Diffractive-refractive optics in the Laue case: first experiment.

Area of Science:

• X-ray optics and instrumentation
• Condensed matter physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Synchrotron radiation sources produce intense X-rays crucial for various scientific fields.
• Efficient focusing of synchrotron radiation is essential for high-resolution experiments.
• Traditional focusing optics have limitations in achieving desired focal properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate sagittal focusing of synchrotron radiation.
• To investigate the use of an asymmetric Laue crystal with profiled surfaces for focusing.
• To evaluate the feasibility of this novel approach for X-ray optics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a silicon single crystal with two parallel cylindrical holes as an asymmetric Laue crystal.
• Diffracted 15.35 keV synchrotron radiation in the space between the holes.
• Configured the crystal with hole axes at 7.95 degrees to the (111) diffracting planes.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated the possibility of sagittally focusing synchrotron radiation.
• Observed a sagittally convergent diffracted beam, confirming the focusing effect.
• The experiment was conducted at beamline BM05 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF).

Conclusions:

• The asymmetric Laue crystal with profiled surfaces is a viable method for sagittal focusing.
• This technique offers a new avenue for developing advanced X-ray optics.
• Further experiments are needed to fully characterize the focal properties and optimize the crystal design.