The Single-Particle, Clusters and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography instrument of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser: Interaction Region Downstream at atmospheric pressure (IRD)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The Single-Particle, Clusters and Biomolecules and Serial Femtosecond Crystallography (SPB/SFX) scientific instrument at the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL) became operational with user experiments in September 2017. The unique properties and capabilities of the EuXFEL, enabling megahertz data collection rates, provide more rapid data collection with improved statistics compared with other XFEL facilities. This improves the feasibility of obtaining multiple data points in time-resolved experiments and hence enables the observation of reactions in greater detail (molecular movies). In collaboration with the SFX User Consortium (SFX UC), the SPB/SFX instrument was designed to further increase user access and research outcomes. Focusing the pulses downstream of the first interaction region [described previously (Mancuso et al., 2019)], a second experiment plane is enabled, which allows for greater optimization and more efficient usage of available beam time. Additionally, the SFX UC provided further instrumentation to provide improved capabilities on SPB/SFX. The aim for additional and extended functionality for the second interaction region was to enable sample-efficient data collection at atmospheric pressure in an environment where the sample temperature and humidity can be controlled. This paper describes the extended capabilities of the downstream interaction region of the SPB/SFX instrument and its major components, in particular its X-ray focusing optics, vacuum to atmospheric pressure out-coupling, available sample delivery methods and 2D detector, and the supporting optical laser systems for pump-probe experiments.
Source: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
Authors: Adam Round, Piere Aller, Richard J. Bean, Johan Bielecki, Agata Butryn, Nicholas Devenish, Raphael de Wijn, Thomas Dietze, Katerina Doerner, Fabio Dall'Antonia, Pontus Fischer, Gabriele Giovanetti, Sebastian Guenther, Huijong Han, Vincent Hennicke, Chan Kim, Yoonhee Kim, Marco Kloos, Jayanath C. P. Koliyadu, Gabriel Leen, Romain Letrun, Luis Lopez Morillo, Allen M. Orville, Tim Pakendorf, Marco Ramilli, Nadja Reimers, Patrick Reinke, Juan Sanchez-Weatherby, Tokushi Sato, Robin Schubert, Joachim Schulz, Cedric Signe Takem, Marcin Sikorski, Prasad Thute, Fabian Trost, Oleksii Turkot, Patrik Vagovič, Mohammad Vakili, Raul Villanueva Guerrero, Henry N. Chapman, Alke Meents, Serguei Molodtsov, Sakura Pascarelli, Thomas Tschentscher, Adrian P. Mancuso
Language: English
Subfield: Radiation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,180
Funders: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Wellcome Trust, Diamond Light Source, Royal Society, Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Vetenskapsrådet, Röntgen-Ångström Cluster, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, BioXFEL Science and Technology Center, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council
OpenAlex ID: W4416811017