Having trouble viewing this email? View this page in your browser.

Instrument Design Technology Ltd

Newsletter, May 2015


APS Users Meeting


IDT will be attending the forthcoming APS Users Meeting at Argonne National Laboratory on 11-14 May 2015. We will be located on stand 3 in the lower level gallery.

Air-Bearing DCM


Air Bearing DCM

IDT have recently installed a new cryo-cooled air-bearing DCM on MR-CAT at the APS. Initial user operations have demonstrated excellent energy stability and beam position stability. This monochromator joins our air-bearing DCM installed on GSECARS at the APS which has over two years of outstanding operational performance.

We are also developing a new cryo-cooled air-bearing DCM for the SMI beamline at NSLS-II, and a novel water-cooled air-bearing DCM for beamline 9-BM at the APS.

The air bearing DCM is capable of Quick EXAFS over a wide energy range, with high quality Micro EXAFS data measured on GSECARS. The combination of the air bearing goniometer with our proven ultra-stiff crystal cage mechanics offers significant improvements over a mechanical rotary table design:

  • Frictionless & ultra-smooth Bragg drive
  • Zero backlash
  • Very high radial stiffness
  • Rotational axis eccentricity <50nm & wobble <10nm
  • No degradation or wear over time of mechanical bearing
  • High speed direct drive torque motor

See the Air Bearing DCM page on our website for more information.

The IDT air bearing rotary stage* is based on an exclusively licensed goniometer from STFC as part of our program of continuous development of cutting-edge monochromators.

* © Copyright Science and Technology Facilities Council 2011. Manufactured by Instrument Design Technology under licence from the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Small KB Mirror System*


The IDT Small KB Mirror system is a compact, highly reliable and low cost system for micro-focusing monochromatic x-rays. The mirror system is available in UHV, vacuum & helium variants, with mirror lengths up to 400mm now available. The Small KB Mirror system features:

Small KB Mirror System
  • Highly repeatable sub-μm focused spot size
  • Dynamic mirror figuring with sub-μrad slope error
  • Multiple mirror coatings (silicon, rhodium, platinum)
  • 2 moment elliptical bender with trapezoidal shaped mirrors for near-perfect bending
  • Various motor & control options
  • Low cost of procurement & ownership compared to other micro-focusing systems

See the Small KB Mirror page on our website for more information.

* Developed by IDT with a grant from the UK North West Development Agency.

Precision Diffractometer Detector Mount


SCD Detector Mount installed on Swiss-Norwegian beamlime at the ESRF

IDT have designed & built a detector mount for the multi-purpose diffractometer on the Swiss-Norwegian beamline at the ESRF. This system supports a Pilatus 2M detector and features a novel counterweight safety system to protect the detector.

The centre of the detector can be positioned at a diffraction angle of up to 45° and the sample-to-detector distance can be varied from about 150mm to almost 1000mm. The support frame for the detector and the sample goniometry are both mounted on a common granite base, which in turn can be aligned relative to the incoming beam using a system of jacks and slides with 5 degrees of freedom.

A total of 15 motorised movements allow the sample and the detector to be precisely positioned and aligned relative to the synchrotron beam.

See the Diffractometer Detector Mount page on our website for more information.

Medium-length KB Mirrors


Medium KB Mirrors

IDT have completed the development of two novel Medium-length KB Mirror systems for the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS) at the APS.

These monochromatic focusing mirrors feature 840mm long horizontal mirrors to allow the full APS horizontal source to be captured and focused to sub-micron spot sizes.

The mirror systems are to be installed on the DCS beamline in June 2015.