Imaging of nanometer details in structures is of critical importance to distinguish hypotheses or solve various societal problems. With X-rays this can be done non-destructively using a number of imaging modalities that each provide differing information about the sample. To obtain high resolution images, an intense coherent source and high quality optics is required. We are developing...
Fresnel zone plates are widely used for nanofocusing in x-ray microscopy. The focusing performance is described in terms of the resolution, related to the width of the smallest outermost zones, and the efficiency, governed by the thickness of the zones and therefore the amount of phase shift imparted onto the x-ray beam. The ratio of zone thickness to width, or “aspect ratio,” is limited in...
The tomographic station of the DanMAX beamline at MAX IV Laboratory entered user operation in Spring 2024. The scope of the beamline is predominantly diffraction and imaging for material science. With the XtremeCT project we aim to enable DanMAX to perform, in an optimized and disruptive manner, 3D measurements of all microstructural features within large sections of brains and bones, to...
For monochromators and phase retarders designed for X-rays of energy over 4 keV, diffracting crystals are the material of choice. However, the cleanliness of the diffracted beam and the achievable energy resolution can be degraded by defects introduced into the bulk during growth, by scratches and pits left on the surface by polishing, and by poor clamping that deforms the crystal lattice....
Multilayer Laue lenses (MLLs) is an extension of Fresnel zone plates in the form of a volume diffracting element, which is a promising optical element in synchrotron radiation facility. By the means of dynamical diffraction theory, DC magnetron sputtering, laser etching and focused ion beam lithography, two-dimensional MLLs with 63×43 μm2 aperture and focal spot of 8×8 nm2 @ 10keV are designed...
The multi-bend achromat, fourth-generation storage rings have increased beam brightness due to the order of magnitude lower emittance that can be achieved. The higher brightness comes with smaller beam sizes and narrower radiation cones which in turn deposit higher power density in the optical components. Maximizing the transmission and ensuring the stability of the brilliance from the source...
NewAthena will be the largest X-ray observatory ever flown. To achieve an effective area of 1 m² at 1 keV, a total polished mirror surface of 300 m² is required due to the grazing incidence. Based on silicon pore optics (SPO), a large X-ray lens with a diameter of 2.5 m will be installed at 12 m distance from the two detectors in the focal plane. It is composed of about 500 mirror modules...
