Diamond nanofocusing refractive X-ray lenses made by planar etching technology

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Refractive lenses are crucial optical components.
• Polycrystalline diamond offers unique properties for advanced applications.
• Developing novel fabrication methods for diamond optics is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the manufacturing process of a polycrystalline diamond refractive lens.
• To present the initial experimental results of this novel lens.
• To evaluate the performance of diamond-based refractive optics.

Main Methods:

• Electron-beam lithography for precise patterning.
• Deep reactive ion etching for high-aspect-ratio structures.
• Experimental testing at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) beamline ID13.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of a refractive lens from polycrystalline diamond.
• Achieved a focused spot size of 360 nm (Full Width at Half Maximum).
• Demonstrated performance at a high energy of 24.3 keV.

Conclusions:

• The described fabrication process is effective for creating diamond refractive lenses.
• The achieved spot size indicates high focusing capability.
• Polycrystalline diamond is a viable material for high-energy refractive optics.