30 years of Journal of Synchrotron Radiation and synchrotron science

An insight is given into the motivation as well as the journey of establishing this important journal for the IUCr and the synchrotron radiation community.

Multi-segment cooling design of a reflection mirror based on the finite-element method

Through numerical optimization of cooling lengths and cooling groove positions for the first reflection mirror of a free-electron laser, the root mean square of the height error of the mirror's thermal deformation was minimized. The optimized mirror design effectively mitigated stray light and enhanced the peak intensity of the focus spot at the sample, thereby enhancing the optical performance of the high-heat-load mirror under high repetition rates at beamline FEL-II of the SHINE facility.

Development of MHz X-ray phase contrast imaging at the European XFEL

The development of instrumentation as well as applications for megahertz X-ray phase contrast imaging at the Single Particles, Clusters, and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography instrument of the European XFEL are introduced.

Reducing heat load density with asymmetric and inclined double-crystal monochromators: principles and requirements revisited

The major principles and requirements of asymmetric and inclined double-crystal monochromators are re-examined and presented to guide their design and development for significantly reducing heat load density and gradient on the monochromators of fourth-generation synchrotron light sources and X-ray free-electron lasers.

Development and testing of a dual-frequency real-time hardware feedback system for the hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline of the SSRF

We introduce a novel approach for a real-time dual-frequency feedback system which has been firstly used at the hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. It can efficiently stabilize the X-ray beam position and stability in parallel, making use of different optical systems in the beamline.

Cylindrically bent Laue analyzer in an X-ray Raman/emission spectrometer: performance tests and a comparison with spherically bent Bragg analyzers

The performances of a spherically bent Bragg analyzer and a cylindrically bent Laue analyzer in an X-ray Raman/emission spectrometer are compared.

SiC free-standing membrane for X-ray intensity monitoring in synchrotron radiation beamlines

Characterization of an SiC free-standing membrane to be used as an X-ray beam intensity monitor.

Review and experimental comparison of speckle-tracking algorithms for X-ray phase contrast imaging

This review focuses on low-dose near-field X-ray speckle phase imaging in the differential mode introducing the existing algorithms with their specifications and comparing their performances under various experimental conditions.

The use of ethanol as contrast enhancer in synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging leads to heterogeneous myocardial tissue shrinkage: a case report

In this work, we show that the use of ethanol to increase image contrast when imaging cardiac tissue with synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging leads to heterogeneous tissue shrinkage, which has an impact on the 3D organization of the myocardium.

Comparative study of crystallization kinetics and phase segregation of triple cation and methyl­ammonium lead iodide perovskites on moisture probing using synchrotron X-ray based radiation

Synchrotron techniques have been used in the analysis of crystal structure and compositions of materials, in particular for analyzing the crystallization kinetics and phase segregation of perovskite solar films on humidity probing.

Shedding light on biochemical changes in single neuron-like pheochromocytoma cells following exposure to synchrotron sourced terahertz radiation using synchrotron source Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy

This work presents an analysis of biochemical changes in pheochromocytoma cells in response to synchrotron sourced terahertz radiation using synchrotron sourced Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy.

Picometre-level surface control of a closed-loop, adaptive X-ray mirror with integrated real-time interferometric feedback

A closed-loop, adaptive deformable X-ray mirror system has been developed that enables synchrotron and XFEL beamlines to rapidly change and stabilize the size and shape of the X-ray beam. The optical surface is stabilized to the demand profile to <200 pm via voltage corrections applied autonomously to individual piezo actuators at 1 Hz, based on 20 kHz feedback from an array of interferometric sensors.

Thermal deformation compensation scheme to the sub-nanometre level of a piezoelectric offset mirror for MHz repetition rate free-electron laser

A compensation scheme has been developed to control thermal deformation of offset mirrors used in MHz repetition rate free-electron lasers to sub-nanometre level. This approach employs a piezoelectric deformable mirror, utilizes finite-element analysis for simulation and post-processing verification, and integrates a differential evolution algorithm for global optimization.

Reduction of artifacts associated with missing data in coherent diffractive imaging

We describe practical approaches to mitigate reconstruction artifacts in coherent diffractive imaging experiments which stem from regions that lack data. The utility of these approaches is demonstrated with 3D numerical simulations and, experimentally, on a coherent diffractive imaging dataset.

Toward a storage ring coherent light source based on an angular dispersion-induced microbunching scheme

In this work, a storage-ring-based light source is developed to generate longitudinal coherent radiation at a high repetition rate as a result of the combination of a rapid damping storage ring and reversible angular dispersion-induced microbunching.

