Enhancing high-energy powder X-ray diffraction applications using a PILATUS4 CdTe detector

Hybrid photon counting detectors have significantly advanced synchrotron research. In particular, the introduction of large cadmium telluride-based detectors in 2015 enabled a whole new range of high-energy X-ray measurements. This article describes the specifications of the new PILATUS4 cadmium telluride detector and presents results from prototype testing for high-energy powder X-ray diffraction studies conducted at two synchrotrons. The experiments concern time-resolved in situ solid-state reactions at MAX IV (Sweden) and fast-scanning X-ray diffraction computed tomography of a battery cell at the ESRF (France). The detector's high quantum efficiency up to 100 keV, combined with a maximum frame rate of 4000 Hz, enables fast data collection. This study demonstrates how these capabilities contribute to improved time and spatial resolution in high-energy powder X-ray diffraction studies, facilitating advancements in materials, chemical and energy research.