An open-access future for Journal of Synchrotron Radiation – Editorial from the Main Editors and IUCr Journals Editor-in-Chief

Discussing JSR's forthcoming transition to open access.

Respect the synchrotron beam strength: how to model it, measure it and mitigate it for various scientific fields

Extremely bright synchrotron radiation sources give extremely strong intensities at the sample. Lawrence Bright et al. (2021) [J. Synchrotron Rad. (2021), 28, 1377–1385] dive into the details for materials science. I offer a Commentary including a historical context.

Radiation damage to biological samples: still a pertinent issue

An understanding of radiation damage effects suffered by biological samples during structural analysis using both X-rays and electrons is pivotal to obtain reliable molecular models of imaged molecules. This special issue on radiation damage contains six papers reporting analyses of damage from a range of biophysical imaging techniques.

Guidelines for de novo phasing using multiple small-wedge data collection

A guideline for de novo phasing with small-wedge synchrotron crystallography data collection is presented based on systematic investigations of dose and number of merged sub-datasets.

Ultrafast dynamics and scattering of protic ionic liquids induced by XFEL pulses

This radiation damage study uses a hybrid approach combining molecular dynamics with non-thermal plasma simulations to follow the femtosecond dynamics and X-ray scattering from a protic ionic liquid as it is investigated by an intense XFEL pulse.

A SAXS-based approach to rationally evaluate radical scavengers – toward eliminating radiation damage in solution and crystallographic studies

A system engineered to produce a large-scale structural change from X-ray-induced di­sulfide bond cleavage allows residue-specific changes to be interpreted with SAXS. This system is used to investigate how radical scavengers reduce bond breakage during data collection at 10°C with the results providing insight into mitigation strategies for crystallographic and solution experiments.

New high-throughput endstation to accelerate the experimental optimization pipeline for synchrotron X-ray footprinting

The design of a new high-throughput X-ray footprinting endstation and its application to footprinting experimental optimization is described.

Hydroxyl radical mediated damage of proteins in low oxygen solution investigated using X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry

The method of X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry was used to investigate the effect of X-ray irradiation on various proteins in solution under both fully aerated and low dissolved oxygen conditions, and as a function of protein concentration.

Single-particle cryo-EM: alternative schemes to improve dose efficiency

Alternative single-particle cryo-EM schemes are reviewed, in order to improve dose efficiency for obtaining more or complementary structure information within the limited lifetime of the sample.

Modelling the effects of optical vibrations on photon beam parameters using ray-tracing software

Simulation results for dynamic ray-tracing software are compared with experimental data showing the impact of vibrations on sample-point X-ray beams.

Multi-resolution electron spectrometer array for future free-electron laser experiments

The design of an angular array of electron time-of-flight spectrometers is reported, intended for non-invasive spectral, temporal, and polarization characterization of single shots of high-repetition rate, quasi-continuous, short-wavelength free-electron lasers such as the LCLS II at SLAC.

Beam heating from a fourth-generation synchrotron source

The high levels of flux available at a fourth-generation synchrotron are shown to have significant beam heating effects for high-energy X-rays and hard condensed matter samples, leading to temperature increases of over 400 K with a monochromatic beam.

Serial crystallography using automated drop dispensing

The development of automated sample delivery and drop on demand methods is described.

The High Energy Density Scientific Instrument at the European XFEL

The unique parameters of the European XFEL enable novel and groundbreaking experiments in matter at extreme conditions at the High Energy Density (HED) scientific instrument. The performance of the HED instrument during its first two years of operation, its scientific remit, as well as ongoing installations towards full operation are presented.

Transverse bunch-by-bunch feedback system for time-resolved experiments at PLS-II

A description of the upgraded bunch-by-bunch feedback system for time-resolved experiments at Pohang Light Source II (PLS-II) is provided. The project is part of the SPring-8 and PLS-II collaboration.

