Polished diamond X-ray lenses

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Physics

Background:

• Advancements in X-ray optics are crucial for high-resolution imaging and analysis.
• Beryllium lenses are a commercial standard but have limitations.
• Diamond lenses offer potential for superior optical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize high-quality bi-concave 2D focusing diamond X-ray lenses.
• To compare the performance of diamond lenses with commercial beryllium lenses.
• To evaluate figure errors, focusing capabilities, and scattering properties.

Main Methods:

• Laser ablation and mechanical polishing for diamond lens fabrication.
• X-ray speckle tracking for measuring figure errors.
• Wire scans and out-of-focus beam profiling for focal plane analysis.
• Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for evaluating material properties.

Main Results:

• Diamond lenses with R = 100 µm were produced with improved figure errors after polishing.
• Figure errors of polished diamond lenses are comparable to commercial R = 50 µm beryllium lenses.
• Focal plane beam sizes for diamond lenses are similar to beryllium lenses.
• Polished diamond lenses exhibit significantly lower SAXS signals than beryllium lenses.

Conclusions:

• Laser-ablated and polished diamond X-ray lenses demonstrate performance comparable to commercial beryllium lenses.
• Diamond lenses present a viable alternative with reduced scattering, beneficial for certain X-ray applications.
• Further optimization of diamond lens fabrication could enhance their widespread adoption in X-ray focusing.