ID16A-NI is a 185 m long beamline providing nano-focused beams for analytical imaging. The nano-imaging beamline addresses problems in biology, biomedicine, materials science and nano-technology using X-ray fluorescence microscopy and X-ray nano-tomography.
Designed for quantitative three dimensional characterization of the morphology and the elemental composition of specimens at the nanoscale, the ID16A beamline is optimized for coherent hard X-ray imaging and X-ray fluorescence microscopy. It offers extreme focusing down to 13 nm with a very high photon flux (up to 1012 photons/s at ΔE/E~1%). The beamline can operate at two discrete energies, 17 keV and 33.6 keV, well suited for applications in biomedicine, materials science and nanotechnology. Two coherent imaging techniques, X-ray holographic and ptychographic tomography, provide the distribution of the electron density through phase contrast at length scales ranging from ~130 nm down to ~10 nm, while keeping a relatively large field of view. Complementary, X ray fluorescence microscopy delivers label-free, highly efficient trace element quantification with detection limits down to subppm level. Additionally, correlative imaging is routinely performed by combining phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy.
The endstation operates under vacuum either at room temperature or under cryogenic conditions to preserve the biological samples close to their native hydrated state and slow down radiation damage effects.