Thermal optimization of a high-heat-load double-multilayer monochromator

Here, finite-element analysis is used to study the thermal deformation of a multilayer mirror due to the heat load from the undulator beam at a low-emittance synchrotron source. The energy bandwidth of the double-multilayer monochromator is larger than that of the relevant undulator harmonic, such that a considerable portion of the heat load is reflected. Optimizing the substrate geometry without considering the reflected heat load yields an incorrect depth of the `smart cut' and significant thermal bending.

Design of reflective phase retarders in the extreme ultraviolet based on chirped Mo/Si multilayer mirrors

This research provides a method of designing reflective extreme ultraviolet (EUV) phase retarders using a linearly chirped Mo/Si multilayer mirror, which can achieve phase control and polarization state analysis of EUV synchrotron radiation.

Towards high spatial resolution tissue-equivalent dosimetry for microbeam radiation therapy using organic semiconductors

This work presents the first characterization of a thin organic semiconductor photodiode for dosimetry in microbeam radiation therapy carried out on the Australian Synchrotron Imaging and Medical Beamline.

Helicity-dependent resonant X-ray scattering in CuB₂O₄

Exploitation of X-ray circular polarized beams to study forbidden Bragg reflections and new information that could be obtained in these experiments are discussed.

X-ray Laue diffraction by sectioned multilayers. I. Pendellösung effect and rocking curves

The dynamical theory of X-ray Laue diffraction in flat and wedge sectioned multilayers is considered. Recurrence relations are obtained that describe Laue diffraction in structures that are inhomogeneous in depth.

High-accuracy mass attenuation coefficients and X-ray absorption spectroscopy of zinc – the first X-ray Extended Range Technique-like experiment in Australia

The first X-ray Extended Range Technique (XERT)-like experiment at the Australian Synchrotron measured 496 energies from 8.51 keV to 11.59 keV for zinc metal to 0.023–0.036% accuracy. Systematics are quantified.

High-accuracy measurement of mass attenuation coefficients and the imaginary component of the atomic form factor of zinc from 8.51 keV to 11.59 keV, and X-ray absorption fine structure with investigation of zinc theory and nanostructure

Zinc metal XAFS to high accuracy determined K-edge jump ratio and jump factors, revealing significant issues in theory and experiment. Nanostructure of zinc is determined to high accuracy with bond lengths with uncertainties from 0.1% to 0.3% or 0.003 to 0.008 ÅA, suggesting local dynamic motion of the crystal lattice.

In situ N K-edge XANES study of iron, cobalt and nickel nitride thin films

Sputter deposition is combined with in situ N K-edge absorption measurements to study thin films of magnetic nitrides (Fe-N, Co-N, Ni-N) ranging from sub-monolayer to bulk. Ultra-thin films of these nitrides were found to demonstrate a different behavior that can be coupled with structural changes taking place with the increasing film thickness.

Comparative analysis of XANES and EXAFS for local structural characterization of disordered metal oxides

This article evaluates the utility of pre-edge analysis of X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra for studying materials with variable amounts of disorder using two examples: a unimodal distribution of nearest neighbors of homogeneously distributed metal centers (Ti in Ti oxide nanocomposites) and a bimodal distribution due to the local structural heterogeneities around V in V oxide nanocomposites. In the latter case, both the pre-edge analysis and conventional EXAFS analysis are combined to detect the presence of local structural heterogeneities.

Tracking dynamic structural changes in catalysis by rapid 2D-XANES microscopy

The local chemical state of a model Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst is visualized operando by rapid 2D XANES imaging during the catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas.

Beam and sample movement compensation for robust spectro-microscopy measurements on a hard X-ray nanoprobe

Beam stability and sample drift compensation schemes are presented for use on I14, the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe at Diamond Light Source.

