Sector 7: Research Programs

Sector 7's research program exploits the brilliance of the APS undulator radiation to perform material research studies with high spatial and temporal resolution. Microbeam studies are made using x-ray beam sizes on the submicron-scale, and time-resolved diffraction measurements are carried out with picosecond resolution.

Sector 7's undulator line has experimental enclosures dedicated to both time-resolved and microbeam research. In one of these enclosures (7ID-D), a femtosecond laser facility is set up for ultrafast diffraction and spectroscopy studies in a pump-probe geometry. The 7ID-B hutch is a white beam capable station used for time-resolved phase-contrast imaging and beamline optics development. A third enclosure (7ID-C) is instrumented for high-resolution diffraction studies with a Huber 6-circle diffractometer. The instrument is ideal for thin-film and interface studies, including the recently developed Coherent Bragg Rod Analysis (COBRA) technique. The fs-laser has recently been delivered to 7ID-C so time-resolved laser pump-x-ray probe can be performed in 7ID-C since March 2007. An x-ray streak camera is also being commissioned in 7ID-C. 7ID-C is equipped for microdiffraction studies with a small Huber 4-cicle diffractometer used with zone-plate optics.

The facilities permit studies across a broad range of materials systems, including simple liquids and gases, thin films, polymers, liquid crystals, nanomagnets, semiconductors and ferroelectrics. In support of these research programs, Sector 7 also has an active program of instrumentation development, including ultrafast detectors, x-ray streak cameras, and novel x-ray focusing approaches such high-resolution zone-plates and compound refractive lenses. Sector 7 welcomes additional collaborations and general user participation in these unique experimental capabilities.

• On spectroscopy of laser-aligned molecules:
  • Story from ANL Today, May 14, 2008 on laser-aligned molecules
• On COherent Bragg Rod Analysis (COBRA):
  • See the COBRA News Story on the APS Research Highlights web site
• On Ultrafast laser interaction with matter in 7ID-D:
  • A switch in time: A New Path to Subpicosecond X-ray Pulses! (From the APS Research highlights.)
• On Microdiffraction studies of Ferroelectrics in 7ID-C:
  • New Details of Ferroelectric Switching (From the APS Research highlights.)
• On Phase-contrast imaging experiments in 7ID-B:
  • Beneath the Surface of High-Speed Industrial Sprays (From the APS Research highlights.)
    See also related story of work done on Sector 1 by Jin Wang's group.

• White beam Microbeam diffraction:
  • Materials Analysis Using New X-ray Microbeams (From the APS Research highlights.)