The African Light Source: history, context and future

The African Light Source project towards a light source for the African continent is described.

An active piezoelectric plane X-ray focusing mirror with a linearly changing thickness

An active piezoelectric plane X-ray focusing mirror with a linearly changing thickness is presented. Focusing performances of the prototype are measured and a single-micrometre focusing result is achieved.

Investigation of the mechanical work during ultrasonic fatigue loading using pulsed time-resolved X-ray diffraction

The development of a time-resolved X-ray diffraction technique using synchrotron radiation in pulsed mode to estimate the stress and the mechanical work during an ultrasonic fatigue test is presented.

Treatment of multiple-beam X-ray diffraction in energy-dependent measurements

An approach to reliably extract the desired intensities and filter out multiple-beam X-ray diffraction, which often causes interference for high X-ray energies and for large unit cells, is presented. Here, a universal concept of data acquisition and post-processing for resonant X-ray diffraction experiments is described, including the measurement of the energy-dependent intensity at several azimuth angles and subsequently only considering the unaffected data points.

A method with ultra-high angular resolution for X-ray diffraction experiments

A method to acquire X-ray scattered signals at high frequency while the detector is moving is proposed. The algorithm provided can break through the pixel size limitation, and the resolution is improved by almost ten times compared with that of a single pixel.

In situ characterization of stresses, deformation and fracture of thin films using transmission X-ray nanodiffraction microscopy

Scanning nanodiffraction mapping was used to map stresses, plastic deformation and cracking of hard coatings during nanoindentation.

X-ray-induced piezoresponse during X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy of PbMg_1/3Nb_2/3O₃

X-ray illumination induces surface charging and gives rise to substantially enhanced piezoresponse in a relaxor ferroelectric captured by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

Improvement of ultra-small-angle XPCS with the Extremely Brilliant Source

The technical performance of ultra-small-angle X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy with the ESRF Extremely Brilliant Source is presented. The brighter X-ray source together with advanced pixel array detectors enable investigations of faster dynamics in relatively dilute suspensions by this method.

In situ/operando plug-flow fixed-bed cell for synchrotron PXRD and XAFS investigations at high temperature, pressure, controlled gas atmosphere and ultra-fast heating

A plug-flow fixed-bed cell for synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) idoneous for the study of heterogeneous catalysts at high temperature, pressure and under gas flow is designed, constructed and demonstrated. The operating conditions up to 1000°C and 50 bar are ensured by a set of mass flow controllers, pressure regulators and two infra-red lamps that constitute a robust and ultra-fast heating and cooling method.

tomoCAM: fast model-based iterative reconstruction via GPU acceleration and non-uniform fast Fourier transforms

tomoCAM is an open-source implementation of model-based iterative reconstructions that reformulates the iterative tomographic reconstruction problem to leverage the faster time complexity of non-uniform fast Fourier transforms. Moreover, it harnesses the computational capabilities of modern GPUs, leading to significant performance gains compared with currently available publicly accessible tools. tomoCAM is accessible via Python and is compatible with NumPy, facilitating its incorporation into pre-existing workflows at synchrotron light sources.

Similarity score for screening phase-retrieved maps in X-ray diffraction imaging – characterization in reciprocal space

The similarity score is a useful metric for screening electron density maps from phase-retrieval calculations in X-ray diffraction imaging. The characteristics of the score have been studied in reciprocal space and are described here.

Protocol using similarity score and improved shrink-wrap algorithm for better convergence of phase-retrieval calculation in X-ray diffraction imaging

A protocol to steer phase-retrieval calculations to realistic density maps is proposed.

Efficient boundary-guided scanning for high-resolution X-ray ptychography

An innovative adaptive scan technique for high-resolution X-ray ptychography is introduced that offers automated guidance for the scan trajectory along an object's boundary, selectively acquiring measurements relevant to the region of interest.

Deep learning to overcome Zernike phase-contrast nanoCT artifacts for automated micro-nano porosity segmentation in bone

A deep-learning processing approach is proposed to assess in three dimensions the micro- and nano-porosity in bone imaged by Zernike nano-computed tomography.

Heitt Mjölnir: a heated miniature triaxial apparatus for 4D synchrotron microtomography

Heitt Mjolnir, a heated miniature triaxial apparatus for 4D synchrotron microtomography, is described. This new device combines the capacities of a deformation rig and a thermal reactor with large sample volumes and is suitable for a large range of geo-energy applications.

Opportunities and new developments for the study of surfaces and interfaces in soft condensed matter at the SIRIUS beamline of Synchrotron SOLEIL

The main characteristics of the beamline SIRIUS at Synchrotron SOLEIL relevant for soft matter science are presented, as well as recent developments of new sample environments and of X-ray focusing with compound refractive lenses.

Design and first-round commissioning result of the SASE beamline at the Shanghai Soft X-ray FEL facility

The design and first-round commissioning results of the SASE beamline at the Shanghai Soft X-ray FEL facility are presented.

High Throughput Tomography (HiTT) on EMBL beamline P14 on PETRA III

High-throughput tomography, a propagation-based phase-contrast X-ray imaging technique that can visualize 1 mm³ biological samples of various types at high resolution, is presented. 3D reconstructions of the imaged volumes are calculated automatically once data collection is complete. The entire process from pressing start on data collection to viewing the final data takes less than three minutes. This speed, in combination with the use of an automated sample changer to exchange the samples, truly enables high-throughput X-ray imaging for the first time.

Performance of a photoelectron momentum microscope in direct- and momentum-space imaging with ultraviolet photon sources

A microscope hosted at Taiwan Photon Source beamline 27A2 that packs the functions of photoemission electron microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy into one single instrument is presented.

Beagle: a near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy data processing solution for beamline experiments at Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

A new software, Beagle, has been developed to analyze NEXAFS spectroscopy at PAL. It calculates molecular orientation for high-throughput experiments, handling more than 100 samples per day.