Compound focusing mirror and X-ray waveguide optics for coherent imaging and nano-diffraction

A compound optical system consisting of mirror and waveguide optics implemented at beamline P10 of the PETRA III storage ring is described, along with the typical coherent nano-focus and imaging applications.

Vibration measurements of high-heat-load monochromators for DESY PETRA III extension

Vibration measurements of a cryocooled double-crystal monochromator are presented. The origins of the vibrations are identified. The minimum achieved vibration of the relative pitch between the two crystals is 48 nrad RMS and the minimum achieved absolute vibration of the second crystal is 82 nrad RMS.

X-ray pulse wavefront metrology using speckle tracking

The theoretical description and experimental implementation of a speckle-tracking-based instrument which permits the characterisation of X-ray pulse wavefronts.

PRIGo: a new multi-axis goniometer for macromolecular crystallography

The design and performance of the new multi-axis goniometer PRIGo developed at the Swiss Light Source at Paul Scherrer Institute is described.

Design and performance of the APPLE-Knot undulator

The design and performance of the Apple-Knot undulator which can generate photons with arbitrary polarization and low on-axis heat load are presented.

The Extreme Conditions Beamline P02.2 and the Extreme Conditions Science Infrastructure at PETRA III

Performance description of the Extreme Conditions Beamline (ECB, P02.2) at PETRA III that is optimized for micro-diffraction at simultaneous high pressure and high and low temperatures created in different diamond anvil cells environments. Additional information of the capabilities of the Extreme Conditions Science Infrastructure for DAC work is provided.

Two-dimensional in situ metrology of X-ray mirrors using the speckle scanning technique

The two-dimensional slope error of an X-ray mirror has been retrieved by employing the speckle scanning technique, which will be valuable at synchrotron radiation facilities and in astronomical telescopes.

A simple optical system delivering a tunable micrometer pink beam that can compensate for heat-induced deformations

Finite-element analysis and ray tracings show that a Kirkpatrick–Baez pair can deliver a micrometer size pink beam free of higher-order contamination despite a change in absorbed power density from practically zero up to 0.67 W mm⁻².

Focusing performance of a multilayer Laue lens with layer placement error described by dynamical diffraction theory

Based on the coupled wave theory, a new dynamical modeling approach is proposed to study the focusing performance of the multilayer Laue lens with layer placement error.

A phase-space beam position monitor for synchrotron radiation

A system has been developed to measure the vertical position and angle of the electron beam at a single location from a synchrotron source. The system uses a monochromator tuned to the absorption edge of a contrast material and has a sensitivity comparable with other beam position monitors.

Development of variable-magnification X-ray Bragg optics

The presented X-ray optics is useful for variable-magnification of an X-ray beam, enabling the spatial resolution and field of view of an optical system to be controlled.

Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectrometer with 25 meV resolution at the Cu K-edge

A high-energy-resolution spectrometer featuring a quartz crystal analyzer is presented. The manuscript includes a step-by-step recipe for manufacturing the analyzer and a detailed ray-tracing analysis.

HERMES: a soft X-ray beamline dedicated to X-ray microscopy

The specifications and performance of the HERMES beamline are described in detail.

Laue-DIC: a new method for improved stress field measurements at the micrometer scale

The increment of elastic strain distribution, with a micrometer spatial resolution, is obtained by the correlation of successive Laue images. Application to a bent Si crystal allows evaluation of the accuracy of this new Laue-DIC method, which is about 10⁻⁵.

In situ hydrogen loading on zirconium powder

Commercial-grade Zr powder loaded with hydrogen in situ and phase transformations between various Zr and ZrH_x phases have been monitored in real time.

Distinct effect of xenobiotics on the metal-binding properties of protein molecules

X-ray standing-wave measurement results provide evidence that the ability of a protein to bind metal ions increases substantially under xenobiotics exposure.

High-accuracy X-ray absorption spectra from mM solutions of nickel (II) complexes with multiple solutions using transmission XAS

A new approach to determine XAS on absolute and relative scales for dilute (1–15 mM) solutions using transmission measurements – the hybrid technique. The approach is applied to 15 mM nickel complex solutions yielding a relative uncertainty of 0.1–0.2%.

Picosecond-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy at low signal contrast using a hard X-ray streak camera

The optimization of a hard-X-ray streak camera for picosecond X-ray spectroscopy at low signal contrast is presented.

