Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory document their achievement of a novel, diced spherical quartz analyzer for use in the spectroscopic method of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS). The RIXS analyzer requires high-quality, single crystal materials, usually silicon, for their construction. Here, a novel construction technique using single crystal quartz and acid-resistant Master Bond EP21ARHT is summarized leading to an analyzer with an unprecedented energy resolution of 10.53 meV at the iridium (Ir) L3 absorption edge.1
Application
Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is a powerful and emerging technique used by physicists, material scientists, and chemists to study the electronic states and material properties of matter. This resonant scattering technique probes the valence electrons, providing measurements of both the energy and momentum transfers.2 An example of where RIXS is used is the investigation of low energy magnetic excitations in superconductors, an area of research with intense focus.3 Requiring a high intensity, tunable x-ray source, RIXS experiments are performed on-site at large particle accelerators directly at the beamline.2
RIXS involves a three-state, photon-in-photon-out process.2 From the initial state, an x-ray is absorbed leading to the excitation of a core-level electron to a higher-energy, empty valence state. This intermediate state with a core-hole is highly unstable; an electron from a higher-level occupied valence state then fills the core-hole with concomitant emission of a photon. With the ability to probe both occupied and unoccupied electronic states, the technique of RIXS provides superior insights relative to other x-ray spectroscopy techniques like x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).2 Further, the technique provides element and orbital specificity while allowing for great flexibility in sample preparation.
To read more about this application, its key parameters and requirements, and results, please download the full case study here.
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References
1 Said, A. H., Gog, T., Wieczorek, M., et al. High-energy-resolution diced spherical quarts analyzers for resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. (2018). 25, 373-377. URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/iucr/doi/10.1107/S1600577517018185
2 Jarrige, I. Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS). Brookhaven National Laboratories. Presented by Ignace Jarrige, PhD, at Columbia University, November 2015. Accessed: 04/15/2023. URL: https://www.bnl.gov/nsls2/userguide/lectures/lecture-8-jarrige.pdf
3 Soleil Synchrotron. Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RXIS) at very high resolution. Accessed: 04/15/2023. URL: https://www.synchrotron-soleil.fr/en/news/resonant-inelastic-x-ray-scatt...