Elastic Emission Machining of Optics for Structural Biology Imaging using Fluid Jet Polishing

C55-18a-270355Synchrotron light sources have continuously and impressively grown in brightness and beam quality since their inception in 1947 at General Electric in upstate New York [1]. Indeed, we are at the point where X-ray synchrotron light sources have been optimized to the Diffraction Limit and Free Electron Lasers (FEL) have been fully developed. Nonetheless, ongoing manufacturing and metrology challenges associated with beamline focusing mirrors prevent the light sources from reaching their full potential. While the average brightness of synchrotron radiation sources is increasing, the utilization of this increase in brightness is held back by the quality of the beamline optics [2]. Currently, OptiPro has a Phase I SBIR underway for increasing the surface quality of specific beamline optics utilizing Elastic Emission Machining (EEM) to polish Kirkpatrick-Baez (K-B) mirrors. In this proposal we present an exciting ultra-precision optics polishing method based on the EEM method that, we believe, will greatly improve the surface figure and roughness of the other X-ray mirrors used in those beamlines, specifically the interior surfaces of the Wolter Mirrors. The current EEM method is not capable of polishing these interior surfaces, but a novel Fluid Jet Polishing Elastic Emission Machining (FJPEEM) system proposed herein, will be capable of just that. By improving the surface figure quality and roughness of all types of X-ray mirrors in the system, more accurate experimentation can be done for studying the structural biology of microbial and plant systems, especially those relevant to bioenergy.