SESAME
BM02-IR

IR microspectroscopy is a vibrational technique that is non-destructive and which is exhibiting a strong interest at synchrotron facilities. The coupling of this analytical technique with the synchrotron source provides advantages in its brightness/brilliance (about 1000 times brighter) with respect to blackbody source (thermal infrared source), as well as, in its time structure, and its polarisation. Synchrotron infrared beam spans a large wavelengths distribution - covering also the far-IR (or THz region). In the so-called mid-infrared range (2 to 25 µm wavelength) Fourier Transform IR interferometers have proven extremely potential for a variety of research fields – including polymers, surface science, geology, and archaeological materials, as well as, food, plant and biomedical studies – through identification and imaging of IR-active vibrational modes of molecular components at microscopic scale. SR high brightness benefits FTIR microspectroscopy on very small samples with a signal-to-noise ratio unreachable by other broadband sources exploiting the diffraction-limited spatial resolution capacity (as low as 3 to 10µm) in confocal geometry.

The SESAME Infrared beamline came into operation in November 2018 with a reliable capacity to serve users of the Infrared scientific community. It allows the Synchrotron Radiation Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy (SR-µFTIR), using a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) interferometer. The beamline utilizes the Infrared synchrotron radiation from two main emission sources; the constant field (BM) of the bending magnet and the edge radiation (ER).

Beamline Energy Resolution
0.012 [meV]
Beamline Energy Range
0.001 - 3 [eV]
Spot Size On Sample Hor
12 - 25 [mm]
Spot Size On Sample Vert
12 - 25 [mm]
Divergence Hor
39 [mrad]
Divergence Vert
15 [mrad]
Photon Sources

BM D02

Type
Bending Magnet
Endstations or Setup

Standard Endstation

Description
The end station encompasses the 8700 Thermo Scientific© FTIR spectrometer (equipped with CaF2, KBr, and Solid-state beam splitters, and internal DLaTGS detectors of KBr and Polyethylene Windows, in addition to an InGaAs detector for NIR). The spectrometer is coupled to a Thermo Scientific© Nicolet Continuum IR-microscope equipped with 15x and 32x for transmission/reflection, ATR, and grazing incidence angle IR objectives, together with MCT-B and small area MCT-A* detectors. The endstation microscope allows micro-spectroscopic chemical imaging studies, with DIC and fluorescence microscopy capabilities.
Microscopes
Thermo Fisher Optics - Nicolet Continuum: Köhler Illumination for Reflection and Transmission, Brightfield, Darkfield and Polarized Light, Objectives: 15x (0.58 NA), 32x (0.65 NA) installed. The microscope is equipped with DIC (Differential Interference Contrast) Optics; Fluorescence illumination of:
-Wide Band Blue Fluorescence Cube 450-480nm
-Wide Band Green Fluorescence Cube 510-550nm
-Wide Band UV Fluorescence Cube 330-385nm
Spectrometer
Thermo Fisher Optics - 8700 FTIR Spectrometer.
Detectors Available
MCT
DTGS
InGaAs
Endstation Operative
Yes

Sample

Sample Type
Fiber, Liquid
Other Sample Type
Powder, solid, bulk samples

Sample Holders

Type
Different mounting accessories for different types of samples.
Description
-Liquid transmission demountable cell - Spacers of various thicknesses used to vary the cell pathlength (6µm-1000µm);
-Slide-on 15x Si-ATR.
-Grazing Incidence Reflectance;
-Diamond compression cell;
-KBr micro-compression cell;
-Small hydraulic press for KBr pellets (7mm);
-Monolayer Grazing Angle Specular Reflectance Accessory.
Detectors

DTGS

Type
Polyelectric Deuterated Triglycine Sulfate (DTGS) detectors
Description
Spectrometer detectors:
- TE Cooled DLaTGS Detector with KBr Window (12,500-350 cm-1);
- DLaTGS Detector with Polyethylene Window (700-50 cm-1).
Passive or Active (Electronics)
Active

Detection

Detected Particle
Electron

InGaAs

Type
Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) photodiode for near-infrared light detection at room temperature.
Description
Spectrometer detector:
InGaAs detector for NIR (12.000-3.800 cm-1).
Passive or Active (Electronics)
Active

Detection

Detected Particle
Electron

MCT

Type
Photoconductive Mercury Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe) LN2 cooled detector.
Description
Microscope detectors:
- 50um MCT-A Detector;
- MCT-B Detector.
Passive or Active (Electronics)
Active

Detection

Detected Particle
Electron
contacts
Gihan Kamel
Ahmed Refaat
Techniques
Absorption
  • IR spectroscopy
Imaging
  • IR Microscopy
Disciplines
Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Other - Chemistry
Earth Sciences & Environment
  • Geology
  • Marine science/Oceanography
  • Mineralogy
  • Other - Earth Sciences & Environment
  • Plant science
Energy
  • Other - Energy
Engineering & Technology
  • Other - Engineering & Technology
Humanities
  • Arts
  • Cultural Heritage
  • History
Life Sciences & Biotech
  • Biophysics
  • Food quality and safety
  • Medicine
  • Molecular and cellular biology
  • Other - Life Sciences & Biotech
  • Pharmaceutics (drug screening)
  • Technique Development - Life Sciences & Biotech
  • Veterinary sciences
Material Sciences
  • Knowledge based multifunctional materials
  • Other - Material Sciences
Address
SESAME Synchrotron, Jordan
control/Data analysis
Control Software Type
  • Beamline EPICS, Endstation OMNIC® 9.2.41, OMNIC Atlus® 9.1.24. Proprietary software (Copyright © 1992-2012 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.).
Data Output Type
  • Transmittance/Reflectance/Absorbance IR single spectra, interferograms, visible images, and hyperspectral images/maps.
Data Output Format
  • OMNIC [.spa and .map] (possible conversion to other formats.)
Softwares For Data Analysis
  • On-site and remote access to OMNIC® 9.2.41, OMNICMC® v 9.1.0, OMNIC Atlus® 9.1.24. (Copyright © 1992-2012 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.). The Unscrambler X® v 10.4. (Copyright © CAMO Analytics). CytoSpec® v 1.3.02. (Copyright © 2000-2020 Peter Lasch). Quasar®.