• Evaluate optical quality of X-ray mirrors and substrates for APS beamlines and users, in order to ensure compliance with the user's specifications in terms of figure error and finish.
• Characterize X-ray mirror-bender assemblies and specialized optics.
• Support in-house optics development by providing accurate metrology data
• Carry out joint R&D programs to develop new metrology measurement techniques and instrumentation.

The metrology lab houses an array of non-contact profilers customized to evaluate optics and cover the wide range of surface spatial frequencies that are relevant to X-ray optics. These include a slope measuring system (i.e.; a long trace profiler), a laser figure interferometer; a microscope interferometer for surface roughness measurements with microstitching capability.

These instruments are housed in a class 10,000 cleanroom located on the APS experiment hall floor, near Sector 1.

Work requests can be submitted by filling the Optics Group's work request form

The X-ray optics metrology laboratory is equipped with a Long Trace Profiler / Nanometric Optical Measurement (LTP/NOM) system to examine the  slope and curvature of mirror surfaces up to 1.5 m long with 50 nradians (rms) resolution.

• Measurement of optics up to 1.5 m long
• Can accommodate multiple sensors to cover a wide range of measurement needs in 1-D and 2-D.
• Currently uses an autocollimator to measure surface slope with resolution of about 50 nrad.
• Temperature stability: 0.05K over 48 hours.

Optical micro-roughness is measured with the Zygo NexView µinterferometry system operating in either phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) or coherence scanning (CSI) modes, using 633 nm wavelength light. Incrementally variable zoom is used to examine fields-of-view ranging in area from (85 µm × 85 µm) to (6 mm × 6 mm) with micro stitching capabilities for larger areas. 
 

While optical metrology tools are adequate for day-to-day measurements and for rapid turnaround measurements to support the fabrication of K-B mirrors by profile coating, the true validation of an x-ray optics is best done at the working x-ray wavelength. To this end, an x-ray Talbot grating interferometer system is currently being implemented as standard for optics evaluation at 1-BM Optics and Detectors Testing beamline using operations funds. Typically, such work is performed as part of ongoing R&D programs or as part of collaborative efforts with the end user.