Bent Laue Analyzer for X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our team has achieved the goals of the Phase I SBIR grant by implementing and testing our Bent Laue Analyzer design concept at a variety of x-ray energies below 15 KeV. In Phase I, we optimized, constructed and tested devices at seven different x-ray fluorescence energies between 6 and 18 KeV. Several of the devices were also successfully tested by respected XAFS experimenters at the Advanced Photon Source, and the devices have been enthusiastically received. At this point it is clear there is a significant commercial potential to our designs, even at the Phase I stage of development. We have been approached by a company with a world-wide sales presence in synchrotron radiation instrumentation who is interested in potentially marketing our analyzer technology, and particularly future integrated systems that we intend to develop. The market potential and utility for end-users will be significantly enhanced through development of turnkey systems incorporating positioners, back-end detectors, and alignment aids. In this Phase II application we propose to carry our bent Laue x-ray analyzer concept through to commercial implementation, specifically to continue to improve the performance below 6 KeV, to develop integrated multielement systems, improve manufacturing, quality control, and quality assurance capabilities, develop user documentation, and form marketing and distribution agreement(s) with an established company or companies with a world-wide sales presence. The products will provide unique and invaluable capabilities for x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy in biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, materials science, and environmental sciences.