A New Approach to Diamond-Based High Heat Load Monochromators

Several hundred beam lines are used around the world at today¿s third-generation synchrotron facilities. These facilities must deal with monochromator-based performance problems due to high heat load. Many have resorted to the use of costly, complicated, high maintenance cryogenic cooling of silicon crystals. Single crystal diamond monochromators present an advantage over the silicon crystals currently in use because of their far superior thermal properties and increased strength. The use of diamond monochromators would (1) allow the use of simpler, more reliable, and more cost effective water-cooled systems; (2) enable operation of two or more simultaneous beam lines, thereby doubling the available beam time; and (3) improve the quality of monochromatic X-ray beams (e.g., beam stability and focus). This project will design, build, and test a method of using more plentiful, smaller, and less expensive single crystals of suitable quality, by mounting them to large slabs of polycrystalline diamond. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee By making diamond monochromators more plentiful, expensive cryogenic cooling systems could be replaced by simpler water-cooled systems. Then, beam multiplexing would become possible. DOE accelerator facilities and their users would be the primary beneficiaries of this technology. An increased availability of synchrotron beams with high flux would accelerate the study of protein structure, interstellar matter, and material properties.