Regular User Operation Research Articles

The new small-angle X-ray scattering beamline for materials research at PETRA III: SAXSMAT beamline P62.

The SAXSMAT beamline P62 (Small-Angle X-ray Scattering beamline for Materials Research) is a new beamline at the high-energy storage ring PETRA III at DESY. This beamline is dedicated to combined small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) techniques for both soft and hard condensed matter systems. It works mainly in transmission geometry. The beamline covers an energy range from 3.5 keV to 35.0 keV, which fulfills the requirements of the user community to perform anomalous scattering experiments. Mirrors are used to reduce the intensity of higher harmonics. Furthermore, the mirrors and 2D compound refracting lenses can focus the beam down to a few micrometres at the sample position. This option with the high photon flux enables also SAXS/WAXS tensor tomography experiments to be performed at this new beamline in a relatively short time. The first SAXS/WAXS pattern was collected in August 2021, while the first user experiment was carried out two months later. Since January 2022 the beamline has been in regular user operation mode. In this paper the beamline optics and the SAXS/WAXS instrument are described and two examples are briefly shown.

Experimental station Bernina at SwissFEL: condensed matter physics on femtosecond time scales investigated by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods.

The Bernina instrument at the SwissFEL Aramis hard X-ray free-electron laser is designed for studying ultrafast phenomena in condensed matter and material science. Ultrashort pulses from an optical laser system covering a large wavelength range can be used to generate specific non-equilibrium states, whose subsequent temporal evolution can be probed by selective X-ray scattering techniques in the range 2-12 keV. For that purpose, the X-ray beamline is equipped with optical elements which tailor the X-ray beam size and energy, as well as with pulse-to-pulse diagnostics that monitor the X-ray pulse intensity, position, as well as its spectral and temporal properties. The experiments can be performed using multiple interchangeable endstations differing in specialization, diffractometer and X-ray analyser configuration and load capacity for specialized sample environment. After testing the instrument in a series of pilot experiments in 2018, regular user operation begins in 2019.

The MX beamlines BL14.1-3 at BESSY II

The Macromolecular Crystallography (MX) group at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) is operating three state-of-the-art synchrotron beamlines for MX at BESSY II in Berlin (Heinemann et al., 2003; Mueller et al., 2012, 2015). The radiation source for all three beamlines BL14.1-3 is a superconducting 7T-wavelength shifter. Currently, the three beam lines are the most productive stations for MX in Germany, with about 250 PDB depositions per year and over 1500 PDB depositions in total (Status 10/2015). BL14.1 and BL14.2 are energy tuneable in the range 5.5-15.5 keV, while beam line BL14.3 is a fixed-energy side station operated at 13.8 keV. The HZB-MX beamlines are in regular user operation providing close to 200 beam days per year and about 600 user shifts to approximately 100 research groups across Europe. Additional user facilities include office space adjacent to the beam lines, a sample preparation laboratory, a biology laboratory (safety level 1) and high-end computing resources.

A small and robust active beamstop for scattering experiments on high-brilliance undulator beamlines.

A small active in-vacuum beamstop has been developed to monitor the flux of intense third-generation synchrotron X-ray beams protecting the downstream detector from the direct beam. Standard active beamstops, where a built-in diode directly absorbs the beam, have limitations in size and lifetime. In the present design, a silicon PIN diode detects the photons back-scattered from a cavity in the beamstop. This approach drastically reduces the radiation dose on the diode and thus increases its lifetime. The beamstop with a diameter of 2 mm has been fabricated to meet the requirements for the P12 bioSAXS beamline of EMBL Hamburg at PETRA III (DESY). The beamstop is in regular user operation at the beamline and displays a good response over the range of energies tested (6-20 keV). Further miniaturization of the diode is easily possible as its size is not limited by the PIN diode used.

Facilities for Macromolecular Crystallography at the HZB

The Macromolecular Crystallography (MX) group at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has been in operation since 2003. Since then, three state-of-the-art synchrotron beam lines (BL14.1-3) for MX have been built up on a 7T-wavelength shifter source [1,2]. Currently, the three beam lines represent the most productive MX-stations in Germany, with more than 1100 PDB depositions (Status 02/2014). BLs14.1 and 14.2 are energy tuneable in the range 5.5-15.5 keV, while beam line 14.3 is a fixed-energy side station operated at 13.8 keV. All three beam lines are equipped with state-of-the-art detectors: BL14.1 with a PILATUS 6M detector and BLs14.2 and 14.3 with large CCD-detectors. BL14.1 and BL14.2 are in regular user operation providing about 200 beam days per year and about 600 user shifts to approximately 70 research groups across Europe. BL14.3 has been equipped with a HC1 crystal dehydration device in 2011. In addition to serving the user community mainly as a screening and test beam line, it is currently the only MX beamline in Europe with a HC1 device permanently installed. Additional user facilities include office space adjacent to the beam lines, a sample preparation laboratory, a biology laboratory (safety level 1) and high-end computing resources. On the poster, a summary on the experimental possibilities of the beam lines and the ancillary equipment provided to the user community will be given.

Operational Status of PF-Ring and PF-AR after the Earthquake

In 2011, two SR sources of KEK, PF-ring and PF-AR, needed to change the operation schedule because of the unprecedented earthquake on March 11. Though the injector linac and the storage rings suffered a serious damage, temporary recovery was accomplished quickly and the trial operation started in May. The regular user operation could be resumed in October 2011. In the restoration work after the earthquake, some old vacuum components were removed from PF-ring. This work fortunately brought an effect of settling the quadrupole-mode longitudinal instability. For the top-up injection of PF-ring, the pulsed sextupole magnet has been used instead of the conventional kicker magnets since 2011. The hybrid-fill mode in place of the single-bunch mode has become available. Recently, the 10-Hz orbit switching for the tandem circularly polarized undulators has been developed for the user operation.

