Synchrotron X-ray-enhanced scanning tunnelling microscopy (SXSTM) is a novel technique by which materials can be studied with elemental-sensitive and nanometre-spatial resolution. This poster covers the mechanical engineering design for the prototype SXSTM instrument. System performance and sample handling requirements along with the desire to use existing components constrained the design. The SXSTM needs to be mechanically and acoustically isolated from the environment. In addition, all sample preparations are done in situ, and thus, the sample and SXSTM tips need to be prepared and moved inside the vacuum chamber with a wobble stick. The final design incorporates an Advanced Photon Source-designed vacuum chamber, existing components and commercial parts to provide the user with a robust prototype system to demonstrate the impact of this new technique.

The physics of critical phenomena is well established in systems as diverse as molecular fluids, crystalline alloys and magnetic materials. As the critical point is approached, the susceptibility increases anomalously and fluctuations give rise to dramatic opalescence. Evidence has recently emerged for the existence of a second critical point in the liquid state at supercooled temperatures, below which polyamorphic phases coexist differing in density but sharing the same composition. Whilst much attention has been paid to supercooled water, polyamorphic phases have been observed in many elemental and oxide liquids potentially offering routes to low-entropy glasses. Our recent direct observation of a polyamorphic phase transition in levitated molten yttria–alumina offers the first opportunity to study the associated critical point in a real supercooled system. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering records sharp rises in the average correlation length of density fluctuations and in the compressibility as the transition is approached. Both increases approximate to the universal power-law relations predicted by the three-dimensional Ising model in common with all critical point phenomena. The observation brings the second critical point predicted in liquids into line with other critical phenomena.

Diamond Light Source (DLS) is undertaking a programme of developing additional photon beamlines to be added to the existing facility. Operating in the UK, DLS is subject to the Ionizing Radiation Regulations, (IRR99) and having been elected to follow the path of generic prior authorization, DLS is obliged to implement a personnel safety system that conforms to the Approved Code of Practice. In addition, DLS has strived to apply EN61508 to the management and design of the system. This presentation will explain the constraints, design elements and the process that we have undertaken to implement each new safety system and its incorporation into the existing system.

Strain in silicon on insulator (SOI) and strained-silicon(s-Si)/silicon–germanium (SiGe)/Si-substrate crystals is analysed by means of synchrotron X-ray microbeam diffraction. It is found that strain features of the s-Si/SiGe/Si crystals are much different from those of SOI crystals from the lattice tilt and lattice parameter distribution points of view. The two-dimensional lattice tilt maps obtained by scanning the synchrotron X-ray microbeam of about 1 μm in size on the sample surface are useful to study local strain distribution in those materials.

A prototype of a new double crystal monochromator (DCM) has been designed and developed for the second crystallography beamline (XRD2) at ELETTRA. The new device has to cover the 8–35 keV X-ray range. Since the corresponding diffraction angles are quite small, the choice has been to design a DCM with a fixed distance between the two crystals. As a consequence, the output beam has a small vertical displacement during the scan. This movement is compensated by means of an upstream mask, vertically moving and cutting the input beam at different heights. The movement of the mask is driven by a mechanism linked to the primary rotation of crystals (self-compensation), without any additional motor and following the displacement law required for compensation. The principle, the mechanism and the general mechanical concept of the device will be described in this paper.

Resonant elastic X-ray scattering (RXS) at the erbium absorption edge was investigated in the orbital-ordered compound ErVO3. An RXS signal resonating near the Er L3-edge was clearly observed at (1 0 0). Using this signal, we studied the relation between the anisotropy of the Er 5d orbital and the V 3d orbital ordering because the covalency between the Er 5d and V 3d orbitals is expected to stabilize the C-type orbital ordering of the V 3d electrons.

The depth profiles of the constituent in iron oxide scales were investigated by X-ray diffraction measurement with controlling X-ray penetration depth at SPring-8. We successfully observed the interface region of scales non-destructively using X-ray with energy of 28 keV. The results indicated that the volume fraction ratio of Fe3O4 to FeO around the surface of samples increased by isothermal heat treatment. This suggested that the transformation of FeO to Fe3O4 due to isothermal heat treatment proceeds from surface into the inside of scale.

