Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Workflow and Tools for Crystallographic Fragment Screening at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
Published on: March 3, 2021
A five-axis parallel kinematic mirror unit for soft X-ray beamlines at MAX IV.
Marcus Agåker1, Frieder Mueller2, Brian Norsk Jensen3
1Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, PO Box 516, SE-75120 Uppsala, Sweden.
New storage rings demand greater mechanical stability for beamline components. An innovative five-axis mirror unit offers high precision, meeting these stringent requirements for soft X-ray applications.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Fourth-generation storage rings with multi-bend achromats achieve higher brightness due to reduced emittance.
- Increased brightness in storage rings leads to smaller beam sizes and narrower radiation cones.
- This necessitates enhanced mechanical stability for beamline components to maintain performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an innovative five-axis parallel kinematic mirror unit for soft X-ray beamlines.
- To evaluate the mechanical stability and positioning accuracy of the developed mirror unit.
- To address the increased demands on mechanical stability in advanced synchrotron light sources.
Main Methods:
- Design and simulation of a five-axis parallel kinematic mirror unit.
- Utilizing off-axis grazing-incidence optics for soft X-ray applications.
- Experimental validation using measurements from the HIPPIE beamline at MAX IV Laboratory.
Main Results:
- The mirror unit exhibits no Eigen frequencies below 90 Hz, ensuring stability.
- Achieved linear positioning accuracy better than 25 nm.
- Demonstrated angular positioning accuracy between 17-35 µrad, dependent on chamber dimensions.
Conclusions:
- The developed five-axis mirror unit meets the stringent mechanical stability requirements for advanced soft X-ray beamlines.
- The innovative design provides high precision positioning crucial for next-generation synchrotron facilities.
- This technology is vital for maintaining beamline performance with increased brightness in fourth-generation storage rings.
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy
Atomic Force Microscopy
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
X-ray Imaging