Characterization of a piezo bendable X-ray mirror

Area of Science:

• Optics and optical devices
• Materials science
• X-ray instrumentation

Background:

• Development of advanced optical components is crucial for next-generation light sources like the European XFEL.
• Bendable mirrors are essential for focusing and shaping X-ray beams in high-resolution experiments.
• Characterization of prototype components ensures performance and reliability before full-scale implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize a full-scale prototype piezo bendable mirror designed for an offset mirror application at the European XFEL.
• To evaluate the performance and identify potential issues of the piezo bendable mirror system.
• To provide data for optimizing the design and manufacturing of future X-ray mirrors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a nanometer optical component measuring machine for mirror profile characterization.
• Employed a large-aperture Fizeau interferometer to assess mirror performance.
• Investigated specific performance aspects including junction effects, hysteresis, twisting, and reproducibility.

Main Results:

• The mirror profile and influence functions were successfully characterized.
• Analysis provided insights into the junction effect between piezo elements and the mirror substrate.
• Hysteresis, twisting, and reproducibility of the piezo bendable mirror were quantified.

Conclusions:

• The characterized piezo bendable mirror prototype demonstrates key performance metrics relevant to XFEL applications.
• Understanding of junction effects and other performance parameters is vital for mirror optimization.
• This study contributes to the advancement of high-precision optics for advanced scientific facilities.