Evolution of the magnetic hyperfine field profiles in an ion-irradiated Fe₆₀Al₄₀ film measured by nuclear resonant reflectivity

Nuclear resonant reflectivity (NRR) was measured from an Fe₆₀Al₄₀ film irradiated by 20 keV Ne⁺ ions with gradually varying fluences of 0–3.0 × 10¹⁴ ions cm⁻². The evolution of the ferromagnetic onset, starting from the central part of the film and propagating towards the interfaces, was revealed by the fit of the NRR time spectra.

Effect of the non-ideal axial ratio c/a on anharmonic EXAFS oscillation of h.c.p. crystals

The temperature and wavenumber dependence of the EXAFS oscillation of hexagonal close-packed crystals have been calculated and analyzed under the effect of the non-ideal axial ratio c/a based on the extended anharmonic correlated Debye model.

A new imaging technology based on Compton X-ray scattering

A feasible implementation of a novel X-ray detector for highly energetic X-ray photons with a large solid angle coverage, optimal for the detection of Compton X-ray scattered photons, is described. The device, consisting of a 20 cm-thick sensitive volume filled with xenon at atmospheric pressure, forms photoelectron images by resorting to the electroluminescence produced in a custom-made multi-hole acrylic structure.

Off-axis multilayer zone plate with 16 nm × 28 nm focus for high-resolution X-ray beam induced current imaging

In an off-axis geometry, a circular multilayer zone disc is used to locally generate X-ray beam induced currents inside a single InP nanowire. This allows to spatially probe local electric fields at practical working distances and very low background signal.

Improving reproducibility in synchrotron tomography using implementation-adapted filters

Dissimilar hardware and software conventions at various synchrotrons lead to quantitative differences in experimental results. This paper proposes a method to improve reproducibility of tomographic reconstructions by optimizing the filtering step in commonly used reconstruction algorithms.

Qu­antitative 4D X-ray microtomography under extreme conditions: a case study on magma migration

A practical step-by-step guide to high-speed X-ray computed tomography is presented, from the collection of computed tomography images and their reconstruction to performing quantitative analysis, while accounting for the constraints imposed by high-pressure and high-temperature experimentation.

Development and application of a tender X-ray ptychographic coherent diffraction imaging system on BL27SU at SPring-8

A ptychographic coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) system with pinhole or Fresnel zone-plate optics for use in the tender X-ray region (2–5 keV) has been developed on the BL27SU beamline at SPring-8. A resolution of approximately 50 nm was achieved in ptychographic CDI of a 200 nm thick Ta test chart, and a sulfur polymer material was successfully observed.

Exploiting spatio-spectral aberrations for rapid synchrotron infrared imaging

A correlation-based semi-synthetic computational optical approach has been applied to assess the possibilities of exploiting the spatio-spectral aberrations of the Infrared Microspectroscopy Beamline to perform rapid imaging.

Performance and characterization of the FinEstBeAMS beamline at the MAX IV Laboratory

The performance of the new Finnish–Estonian Beamline for Atmospheric and Materials Sciences is characterized and discussed.

Soft X-ray ARPES for three-dimensional crystals in the micrometre region

A new experimental station has been developed at BL25SU of SPring-8 for angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy using a soft X-ray microbeam.

The white beam station at imaging beamline BL-4, Indus-2

The commissioning and first experiments on the white beam imaging facility at the imaging beamline Indus-2 to allow high-resolution imaging at high frame rates and higher penetration are presented.

Robotic sample changers for macromolecular X-ray crystallography and biological small-angle X-ray scattering at the National Synchrotron Light Source II

Robotic sample changers for macromolecular crystallography and biological small-angle X-ray scattering are presented.

High-resolution fast-tomography brain-imaging beamline at the Taiwan Photon Source

The Brain Imaging Beamline (BIB) of the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) and its endstation, designed to take advantage of bright unmonochromatized synchrotron X-rays and targeting fast 3D imaging and high spatial resolution, have been commissioned and opened to users.

Spherical micro-hole grid for high-resolution retarding field analyzer

A wide-acceptance-angle spherical grid with numerous micro cylindrical holes was developed for a high-resolution retarding field analyzer.