Speaker
Emile Espes
(N/A)
Description
High-end x-ray diffraction techniques such as small molecule crystallography,
macromolecular crystallography and non-ambient crystallography rely heavily on the x-ray
source brightness for resolution and exposure time. As boundaries of technology are pushed
forward samples are becoming smaller, weaker diffracting and less stable which put
additional requirements on ever brighter sources. With bright enough compact sources, time
resolved studies can be achieved even in the home laboratory. Traditional solid or rotating
anode x-ray tubes are typically limited in brightness by when the e-beam power density melts
the anode. The liquid-metal-jet technology has overcome this limitation by using an anode
that is already in the molten state thus e-beam power loading above several megawatts per
mm are now feasible.
Over a decade ago the first prototypes of MetalJet x-ray sources were demonstrated. These
immediately demonstrated unprecedented brightness in the range of one order of magnitude
above current state-of-the art sources [1-3]. Over the last years, the liquid-metal-jet
technology has developed from prototypes into fully operational and stable X-ray tubes
running in more than 75 labs over the world. X-ray crystallography has been identified as a
key application for the x-ray tube technology, since this application benefits greatly from
small spot-sizes, high-brightness in combination with a need for stable output. To achieve a
single-crystal-diffraction platform addressing the needs of the most demanding
crystallographers, multiple users and system manufacturers has since installed the MetalJet x-
ray source into their SCD set-ups with successful results [4].
This contribution reviews the evolvement of the MetalJet technology and its applicability
for pushing boundaries of SCD supported by recent user data. We also present possibilities to
achieve cost effective solutions, attainable for a wider application range. Finally, we discuss
details of the technology with a focus on its abilities to free up synchrotron time by efficient
home laboratory screening.
Primary author
Emile Espes
(N/A)
