Monochromators selectively transmit a narrow band of wavelengths of radiation from a broader band of wavelengths for use in a variety of applications and industries. Disclosed is a method and system for fixed-exit angle tunable monochromator. The system includes a first diffraction element configured to reflect an input beam incident on a surface of the first diffraction element. The input beam has an input beam vector and the first diffraction element is rotatable about the input beam vector. The system further includes a second diffraction element configured to reflect the beam as an output beam having a fixed beam exit angle. The beam is incident on a surface of the second diffraction element and the reflected beam has a reflected beam vector. The second diffraction element is rotatable about both the input beam vector and the reflected beam vector.

An instrument for moving and positioning of an optical element in beamlines comprises a mounting structure to which one (or more) optical element(s) is mounted, as well as a reference structure, in relation to which the mounting structure is moved by means of a moving means of low (or close to zero) mechanical stiffness and in relation to which the position of the mounting structure is metered by means of a high-resolution interferometer. The invention proposes that the instrument also comprises a balance mass for receiving the reaction force from the moving means of the mounting structure, and both the mounting structure and the balance mass are attached to the reference structure by spring means, with specific stiffness properties, allowing the positioning control of the mounting structure to be done by a control system with main feedback loop with high bandwidth (>100 Hz). In order to allow for a broader range of movement between the mounting structure and the reference structure, by means of a cascaded movement, the instrument may further comprise an intermediate structure attached to the reference structure, also preferably by spring means with specific stiffness properties, the complementary structure receiving the mounting structure and the balance mass in place of the reference structure. Such an instrument may be embodied in a new-generation synchrotron light source beamline mounted double-crystal monochromator, being sufficient for this that the spring means to be conveniently chosen, the reference structure to have a main rotation in relation to the incident beam, and in addition to the crystal mounted to the mounting structure, a complementary crystal to be mounted to the complementary mounting structure rigidly attached to the reference structure.

An X-ray fluorescence analyzer system including an X-ray tube, a slurry handling unit, and a crystal diffractor located in a first direction from the slurry handling unit. The crystal diffractor separates a predefined wavelength range from fluorescent X-rays that propagate into the first direction, and directs the fluorescent X-rays in the separated predefined wavelength range to a radiation detector. The crystal diffractor includes a pyrolytic graphite crystal. The predefined wavelength range includes characteristic fluorescent radiation of a pre-defined element of interest with its atomic number Z between 41 and 60, the ends included. An energy resolution of the radiation detector is better than 600 eV at the energy of the characteristic fluorescent radiation.

A method includes simulating diffraction in a transmission geometry of relativistic electron bunches from a crystallographic structure of a crystal thereby simulating diffraction of the relativistic electron bunches into a plurality of Bragg peaks. The method includes selecting a range of angles between a direction of propagation of the relativistic electron bunches and a normal direction of crystal including an angle at which a diffraction portion is maximized. The method includes sequentially accelerating a plurality of physical electron bunches to relativistic energies toward a physical crystal having the crystallographic structure and diffracting the plurality of physical electron bunches off the physical crystal at different angles and measuring the diffraction portion into the respective Bragg peak at the different angles. The method includes selecting a final angle based on the measured diffraction portion into the respective Bragg peak at the different angles and generating a pulse of light.

An X-ray fluorescence analyzer includes an X-ray tube for emitting incident X-rays in the direction of a first optical axis. A slurry handling unit is configured to maintain a constant distance between a sample of slurry and the X-ray tube. A first crystal diffractor is located in a first direction from the slurry handling unit and configured to separate a predefined first wavelength range from fluorescent X-rays that propagate into the first direction. The first crystal diffractor is configured to direct the fluorescent X-rays in the separated predefined first wavelength range to a first radiation detector. The first crystal diffractor includes a pyrolytic graphite crystal that has a diffractive surface, which is a simply connected surface. The first radiation detector is a solid-state semiconductor detector.

An X-ray fluorescence analyzer comprises an X-ray tube for emitting incident X-rays in the direction of a first optical axis. A slurry handling unit is configured to maintain a constant distance between a sample of slurry and the X-ray tube. A first crystal diffractor is located in a first direction from the slurry handling unit, and configured to separate a predefined first wavelength range from fluorescent X-rays that propagate into the first direction. It is configured to direct the fluorescent X-rays in the separated predefined first wavelength range to a first radiation detector. The input power rating of said X-ray tube is at least 400 watts. The first crystal diffractor comprises a pyrolytic graphite crystal. The optical path between said X-ray tube and the slurry handling unit is direct with no diffractor therebetween.

An X-ray fluorescence analyzer including an X-ray tube for emitting incident X-rays in the direction of a first optical axis. A slurry handling unit is configured to maintain a constant distance between a sample of slurry and the X-ray tube. A first crystal diffractor is located in a first direction from the slurry handling unit. The first crystal diffractor includes a first crystal and a first radiation detector configured to detect fluorescent X-rays diffracted by the first crystal at a first energy resolution. A second crystal diffractor is located in a second direction from the slurry handling unit. The second crystal diffractor includes a second crystal and a second radiation detector configured to detect fluorescent X-rays diffracted by the second crystal at a second energy resolution. The first crystal is a pyrolytic graphite crystal, the second crystal is of a material other than pyrolytic graphite, and the first and second crystal diffractors are configured to direct to their respective radiation detectors characteristic fluorescent radiation of a same element.

A microelectromechanical device for diffracting optical beams comprises a diffractive element suspended over a channel. The diffractive element is configured to receive an optical beam and diffract and/or transmit the optical beam based on an orientation of the diffractive element. At least one torsional actuator is operatively connected to the diffractive element. The at least one torsional actuator is configured to selectively adjust the orientation of the diffractive element. The diffractive element has a diffractive element resonant frequency that is nearly the same as a resonant frequency of the optical beam.

The present invention relates to a hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) system comprising an X-ray tube, an X-ray monochromator, and a sample. The X-ray tube provides a beam of photons, which via the X-ray monochromator is directed through the system so as to excite electrons from the illuminated sample. The X-ray tube is connected to a monochromator vacuum chamber in which the X-ray monochromator is configured to monochromatize and focus the beam onto the sample. The monochromator vacuum chamber is connected to an analysis vacuum chamber, the illuminated sample being mounted inside the analysis vacuum chamber and the analysis vacuum chamber being connected to an electron energy analyser. The electron energy analyser is mounted onto the analysis vacuum chamber. Further, the beam of photons provided from the X-ray tube is divergent and has an energy above 6 keV. The X-ray monochromator also comprises a curved optical element arranged to both monochromatize and focus the diverging beam of photons.

An example method for aligning a spectrometer is described herein. The spectrometer includes a radiation source, a crystal analyzer, and a detector that are all positioned on an instrument plane. The method includes rotating the crystal analyzer about an axis that is within the instrument plane and perpendicular to a rotation plane such that (i) a reciprocal lattice vector of the crystal analyzer is within the instrument plane or (ii) a component of the reciprocal lattice vector within the rotation plane is perpendicular to the instrument plane. An origin of the reciprocal lattice vector is located on the axis. The method further includes tilting the crystal analyzer or translating the detector such that the reciprocal lattice vector bisects a line segment that is bounded by the detector and the radiation source. Example spectrometers related to the example method are also disclosed.