Towards the capability of in-situ optical illumination for INS

Photochromism is the phenomenon by which a reversible transformation takes place between two chemical species by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation. Possibly the most recognisable examples of photochromism in every-day life are eyeglass lenses that darken upon bright light exposure but revert to full transparency when attenuation is not required. Potential uses of photochromic materials include data storage, energy storage, and in macromolecular chemistry such as self-healing plastics. For a number of photochromic materials, the mechanism of the transition between states is poorly understood. New techniques to investigate these materials are vital to understanding them fully. This experiment aims to provide a proof of concept for the first in-situ optical illumination during an INS experiment at ISIS, in collaboration with the ISIS Electronics group.