Pulse-by-pulse transient thermal deformation in crystal optics under high-repetition-rate FEL

Complete pulse-by-pulse transient time-domain modeling of the thermal deformation of crystals under high-repetition-rate high-pulse-energy free-electron laser load can help define acceptable operational parameters across the pulse-energy repetition-rate phase space. The upper bound of the thermal deformation of the crystal at the electron beam repetition time for any repetition frequency can be estimated from the results of transient analysis using a continuous wave power loading.

Accurate measurements of slice electron beam parameters at the undulator in seeded free-electron lasers

A new method has been developed for accurately measuring the slice electron beam current, energy spread, and seed-induced energy modulation in seeded free-electron lasers (FELs). Determining these parameters is crucial for advanced FEL operations and modern seeding schemes like echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG). Consequently, this method has become an essential tool for the upgraded FERMI FEL-1.

Visualization of four-dimensional X-ray absorption fine structure data using a virtual reality system

4D imaging X-ray absorption fine structure data were successfully visualized in virtual reality space. The proposed method provides a novel approach for analyzing the geometric and topological nature of multidimensional spectroscopic data.

Enhancing the efficiency of a wavelength-dispersive spectrometer based on a slitless design using a single-bounce monocapillary

A slit-less wavelength-dispersive spectrometer design is presented that uses a single-bounce monocapillary to align the sample on the Rowland circle, enhancing photon throughput and maintaining resolution. The compact design supports flexibility and reconfiguration in facilities without complex beamline infrastructure, significantly improving detection efficiency.

The Heisenberg-RIXS instrument at the European XFEL

The aim of this work is to present Heisenberg RIXS at the European XFEL, the first high-resolution soft X-ray instrument enabling time-resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering close to the transform limit from solid and liquid-jet samples. The optical design, mechanical layout and performance are described in detail and discussed in a broader context of X-ray spectroscopy at high-repetition free-electron lasers.

Diffractometer for element-specific analysis on local structures using a combination of X-ray fluorescence holography and anomalous X-ray scattering

To tackle disorder in crystals as well as short- and intermediate-range order in amorphous materials, and increase tractable targets with novel functionalities, we have developed a carry-in diffractometer to utilise X-ray fluorescence holography and anomalous X-ray scattering, facilitating element-specific analyses with atomic resolution using the wavelength tunability of a synchrotron X-ray source.

3DCryoHolder: a new open access 3D printable system to store and transport silicon nitride membranes under cryogenic conditions for spectromicroscopy at low temperature

A system (3DCryoHolder) has been developed to store and transport silicon nitride membranes under cryogenic conditions for X-ray spectromicroscopy measurements at synchrotron research facilities. The system is 3D printable and compatible with different plunge-freezing makers, and is provided here for free use by the community.

High-resolution imaging of organic and inorganic nanoparticles at nanometre-scale resolution by X-ray ensemble diffraction microscopy

X-ray ensemble diffraction microscopy (XEDM) is an approach to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in high-frequency regions of scattering. This article presents direct imaging of 55 nm core–shell silica–gold nanoparticles at a 6.8 nm resolution and 19 nm nodavirus-like-particles in solution at a 2.6 nm resolution to demonstrate the high spatial resolution that is difficult to achieve by conventional coherent diffraction microscopy.

A fully contained sample holder capable of electron-yield detection at soft X-ray energies

Demonstration of a fully contained sample holder for electron yield-detected soft X-ray spectroscopy.

Hard X-ray single-shot spectrometer of PAL-XFEL

A hard X-ray single-shot spectrometer comprising thin, bent Si crystals has been developed for the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL), for detailed analysis of ultrafast 4.5–17 keV XFEL pulses with a high spectral resolution. This instrument facilitates shot-to-shot spectral structure monitoring and optimization of the operating conditions of the XFEL owing to its ability to provide comprehensive data on the spectral properties and fluctuations of self-amplified spontaneous emission, monochromatic and seeded XFEL modes.

The early development of a combined micro- and full-field X-ray fluorescence analysis system using white X-rays at PLS-II

We present the development of a novel X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis system that integrates both micro-XRF and full-field XRF techniques at the 9D beamline of PLS-II.

Status of macromolecular crystallography beamlines at SSRF

The current status and emerging trends of the MX beamlines at SSRF are described.

PGMweb: an online tool for visualizing the X-ray beam path through plane grating monochromators

We present PGMweb, a visualization program for modelling the X-ray beam path as it is transmitted through plane grating monochromators.