A reaction cell for ambient pressure soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) is crucial for material characterization.
• Traditional XAS requires ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environments, limiting in-situ measurements.
• Developing ambient pressure techniques is essential for studying real-world material conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a new experimental setup for soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy at ambient pressure.
• To demonstrate compatibility with UHV synchrotron beamlines.
• To enable fast and high-quality XAS measurements on diverse samples under atmospheric conditions.

Main Methods:

• Designed an ambient pressure XAS cell sealed with ultrathin Si3N4 membranes.
• Integrated the cell into a UHV synchrotron beamline end station.
• Utilized Total Electron Yield (TEY) detection via sample drain current measurement.
• Incorporated a permanent magnet for X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) measurements.

Main Results:

• Successfully recorded fast XAS spectra (seconds) with high signal/noise ratio.
• Demonstrated capability for insulating and atmospheric-exposed samples.
• Achieved compatibility with UHV synchrotron environments.
• Enabled ambient pressure XMCD measurements.

Conclusions:

• The new setup enables rapid, in-situ XAS and XMCD analysis at ambient pressure.
• This technique expands the applicability of XAS for studying materials under realistic conditions.
• The design offers a versatile tool for surface science and materials characterization.