Experimental Technique

Ptychographic Coherent Diffraction Imaging (Ptychography)

Scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM)

Low-energy x-ray fluorescence (LE-XRF)

Spectro-microscopy 

TEM-compatible imaging

Beamline optics

Overview

The beamline is sourced by an elliptically polarizing undulator (EPU46). A plane mirror (M1) collects the diverging beam from the undulator and deflects it by 2° to reduce heat load and filter out high energy X-rays. The monochromator is a Plane Grating Monochromator (PGM), consisting a plane mirror (M2) and three different variable-line-spacing (VLS) gratings optimized for varied energy ranges, revolving powers and photon fluxes. The monochromator energy-disperses the X-ray, which is then focused vertically by the VLS gratings. The monochromatized X-ray beam is horizontal focused the ellipsoidal mirror (M3) to the exist slit. At the endstation, the X-ray beam is refocused using a zone plate (ZP) to some specific size (such as 25, 45, 70, 100 nm) for the experiments.

Key Performance

Experimental Endstation

Key Performance

Overview

An endstation designed for soft X-ray spectro-nanoscopy, integrates multiple techniques and operational modes, incorporating piezoelectric stages and a laser interferometer. 

Techniques: Ptychography, STXM, LE-XRF

Operation modes: 2D/3D imaging; TEM compatible 3D cryogenic imaging

Detectors: sCMOS, PD/APD, 4 channel-SDD, channeltron

Science

To investigate the inhomogeneous distribution of chemical elements with different valence states, and to reveal non-uniform orientations of electron bonds and spins. 

Scope1：

To capture static and dynamic images of ion transfer and valence evolution in energy and catalysis processes, such as the dynamic evolution of the electrode-electrolyte interface layer in all-solid-state batteries during fabrication and operation.

Scope2：

To perform tomography on composite materials composed by light elements using spectral imaging with element-, valence- or polarization-dependent X-ray resonant scattering. Examples include analyzing the morphology of semiconductor hetero-junctions in organic photovoltaic, artificial skin, etc.

Scope3：

To enable high-contrast and high-resolution imaging of frozen biological cells within the soft X-ray water window. Multimodal imaging combined with SEM, TEM and  Super-Resolution Fluorescence Imaging.

People

Useful Link

Related beamlines:

https://sm.lightsource.ca/

https://als.lbl.gov/beamlines/7-0-1-2/

https://www.maxiv.lu.se/beamlines-accelerators/beamlines/softimax/

https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/pubbin/igama_output?modus=einzel&sprache=en&gid=1884

https://www.elettra.eu/elettra-beamlines/twinmic.html

https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Instruments/Imaging-and-Microscopy/I08.html