IR beamline at the Swiss Light Source

The infrared beamline at the Swiss light source uses dipole radiation and is designed to transport light to four experimental stations, A, B, C, D. Branch A is dedicated to far IR work in vacuum; branch B is a micro-spectrometer; branch C is dedicated to high resolution spectroscopy in the gas phase; branch D is a pump and probe set-up. This contribution describes the optical layout and provides a brief survey of currently available experimental stations. The beamline is in regular user operation since 2009.

Facilities for macromolecular crystallography at theHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.

Three macromolecular crystallography (MX) beamlines at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) are available for the regional, national and international structural biology user community. The state-of-the-art synchrotron beamlines for MX BL14.1, BL14.2 and BL14.3 are located within the low-β section of the BESSY II electron storage ring. All beamlines are fed from a superconducting 7 T wavelength-shifter insertion device. BL14.1 and BL14.2 are energy tunable in the range 5-16 keV, while BL14.3 is a fixed-energy side station operated at 13.8 keV. All three beamlines are equipped with CCD detectors. BL14.1 and BL14.2 are in regular user operation providing about 200 beam days per year and about 600 user shifts to approximately 50 research groups across Europe. BL14.3 has initially been used as a test facility and was brought into regular user mode operation during the year 2010. BL14.1 has recently been upgraded with a microdiffractometer including a mini-κ goniometer and an automated sample changer. Additional user facilities include office space adjacent to the beamlines, a sample preparation laboratory, a biology laboratory (safety level 1) and high-end computing resources. In this article the instrumentation of the beamlines is described, and a summary of the experimental possibilities of the beamlines and the provided ancillary equipment for the user community is given.

Current capabilities at the Metrology Light Source

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) has set up the 630 MeV electron storage ring Metrology Light Source (MLS) in close cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB). This electron storage ring has been in regular user operation since April 2008. It is dedicated to synchrotron-radiation-based metrology and technological developments in the far-IR/THz, IR, UV, VUV and EUV spectral ranges, with the use as primary source standard as the key activity. In a permanent process of improvement, the storage ring itself was optimized regarding its regular performance (beam current and lifetime) as well as for special operations (e.g. variable electron energies and electron bunch lengths). The measurement capabilities at the seven different beamline ports were set up sequentially, first in the UV/VUV and IR spectral ranges. This first phase of instrumentation set-up will be finished in 2011 by completing the beamlines for EUV metrology, for the calibration of radiation sources and for the application of undulator radiation.

Status of the metrology light source

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the German national metrology institute, has set up in close cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB, formerly BESSY) the 630 MeV electron storage ring metrology light source (MLS). This electron storage ring is in regular user operation since April 2008 and is dedicated to synchrotron-radiation-based metrology and technological developments in the far-IR/THz, IR, UV, VUV and EUV spectral range. Of special importance for PTB is the operation of the MLS as a primary radiation source standard from the near IR up to the soft X-ray region. Moreover, as a dedicated THz source the MLS can be operated in a special mode for the generation of short electron bunches. In this mode, the MLS delivers coherent radiation in the far-IR/THz spectral range with enhanced intensity as compared to the normal mode of operation. Several beamlines are in operation or in construction, including one undulator beamline, bending magnet beamlines for the calibration of radiation sources and detectors, an EUV metrology beamline and several IR/THz beamlines.

Phase Contrast Micro-Computed Tomography of Biological Sample at SSRF

In line X-ray phase contrast micro-computed tomography (IL-XPCT), which can be implemented at third generation synchrotron radiation sources or by using a micro-focus X-ray tube, is a powerful technique for non-destructive, high-resolution investigations of a broad variety of materials. At the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), the X-ray Imaging and Biomedical Applications Beamline was built and started regular user operation in May 2009. Both qualitative (without phase retrieval) and quantitative (with phase retrieval) three-dimensional IL-XPCT experimental techniques have been established at the beamline. IL-XPCT experiments of a test sample (plastic pipes) used to evaluate the technique, and of a biological sample (locust) at the beamline are reported. Two series of images, qualitative and quantitative, including tomographic slices and three-dimensional rendering images were obtained. In qualitative images, there is a strong edge-enhancement which leads to very clear sample contours, while in quantitative images, the edge-enhancement fades but quantitative measurement of sample's phase information could be achieved. The experiments demonstrate that the combination of qualitative and quantitative images is useful for biological sample studies.

Facility update: Diamond Light Source Welcomes its First Users

In January 2007 Diamond became the most recent third generation synchrotron light source to go into operation. Following a first call for proposals in November, it is currently welcoming experienced users to carry out experiments as part of the beamline optimization process before regular user operation begins later in the year. Table 1 lists the main parameters of Diamond's accelerators.

The INE-Beamline for actinide research at ANKA

The Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung (INE) at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK), Germany, has constructed and is operating a beamline at the synchrotron source ANKA dedicated to actinide speciation investigations related to nuclear waste disposal as well as applied and basic actinide research. Experiments on nuclides not suited as nuclear fuel with activities up to 106 times the limit of exemption inside a safe and flexible containment concept are now possible. The design is for a multi-purpose beamline, i.e., a number of methods (XAFS, surface sensitive and spatially resolved techniques) are envisaged on one and the same sample, with X-ray energies from 2472 eV (SK edge) to 23220 eV (RhK edge). The commissioning of the INE-Beamline was officially completed in September 2005 and meanwhile regular user operation has been started. Here we present a description of this new facility and examples for X-ray absorption studies on actinides and homologues performed during the beamline commissioning phase.