In-situ metrology for the optimization of bent crystals used in hard-X-ray monochromators: Comparison between measurement and simulation

Abstract Crystal sagittal focusing is known as one of the most efficient way of focusing synchrotron X-ray radiation from bending magnet sources, thus delivering increases photon flux at the sample position. To optimize the performance of a sagittaly bent crystal inside a monochromator, it is necessary to have knowledge of its radius of curvature. However, this measurement is not very easy to obtain. Even though the use of the X-ray beam is the ultimate source for optimizing the system, it is still necessary to have a prior knowledge of the radius of curvature as a function of the motor bender positions to avoid any catastrophic failure. In this paper, we describe a simple, efficient and accurate method of measuring the radius of curvature of sagitally bent monochromator crystals at several bending magnet beamlines at synchrotron SOLEIL. To optimize the crystal bending inside these monochromators, we used a Shack–Hartmann sensor (HP 26) developed by the Imagine Optic Company (Orsay/France). This high accuracy two-dimensional metrology tool was originally designed to be installed on a Long Trace Profiler translation stage to measure the mirrors profiles. During a period where the SOLEIL synchrotron was in shutdown, this instrument was directly mounted inside the monochromator so that the radius of curvature could be measured in-situ. This method allows us to optimize the curvature and eliminate twist before bending strongly the crystal below radii of curvature of less than 2 m. The second step in the optimization process was to use the X-ray beam for the final adjustments of the bending system, where X-ray images are then used to analyse the residual defaults of the system. Using SpotX, a ray-tracing simulation tool, these errors can be fully analysed and a fully optimized system can then be obtained. Overall, five beamlines at synchrotron SOLEIL have used in this method to optimize their monochromators.