ALBA synchrotron light facility includes a 3 GeV low-emittance storage ring capable of running in the top-up mode which will feed a number of beamlines. Xaloc and CIRCE are among these beamlines. These beamlines are equipped with mirrors which need high stability. There are a lot of mirror chambers in the market and we decided to improve one of them rather than developing a new one. For this purpose, the ALBA team organized a collaboration with a supplier of beamline components. ALBA did the conceptual design of the improvements, the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) optimization and the metrology tests. The supplier provided a detailed design and the production. The improvement was implemented on several mirror chambers including actuators from two to five degrees of freedom. At the beginning of the project, the hypothesis was an excitation coming from the ground lower than 1 µm for frequencies below 45 Hz and negligible above it. The strategy[0] in terms of dynamical stability was not to amplify the ground excitation below 45 Hz or around 50 Hz. That is, to increase the frequency of the system resonances above 45 Hz (excluding the range of about 50 Hz). As a result, we obtained a high level of stability for such mirror systems and we almost met the target value for the first mode of vibration.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has gained significant attention among the forensic scientists because it shows high sensitivity and selectivity, and offers near-real-time detection. Application of the multivariate statistical techniques for the analysis of the spectra is necessary in order to enable feature extraction, proper evaluation and identification of obtained spectra. In this paper we show the development of a feasible procedure for the characterization of spectroscopic signatures of the explosive materials in the remnants after explosion. In our research especially designed and prepared sample catchers were used during the blasts of three various high explosives: C-4, TNT and PETN. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using broad spectral data range (600–4000 cm−1) for sample classification into separate classes. Most of the information contained in spectral data was compressed by PCA in few relevant principal components that explain most of the variance of spectral data. The results show that FTIR spectroscopy in combination with multivariate methods are well suited for identification and differentiation purposes even in very large data sets and could be employed by forensic laboratories for rapid screening analysis.

National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) in Taiwan has initialized the construction of Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) synchrotron accelerator project. This 3 GeV, 500 mA beam current third-generation synchrotron accelerator will have a total of seven insertion device beam lines at day 1 after commissioning. That is, there will be one 2 × EPU48, five IU22 and one U5 undulator beamline. Corresponding front end components such as fixed masks, photon beam position monitor, photon absorber, slits and heavy metal shutter have been designed; manufacturing of these subsystems are on the way. Several prototype assemblies are completed, tested and will be reported in this paper.

An instrument for X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) based on perfect crystal Bragg optics was recently commissioned at beam line ID26 of the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility). The spectrometer is used to record high-energy resolution fluorescence-detected X-ray absorption spectra with sub-lifetime resolution and to perform resonant and non-resonant XES. The hard X-ray probe is material bulk sensitive and allows demanding sample environments (in situ chemistry, high pressure, etc.). Spectrometers for XES are being installed or designed at almost all upcoming synchrotron radiation sources worldwide. The particularity of the ID26 spectrometer is to accommodate five analyser crystals with exact Rowland tracking in the vertical plane and with crystals radii between 0.5 and 2 m.The main upgrade of the new version of this large instrument (3 tonnes, overall size 2.5 m and height 3 m) is to allow the change of the scattering angle over the range 0–180°. This involves rotating the entire spectrometer around a vertical axis that passes through the sample. In order to optimize the vibration stability of the spectrometer's structure, we chose to support the structure in multiple points and not only on three (kinematic mount) like it is specified to do with air pads. According to this choice, we have developed special foot holders for air pads.The calculations during the design phase have shown that we can obtain a first modal frequency of the spectrometer's structure at more than 30 Hz. To confirm our predictive calculations, we have performed some vibration measurements.

We present preliminary reflection extended X-ray absorption fine structure results on reactive magnetron sputtering molybdenum nitride (MoN) layered samples, with different compositions and surface layer thickness. The results obtained over a wide range of incidence angles show significant differences between two samples where the outer layer is either Mo metal or MoN.

Since 2007, we have offered single collimators for mini beams of sizes 5, 10 and 20 µm as well as a 300 µm scatter-guard to accommodate the fully focused beam. The advantages of varying the beam size were obvious, better signal/background ratio and the capability to raster with a coarse, larger beam, then fine tune with one of the mini-beam options. The mini beams proved to be a technical and popular success; however, the switching of the single collimators often involved staff intervention. The single mini-beam collimators were the precursors to the development of a triple collimator. This implementation incorporated two mini-beam collimators and a 300 µm scatter-guard on one post. The design was improved by consolidation of fabrication from a single piece of molybdenum block. It significantly improved the robustness, ease of initial alignment, reduction of background and increased automation. However, experimenters were still left with a choice of either a (5, 10 and 300 µm)- or a (10, 20 and 300 µm)-triple collimator. Recently, a quad collimator was developed and fabricated to provide a selection of mini beams of 5, 10 and 20 µm and a 300 µm scatter-guard, on a single post. We will present the mechanical design of multi-collimators, results of measured beam flux through the collimator pinholes.

