Diamond Annual Review 2025-26

To extend Diamond’s capability and achieve world leading performance, the group is also actively involved in research and development in the field of X-ray optics and specialised optical systems. B16, Diamond’s Test beamline, is also part of the Optics and Metrology group. Unlocking the secrets of 3D printed polymers Polymer material extrusion is a common form of additive manufacturing because it is relatively affordable, versatile and simple. However, the final strength and function of printed parts depend strongly on how the polymer crystallises as it is deposited and cools. Until now, this fast, real-time process has not been well understood. By developing a new X-ray diffraction setup at the B16 test beamline, a research team could observe crystallisation while the polymer was being extruded from a 3D printer nozzle and cooling on the printing platform. The X-ray data were combined with thermal modelling to link crystal formation to printing conditions. The results showed that printing temperature was the main factor controlling crystallisation. Slightly lower processing temperatures could accelerate crystal The Optics and Metrology group provide expert support to Diamond beamlines in the design, procurement, acceptance testing and optimisation of all beamline optics. Optics and Metrology nucleation and growth, while slower deposition speeds encouraged higher crystallinity. These insights could help optimise 3D-printing parameters to produce smaller, more uniform crystals, improving mechanical performance and material consistency. The work could support advanced polymer applications, including biomedical implants, tissue-engineering scaffolds and lightweight engineering components. DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2024.113255 First demonstration of stripe-free multilayer monochromator imaging For the first time, multilayer monochromators have matched the beam uniformity normally achieved with crystal monochromators, while keeping their advantage of much higher X-ray flux. This breakthrough solves a long-standing problem in X-ray imaging. Multilayer monochromators are useful for high-speed imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy 25 because they deliver more photons than crystal monochromators. However, they can introduce faint stripe-like intensity variations into the X-ray beam. These reduce the image quality and make data analysis harder, especially in techniques such as tomography. Diamond scientists addressed this by improving both the shape and coating quality of the optics. Using ion beam figuring in Diamond’s optics fabrication facility, they produced substrates with extremely small slope errors. These were then coated with highly uniformmultilayers using the multilayer deposition system. The new monochromators were tested on the B16 test beamline using at-wavelength speckle-based metrology. The results confirmed excellent wavefront uniformity and flat-field images with no visible stripe artefacts. The advance could improve tomography, high-speed imaging, materials research and biomedical studies. DOI: 10.1002/adom.202501312 26 Annual review 2025/26 Optics and Metrology