Beamlines

• ID17 - "Bio-Medical Beamline"
• ID19 - "Topography & Tomography Beamline"
• ID21 - "X-ray Microscopy & Microanalysis Beamline"
• ID22 -"Micro-Fluorescence-Imaging-Diffraction Beamline"
• ID18F - "Microanalysis End-Station"
• BM05 - "Optics Beamline"

Synopsis

X-ray imaging techniques (such as absorption, phase contrast, diffraction, fluorescence) have advanced considerably over the past few years. This is particularly true for the ESRF, where an association of optimal source characteristics with new detectors and computers has opened up new areas of research in addition to improvements in existing techniques. These developments can be characterised using keywords such as "three-dimensional", "high spatial resolution", "coherent beams", "in-situ", "real-time", and "combination of techniques". The main goals of the X-ray Imaging Group are the enhancement of these techniques, and their application to a range of topics including physical, medical, materials science and engineering subjects. New subject areas like geophysical, environmental, archaeological, paleontological and biological studies are constantly appearing.

The facilities associated with the group are five beamlines (two of them including additional end-stations) and laboratories. ID17 and ID19 are "long" (about 150 m) beamlines to take advantage of a wide, homogeneous and coherent beam, in the 6-120 keV range.

ID17 covers various aspects of the SR-based biomedical research. The coupling of diagnostic and functional imaging with radiation therapy constitutes the main theme at the moment. Essential to this work are the close collaboration with local and European Hospital teams, and the efficient use of the ESRF Biomedical Facility.

The main techniques at ID19 are microtomography, which provides three-dimensional images and is increasingly applied to a wide variety of topics, and diffraction imaging (X-ray topography), which reveals inhomogeneities in single crystals. SR microtomography is moving towards higher spatial resolution (now in the 0.5-1 µm range), quantitative analysis, and the intensive use of phase contrast. A new "nano-imaging" station is being built on ID22 (ID22NI) to push further the spatial resolution limits, well beyond the 100 nm.

The neighbouring "microscopy and microanalysis" beamlines ID21 ("low energy" 2-7 keV), ID22 ("high energy" 7-60 keV) and ID18F end station (6- 28 keV) are complementary. Various techniques including tomography, fluorescence, absorption spectroscopy, and diffraction, can be combined for two or three-dimensional microanalysis on the same sample. An infrared microscopy end-station is currently under development to extend the range of microanalysis techniques.

BM05 has now, in addition to the various instruments allowing the characterisation of X-ray optic elements (lenses, mirrors, multilayers, crystals –including diamonds-), a microtomographic setup well adapted for the 2-6 µm pixel size range. The possibility of performing X-ray topography experiments is being implemented.

Associated Facilities

A number of small sample preparation laboratories and facilities are available to the community. Of particular interest is the Biomedical facility, which allows pre-clinical trials going from cells to small animals.

Other Beamlines Performing Connected Work

ID13 (microdiffraction); ID15A (microtomography at high energies (>60 keV)).