High-reflectivity High-resolution X-ray Crystal Optics with Diamonds
Owing to the depth to which hard X-rays penetrate into most materials, it is commonly accepted that the only way to realize hard-X-ray mirrors with near 100% reflectance is under conditions of total external reflection at grazing incidence to a surface. At angles away from grazing incidence, substantial reflectance of hard X-rays occurs only as a result of constructive interference of the waves scattered from periodically ordered atomic planes in crystals (Bragg diffraction). Theory predicts that even at normal incidence the reflection of X-rays from diamond under the Bragg condition should approach 100% - substantially higher than from any other crystal. Here we demonstrate that commercially produced synthetic diamond crystals do indeed show an unprecedented reflecting power at normal incidence and millielectronvolt-narrow reflection bandwidths for hard X-rays. Bragg diffraction measurements of reflectivity and the energy bandwidth show remarkable agreement with theory. Such properties are valuable to the development of hard-X-ray optics, and could greatly assist the realization of fully coherent X-ray sources, such as X-ray free-electron laser oscillators.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE - OFFICE OF SCIENCE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 1020147
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-95997-2011-JA; TRN: US201116%%128
- Journal Information:
- Nature Physics, Vol. 6, Issue 3; ISSN 1745-2473
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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