully supported user time. From our work with external users to date, we have found that fully supported user time is necessary. We understand that access charges may present a challenge if dedicated funding has not been secured, but we remain committed to welcoming any group with an interest in using the EXTREMAG facility. We can offer limited (~1-2 day) test measurements and/or online meetings to support the preparation of grant proposals that will include funding for EXTREMAG access charges. A number of external users have already secured funding in this way and we welcome external users to contact us well in advance at the e-mail address below to discuss the required capabilities for their research project.
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1st October 2022 – 31st March 2023
On the 2nd August 2022 the 3rd call for proposals to use EXTREMAG was issued for the allocation period 1st October 2022 to 30th March 2023. We note that the 2nd allocation period (see below) was extended to complete the Covid-delayed development of all optical pump probe beam scanning Kerr microscopy in our 5 Tesla superconducting magnet, which has now been used by internal users and for 3 external user allocations. While the third allocation period is now running, the schedule for the 3rd period allows for a small number of rapid access proposals that are welcome at any time.
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1st October 2021 – 30st April 2022
We write to inform you of the re-issue of the second call for proposals for use of the Exeter Time Resolved Magnetism (EXTREMAG) facility for the period 1st October 2021 to 31 April 2022. This call was first issued back in March 2020, and was subsequently delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic. We realise that it may still be difficult to plan any travel at the present time and we will continue to react to any changes in circumstances when decisions are made about allocation and scheduling. However, we can at least begin the proposal process.
User charges in this allocation period
In October 2020 we wrote to you with a user survey and a request for letters of support for a Resource Only Strategic Equipment Process (roSEP) grant to support EXTREMAG during its transition to sustainability. We are pleased to announce that the proposal was successful and we thank you all for your support. While we are able to offer User time without charge during the grant, additional charges may apply to use of liquid Helium.
User support
User time will continue to be supported by the Senior Experimental Officer, Paul Keatley, who set up and maintains the facility. We are committed to increasing remote control of the laboratory so that users can run experiments even when travel to Exeter may not be possible.
Short form proposal
The EXTREMAG proposal form 2021 can be downloaded by clicking the link. The scientific case should not exceed 1 page in length after completion in 12 point Calibri font and including any figures and references. Please submit your completed form in PDF format by 31st July 2021.
Further information
Please address any questions about apparatus and the feasibility of different types of measurement to the EXTREMAG mailbox address below.
Available apparatus
(i) Wide field static Kerr microscopy using the Evico Magnetics instrument
- Room temperature or variable temperature (<10 – 300 K)
- In-plane or out-of-plane magnetic field in each case
- Pulsed laser optical pump or electrical contacts are available for this instrument on request and subject to specific requirements
(ii) Time resolved scanning Kerr microscopy with sub-micron spatial resolution at room temperature using Exeter bespoke system
- Nanosecond or picosecond pulsed field excitation
- Microwave field excitation
- Quasi-dc excitation
- Field up to ~0.2 T in any direction using GMW 3D projected field electromagnet
- Samples require either an integrated microscale waveguide device for efficient excitation, or else samples can be placed onto a PCB waveguide for weaker excitation.
(iii) Time resolved Kerr measurements with microscale spatial resolution at low temperature in MicrostatHe-R cryostat
- In-plane or out-of-plane field (<1 T) and variable temperature (<4 – 300 K)
- Nanosecond or picosecond pulsed field excitation
- Microwave field excitation
- Quasi-dc excitation
- Samples require an integrated microscale waveguide device for efficient excitation. An SMB RF cryostat feedthrough is available for high frequency excitation to ~4 GHz.
(iv) All optical pump-probe measurements
- Microstat He-R: In-plane or out-of-plane field (<1 T) and variable temperature (<4 – 300 K)
- MicrostatMO: Field up to 5 T out-of-plane and variable temperature (~6 – 300 K) with beam scanning microscopy capability
- Spectromag SM4000: High field up to 10 T out-of-plane and variable temperature (<2 – 300 K)
(v) THz emission
- Spectromag SM4000: Up to 10 T out-of-plane and variable temperature (<2 – 300 K)
- MicrostatHe-R: <1 T in-plane field and variable temperature (<4 – 300 K)
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Previous calls
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1st May 2020 – 31st October 2020
Due to uncertainty surrounding Coronavirus, the call deadline has currently been extended to 30th April 2020.
We write to inform you of the second call for proposals for use of the Exeter Time Resolved Magnetism (EXTREMAG) facility in the period 1st May 2020 to 31 October 2020. We realise that it is very difficult to plan any travel at the present time and we will react to the changing circumstances when decisions need to be made about allocation and scheduling. However, we can at least begin the proposal process.
The supporting EPSRC grant for EXTREMAG ends on 30th of April, so that user charges will be applicable from May onwards. We hope that it will be possible to support some users who are unable to pay the user charges, but priority will be given to users who are able to pay in order to secure the future of the facility. The rates are as follows:
1/5/2020 – 31/7/2020
Supported by the Senior Experimental Officer: £917 per day, inc VAT
Unsupported: £324 per day, inc VAT
31/7/2020 – 31/10/2020
Supported by the Senior Experimental Officer: £945 per day, inc VAT
Unsupported: £334 per day, inc VAT
Liquid helium
Additional charges apply to use of liquid Helium.
Unsupported user access
Please note that we will only allow unsupported access to users who have already undertaken induction and training and accumulated sufficient experience of running their intended experiment. If experienced users propose to try a modified set up that requires support from the SEO, then please allow for enough days at the supported rate.
Available apparatus
(i) Wide field static Kerr microscopy, either at room temperature or low temperature, and with either in-plane or out-of-plane magnetic field in each case. A pulsed laser optical pump or electrical probes are available for this instrument on request and subject to specific requirements.
(ii) Time resolved scanning Kerr microscopy at room temperature, with either picosecond pulsed field excitation, microwave field excitation, or quasi-dc excitation. Samples require either an integrated microscale waveguide device for efficient excitation, or else samples can be placed onto a PCB waveguide for weaker excitation.
(iii) All optical pump-probe measurements, at low in-plane or out-of-plane field (<1 T) but variable temperature (4 – 300 K), at fields up to 5 T out-of-plane and variable temperature (4 – 300 K), or at high field up to 10 T out-of-plane.
(iv) THz emission and absorption spectroscopy at room temperature and low field (<0.1 T), or at high field up to 10 T out-of-plane.
Please address any questions about apparatus and the feasibility of different types of measurement to the EXTREMAG mailbox at
The EXTREMAG proposal form can be downloaded by following the link. The scientific case should not exceed 1 page in length after completion in 12 point Calibri font and including any figures and references. Please submit your completed form in PDF format by 31st March.
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1st Nov 2019 – 30th April 2020
Call deadline extended to 30th Spetember 2019.
The first call for proposals for use of the Exeter Time-Resolved Magnetism (EXTREMAG) facility will be for the period 1st November 2019 to 30 April 2020. The proposal submission deadline is the 16th September 2019.
The apparatus that will be available is:
(i) Time resolved scanning Kerr microscopy at room temperature.
(ii) All optical pump-probe measurements, at low field but variable temperature (4 – 400 K).
(iii) THz emission and absorption spectroscopy.
(iv) Wide field static Kerr microscopy, with low temperature capability and both in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic field.
Please address any questions about apparatus and the feasibility of different types of measurement to the EXTREMAG mailbox at
The EXTREMAG proposal form can be downloaded by following the link. The scientific case should not exceed 1 page in length after completion in 12 point Calibri font and including any figures and references. Please submit your completed form in PDF format.