High Flux Single Crystal Diffraction

High flux single crystal diffraction is used for single crystal analysis and alignment.

The single crystal diffraction laboratory, in the Department of Physics, is equipped with a Bruker FR591 rotating anode x-ray generator that is focussed to a 1.2mm x 1.2mm beam with a single Xenocs FOX3D optic.

This relatively large beam is used for maximising the signal from single crystal (typically metal oxide samples) of variable quality. The x-ray source is used with a triple 4 circle Huber Eulerian cradle diffractometer with a 1.7 - 300K cryostat. High resolution diffraction is provided using either an asymmetric germanium double bounce or a silicon triple bounce analyser. The cryostat is equipped with an exchange gas stage for accurate temperature analysis and the ability to apply 1kV across the sample for ferroelectric characterisation.

The system is optimised for accurate determination of structural phase transitions, and alignment of samples prior to synchrotron x-ray experiments.