Charge redistribution and a shortening of the Fe—As bond at the quantum critical point of SmO_1–xF_xFeAs

Many researchers have pointed out that there is a quantum critical point (QCP) in the F-doped SmOFeAs system. In this paper, an evident relationship between the mysterious QCP and the fundamental Fe—As bond was established, providing new insights on the interplay between the QCP, charge dynamics and the local structural Fe—As bond in Fe-based superconductors.

Energy spectra considerations for synchrotron radiotherapy trials on the ID17 bio-medical beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

An attempt to validate the beam spectrum on the ID17 beamline at the ESRF is made by comparing measurements of X-ray attenuation in copper with the predictions of a theoretical model. The purpose of the study is to provide an accurate energy spectrum to a computerized treatment planning system which will be used in forthcoming synchrotron microbeam radiotherapy trials of spontaneous tumors in pet cats and dogs at the ESRF.

Real-space multiple-scattering Hubbard model calculations for d- and f-state materials

A Hubbard model implemented in a real-space multiple-scattering formalism is used to describe the X-ray absorption due to localized states in transition metal- and lanthanide-oxides.

Live small-animal X-ray lung velocimetry and lung micro-tomography at the Australian Synchrotron Imaging and Medical Beamline

Synchrotron phase-contrast X-ray imaging is well suited to non-invasive imaging in small-animal models such as mice and rats, to reveal both structure (e.g. micro-computed tomography) and function (e.g. lung velocimetry). Here the first live-animal lung imaging at the Australian Synchrotron Imaging and Medical Beamline are presented.

Qu­antitative phase retrieval in X-ray Zernike phase contrast microscopy

An approach for quantitative phase retrieval in X-ray Zernike phase contrast microscopy by use of different phase rings is proposed.

Characteristics of Friedel pairs and diffraction contrast tomography with non-perpendicular rotation axis

Characteristics of Friedel pairs in diffraction contrast tomography are studied in the condition that the rotation axis of the sample is not exactly perpendicular to the incident X-ray direction.

Single-image phase retrieval using an edge illumination X-ray phase-contrast imaging setup

A method enabling the retrieval of thickness or projected electron density of a sample from a single input image is derived theoretically and successfully demonstrated on experimental data.

Simultaneous dual-energy X-ray stereo imaging

A Laue–Bragg geometry is introduced for splitting an X-ray beam and tuning each of the two branches to selected wavelength. Stereoscopic and dual-energy imaging was performed with this system.

Local strain and defects in silicon wafers due to nanoindentation revealed by full-field X-ray microdiffraction imaging

Full-field X-ray microdiffraction imaging using synchrotron radiation is employed to investigate the long-range distribution of strain fields in silicon wafers induced by indents at different conditions in order to simulate wafer fabrication damage.

3D imaging of a rice pollen grain using transmission X-ray microscopy

Three-dimensional nano-tomography of a rice pollen grain using a transmission X-ray microscope is presented, and a biological analysis is performed. The results demonstrate that transmission X-ray microscopy is useful for performing nano-tomography research on eukaryotic cells.

Methodological challenges of optical tweezers-based X-ray fluorescence imaging of biological model organisms at synchrotron facilities

Overview of the possibilities and associated methodological challenges of novel optical tweezers-based in vivo confocal X-ray fluorescence imaging of biological model organisms at synchrotron facilities, particularly ESRF-ID13.

Phase-contrast computed tomography for qu­antification of structural changes in lungs of asthma mouse models of different severity

Synchrotron inline phase-contrast computed tomography in combination with single-distance phase retrieval enables quantification of morphological alterations in lungs of mice with mild and severe experimental allergic airways disease in comparison with healthy controls.

MISTRAL: a transmission soft X-ray microscopy beamline for cryo nano-tomography of biological samples and magnetic domains imaging

The performance of MISTRAL, the soft X-ray transmission microscopy beamline at the ALBA light source (Barcelona, Spain), is reported. Two scientific applications are also presented.

Optical design and multi-length-scale scanning spectro-microscopy possibilities at the Nanoscopium beamline of Synchrotron Soleil

The Nanoscopium 155 m-long beamline is dedicated to 2D/3D scanning hard X-ray multimodal nano-imaging. This paper describes the optical concept, the first measured performance of the beamline and the proof-of-principle multi-technique hierarchical length-scale imaging experiments.

Assessment of freeware programs for the reconstruction of tomography datasets obtained with a monochromatic synchrotron-based X-ray source

Four freeware programs are compared for the reconstruction of synchrotron based in-line phase-contrast computed tomography datasets to provide researchers and educators with information for managing their imaging needs.

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