The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Developments in optics and performance at BL13-XALOC, the macromolecular crystallography beamline at the Alba Synchrotron

På svenska

Author

  • Jordi Juanhuix
  • Fernando Gil-Ortiz
  • Guifre Cuni
  • Carles Colldelram
  • Josep Nicolas
  • Julio Lidon-Simon
  • Eva Boter
  • Claude Ruget
  • Salvador Ferrer
  • Jordi Benach

Summary, in English

BL13-XALOC is currently the only macromolecular crystallography beamline at the 3 GeV ALBA synchrotron near Barcelona, Spain. The optics design is based on an in-vacuum undulator, a Si(111) channel-cut crystal monochromator and a pair of KB mirrors. It allows three main operation modes: a focused configuration, where both mirrors can focus the beam at the sample position to 52 mu m x 5.5 mu m FWHM(H x V); a defocused configuration that can match the size of the beam to the dimensions of the crystals or to focus the beam at the detector; and an unfocused configuration, where one or both mirrors are removed from the photon beam path. To achieve a uniform defocused beam, the slope errors of the mirrors were reduced down to 55 nrad RMS by employing a novel method that has been developed at the ALBA high-accuracy metrology laboratory. Thorough commissioning with X-ray beam and user operation has demonstrated an excellent energy and spatial stability of the beamline. The end-station includes a high-accuracy single-axis diffractometer, a removable mini-kappa stage, an automated sample-mounting robot and a photon-counting detector that allows shutterless operation. The positioning tables of the diffractometer and the detector are based on a novel and highly stable design. This equipment, together with the operation flexibility of the beamline, allows a large variety of types of crystals to be tackled, from medium-sized crystals with large unit-cell parameters to microcrystals. Several examples of data collections measured during beamline commissioning are described. The beamline started user operation on 18 July 2012.

Department/s

Publishing year

2014

Language

English

Pages

679-689

Publication/Series

Journal of Synchrotron Radiation

Volume

21

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

International Union of Crystallography

Topic

  • Accelerator Physics and Instrumentation

Keywords

  • macromolecular crystallography
  • beamline
  • Alba
  • mirror slope errors

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1600-5775