The Hard X-ray Nanoprobe beamline at Diamond Light Source

The Hard X-ray Nanoprobe beamline, I14, at Diamond Light Source is a new facility for nanoscale microscopy. The beamline was designed with an emphasis on multi-modal analysis, providing elemental mapping, speciation mapping by XANES, structural phase mapping using nano-XRD and imaging through differential phase contrast and ptychography. The 185 m-long beamline operates over a 5 keV to 23 keV energy range providing a <= 50 nm beam size for routine user experiments and a flexible scanning system allowing fast acquisition. The beamline achieves robust and stable operation by imaging the source in the vertical direction and implementing horizontally deflecting primary optics and an overfilled secondary source in the horizontal direction. This paper describes the design considerations, optical layout, aspects of the hardware engineering and scanning system in operation as well as some examples illustrating the beamline performance.

Automated summary

The Hard X-ray Nanoprobe beamline, I14, at Diamond Light Source is a new facility designed for nanoscale microscopy, offering multi-modal analysis capabilities including elemental mapping, speciation mapping, structural phase mapping, and imaging. Operating in the 5 keV to 23 keV energy range, the 185 m-long beamline provides a <= 50 nm beam size and flexible scanning system for routine user experiments. Achieving robust and stable operation through innovative design and engineering, the beamline showcases high performance in nanoscale microscopy applications.