Within the framework of a wide study of pieces of cultural heritage from the Andalusian baroque period, synchrotron radiation techniques were used to characterize the metallic parts of mirrors and musical organ pipes. By using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) with micrometre resolution information was obtained which was relevant either in the conservation or in the identification of these pieces. By monitoring with micro X-ray diffraction (μXRD) the degradation process of the amalgam of the mirrors, the evolution of the corrosion products could be followed. The identification and distribution of trace elements of tin and lead phases forming the organ metal pipes was carried out with the aid of micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF). This technique allowed for the quantification of the elemental distributions in the major and minor components, knowledge useful to improve the manufacture of modern musical organs.

In the diffraction community, the goniometer is the main part of the diffractometer, essential for orienting the samples. To characterize the goniometer, the sphere of confusion (SoC) has been measured. The SoC describes the minimal sphere that enclosed the measurements. This essential information is very important for the diffractometer users. In collaboration with Symetrie Inc., Soleil Synchrotron and the CEA, the SoC has been measured with three different metrology methods. These three measurement techniques and the associated results are discussed in this article.

I13L is a 250 m long hard X-ray beamline (6–30 keV) currently under construction at the Diamond Light Source. The beamline comprises two independent experimental endstations: one for imaging in direct space using X-ray microscopy and one for imaging in reciprocal space using coherent diffraction-based imaging techniques. This paper will discuss the coherence branch, where well-defined coherence properties and preservation of the coherent flux are important. We will demonstrate the impact of optical components and stability onto the beamline performance, using phase-space-based ray-tracing techniques. The implications onto the beamline design will be demonstrated using our in-house build quadruple crystal monochromator as an example.

The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory is developing a low-emittance thermionic gun for a proposed X-ray free-electron laser oscillator (XFEL-O) that will use a laser pulse-heated cathode. The cathode must operate at or slightly above 1500 °C for several nanoseconds and then cool down several hundred °C in approximately the same amount of time, with a 1-MHz heating–cooling cycle. A transient thermal analysis was performed to optimize the laser pulse shape needed to provide the desired temperature response of the cathode for several possible cathode materials. In addition, thermal stresses developed in the cathode during heating–cooling cycles were analysed. Both transient thermal analysis and thermal stress computations were performed using the ANSYS12 code. The computed temperature distribution and thermal stresses were utilized in the optimization of the cathode design. The results of the analysis are presented.

Kyushu University has installed the hard X-ray beamline, BL06, at bending magnet source of SAGA Light Source in Japan. It is designed for X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments. The X-ray energy covered by the beamline ranges from 2.1 to 23 keV using a Si(111) flat double-crystal monochromator. Two bent cylindrical-type focusing mirrors are used, each with a different focal point. They are set in the optics section and can be used independently. One of the mirrors has a focal distance of 6 m, which corresponds to the sample stage for XAFS experiments, while the second mirror focuses at 10 m, corresponding to the detector for the SAXS experiments. The photon flux measured by the ion chamber at mirror focal point is 1010 phs/s. The experimental hutch houses the detection equipment for both XAFS and SAXS. For XAFS studies, a set of ion chambers for transmission mode and a Lytle detector and a Si drift detector for fluorescence yield mode are available. For SAXS studies, the camera pass length can be chosen from 0.5 to 2.5 m with 0.5 m increments in between, and an image plate is operated as signal detector. The beamline will be opened for user operation around summer 2010.

The main foot bridge provides access to linac, booster and storage ring facilities in the synchrotron of Diamond Light Source. The impact of the passage of pedestrian traffic and equipment across the bridge structure was noticeable to the site of beamlines below. One of them, I20, is the most sensitive beamline to such impact. The bridge obviously oscillated with even light traffic, and it was also assumed that this would couple to the storage ring structure where the bridge is mounted. The optics for beamline I20, for stability, stands directly on the slab within the I20 experimental area; this was however subject to excessive vibration transmitted by foot traffic from the overhead footbridge producing a vibration on the experimental floor of 86 nm whereas elsewhere in the experimental hall experiences only about 20 nm, demonstrating a four times increase in vibration caused by the pedestrian bridge. Vibration measurements on the ground underneath the bridge and finite element analyses clearly show that frequencies of 2 and 5 Hz were caused by the bridge and traffic on it. Several remedies were proposed. However, dampers will only damp out vibrations of around 5–6 Hz but not to damp out 2 Hz, which is caused directly by human foot steps. After investigation of cost and effectiveness and several vibration tests conducted, a compromise with extra propping at the mid-span of the bridge was eventually selected. Such reinforcement has been now implemented. The 5 Hz frequency has been successfully removed and a amplitude of 2 Hz also considerably reduced.

A new X-ray absorption cell dedicated to in situ and operando experiments in heterogeneous catalysis has been built and tested. It allows measurement of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectra in transmission mode under the flow of various gas mixtures at elevated temperatures (600°C) and pressures (50 bar). The working conditions are representative of phenomena that take place in fixed bed reactors.