Diamond Annual Review 2023/24

36 D I A M O N D L I G H T S O U R C E A N N U A L R E V I E W 2 0 2 3 / 2 4 Imaging andMicroscopy Group Paul Quinn, Science Group Leader (- May 2024) Julia Parker, Science Group Leader (June 2024 -) T he Imaging and Microscopy Group uses electrons and X-rays to image samples under different conditions across eight experimental facilities (I08, I08-1, DIAD, I12, I13-1, I13-2, I14 and ePSIC) allowing access to a broad span of length and time scales. The state of the art instruments have a range of diverse science applications, and the user community continues to growwith excitingnewresults fromDIAD (Dual Imaging and Diffraction) beamline as well as user operations at I08-1, the soft X-ray spectro and tomo-ptychography branchline. DIAD The DIAD (Dual Imaging and Diffraction) beamline is a pioneering facility designed to provide simultaneous imaging and diffraction capabilities for advanced material and biological research. The beamline features a unique dual-beam setup, where one beam is optimised for high-resolution imaging, allowing for detailed visualisation of internal features and defects, while the other beam is tailored for diffraction, providing insights into the crystalline structure and phase composition. This dual capability facilitates comprehensive analysis, making it possible to correlate structural properties with material performance and behaviour under various conditions. It supports both static and dynamic studies, enabling time-resolved experiments that can capture the evolution of materials under stress, temperature changes, and other environmental factors. DIAD is particularly well-suited for studies in materials science, engineering, geology, and biology, where understanding the interplay between microstructure and macroscopic properties is crucial. Researchers can use the beamline to investigate a wide range of phenomena, from the mechanics of new alloys and composites to the behaviour of biological tissues and the microstructure of natural minerals. I12 The Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing (JEEP) beamline produces high energy X-rays (53-150 keV) enabling imaging and diffraction of large or dense samples. I12 continued its exciting science programme, collaborations, and development. New research carried out at the I12 involved real-time in situ observation of chemical processes using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and joint experiments with ISIS neutron facility in the areas of material, life, and heritage sciences. A number of new developments offer new capabilities for users. A high speed camera for fast X-ray imaging and tomography which will replace the older equipment and provide a gain in both frame rate and sensitivity, keeping I12 at the cutting edge. A new stage for in situ experiments was also implemented enabling mechanical characterisation during experiments. I31-2 The I13-2 Diamond Manchester Imaging beamline is focussed on micro- and nano-tomography and provides, in connection with the I13-1 Coherence beamline, multiscale imaging capabilities over three orders of magnitude in resolution. The beamline operates in the 8-30 keV energy range, offering a variety of imaging capabilities including in-line phase contrast imaging, full- field microscopy and grating interferometry. In-line phase contrast is typically applied to millimetre-sized objects, with zooming capability using different detector objectives. Over the last year the high-throughput capability has been increased, improving the gripper mechanism of the sample changer robot and measuring up to 100 samples per eight hour shift. The grating interferometer allows measurement of the refractive index of materials with high sensitivity, important in particular for the segmentation of data. With the full-field microscope, we achieve 80nm resolution on 80µm samples and with data collection times of a few minutes. Work is ongoing to improve the Zernike phase contrast imaging method for the collection of high quality data with high contrast. The I13 OCTOPI upgrade project describes the ambitions for multiscale and operando imaging, and we are currently improving the instrumentation in sight of the Diamond-II upgrade. I13-1 I13-1 coherence beamline is a hard X-ray beamline, operating in the 6-20keV range. The beamline specialises in high-speed, multiscale and multimodal coherent diffraction imaging and ptychography in both transmission and Bragg geometries. These methods provide nanoscale resolutions with a quantitative phase contrast and can often be combined with other methods, such as tomography and XANES, and complementary signals, such as fluorescence and diffraction mapping. The beamline supports users from all backgrounds and a wide range of research areas, from materials science to bio-imaging, allowing the community to apply these powerful analytical tools to their specific scientific challenge. In recent years there has been a big effort at the beamline to increase the scanning speeds and imaging throughput. This is particularly important as we look towards the Diamond-II upgrade and the increase in source brilliance. Recent publications from the beamline are beginning to demonstrate how our developments open the possibility for in operando studies and imaging of larger volumes of material at the nanoscale, with applications across the life and physical sciences. I08 The Scanning X-ray Microscopy beamline (I08) is for morphological, elemental and chemical speciation on a broad range of organic-inorganic interactions in a 250 - 4400 eV photon energy range, and sample investigations under ambient conditions. I08 has a range of applications including biological and biomedical sciences, earth and environmental science, geochemistry, and materials science. I08 has improved and partially automated and simplified user operation and current developments look to enable more in situ and in operando research.